You’ve noticed something about your drinking, and you’ve probably been arguing with yourself about it for a while. It crept up: more nights than you planned, more each night than you meant. Lately, deciding not to drink takes effort in a way it never used to.
Most people who contact us about drinking are nowhere near what they’d call rock bottom. They’re holding their lives together, and privately uneasy. If you’re waiting for proof that you qualify, you can stop waiting. When drinking is costing you sleep, mornings, money, or self-respect, that’s already worth a conversation.
What this can look like
People often recognize some of these:
- You intend to have two and end up well past it.
- You drink alone at home, more than you’d mention to anyone.
- You feel quietly proud of your “good” nights, which is itself a clue.
- Someone has commented, or you’ve rehearsed your answer in case they do.
- You’ve tried to cut back on your own and it hasn’t stuck.
None of this means you match whatever picture of an alcoholic you hold in your head. Plenty of people whose lives look intact from the outside are drinking in ways that hurt.
Why the line is hard to see in Bangkok
Expat life in this city runs on alcohol. Deals happen over whiskey and friendships form at happy hour. Sunday means free-flow brunch, and there’s always a visitor wanting the rooftop bars. When everyone around you drinks heavily, your own drinking looks unremarkable. That comparison is the trap: normal for Bangkok tells you nothing about whether it’s fine for you.
There’s a social cost to stopping, too. Saying you’re not drinking tonight invites questions, jokes, sometimes a beer pressed into your hand anyway. Some people find staying home easier than explaining themselves. If you’ve noticed that, it’s worth taking seriously.
What happens when you get in touch
You message or call, and you get a reply from a person. A first message commits you to nothing. Ask what counseling involves, describe a rough month, or say you’re unsure whether your drinking is even a problem and want to think it through with someone.
You’d be speaking with Dr. Eric Mason, an American psychotherapist with 14 years in Bangkok. He’s a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist and a licensed clinical mental health counselor in the United States. Alcohol treatment runs through our addiction program, which is accredited by the Thai Ministry of Public Health. What that involves depends on what you want. Some people want to stop completely. Others want to get back in control. Nobody will ask you to promise lifelong sobriety as the price of the first conversation.
Given how small expat Bangkok can be, people often ask who might find out. It’s a fair question. What you say in counseling is treated as confidential.
Privacy, plainly stated
What you tell us stays with us.
What you share is protected under the same professional confidentiality standards that govern licensed psychologists and counsellors. We don’t confirm to anyone, including family or employers, that you’re a client here.
If you’d rather not share your full name at first, that’s fine, tell us what to call you and we’ll go from there. Read more about confidentiality
Get in touch
Reach out, at your own pace.
A message here doesn’t commit you to anything. Ask a question, describe what’s going on, or just say hello, we’ll take it from there.