Hi, I think you have to be careful about the reasons you drink alcohol, at the moment it sounds like you are using it as a self medication to help you deal with stressful situations. The danger is you may start to find more and more situations that you feel alcohol will help you. I was told by my CPN that alcohol actually causes more anxiety in the long term, which is the reason we so often reach for it and get stuck in a cycle.
What do you think would happen if you did not use alcohol before attending a appointment?
My psychologist told me that the way to over come anxiety is through habituation, continually exposing ourselves to a situation in stages until it is no longer anxiety provoking.
Do you think you would be able to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed before appointments gradually till you are able to attend them sober?
I know that some may not agree, but we are not always taken as seriously as we should be when we are under the influence ( even though I understand that sometimes we feel the only way to communicate is through the aid of alcohol). It's something worth considering.
Its just my opinion, but I think if we use alcohol in ways other than socially, or rarely, then it may become a problem.
xx
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