health
'I was in a terrible state': actor David Morrissey tells how social anxiety led him to alcoholism
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Liverpool-born actor says depression and anxiety followed death of his father when he was 15
TL;DR
- David Morrissey, a recovering alcoholic for 21 years, attributes his drinking to severe social anxiety.
- He started drinking in his teens after his father's death, which also led to depression and anxiety.
- Morrissey found acting as a coping mechanism and a way to feel safe, stating his career "rescued" him.
- He sought help through Alcoholics Anonymous after struggling for years.
- Morrissey's father, Joe Morrissey, died at 54 from a blood disorder when David was 15.