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. This episode marks the kick-off of the 2025 Max Fun Drive! Check out the fun thank you gifts and become a member of Max Fun! Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com! Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org. Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group.    Help is available right away. 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   MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.