J. Kenji Lopez-Alt on Food, Booze, Weed, Anxiety, Depression, and Living a Healthy Life

The alcohol, says J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, came about in young
adulthood, when it solved persistent social anxiety and made him
the life of the party. As Kenji found tremendous success in food
writing and restaurateuring, he found that he couldn’t really
make it through the day without downing between two and five
drinks. This wasn’t hard to pull off in the food business,
surrounded by booze and a culture that heartily encouraged its
consumption. Kenji found that, as is so often the case with
mental health, that the reality of the condition didn’t match the
drunken messy stereotype: his work wasn’t harmed, he had strong
relationships and a family. It’s just that he was an addict.
Finally, just a few months ago and in his mid-40’s, he decided to
get sober.


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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255,
1-800-273-TALK


Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.


International suicide hotline numbers available
here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines