Staying Sober

Looking forward to making some time to read Sober Is My New Drunk by Paul Carr, as it’s by one of my favorite writers, and promises to be comedic, yet sobering (ha).

At times, I overdo it on the alcohol – as many college students do. But the problem arises not so much from the binging (although it is grossly unhealthy), but from why the binging occurs. Sometimes it isn’t just to have fun – it’s to get away from it all, and forget all the problems, even if only for a little while.

And then there’s those times where you just want to fit in. You’re not funny, smart, witty, good-looking, so you use alcohol to forget those “facts.” That’s just as bad, and falls into the problems category.

There’s a whole slew of health reasons to not binge drink – I know them, you’re probably at least aware it’s not good for you in excess. But more importantly, binge drinking roots itself as a psychological problem – and presents itself as a crutch to living life to the fullest.

And the fact is that you end up forgetting those good times you had, feel like shit afterwards, or worse, do things that you absolutely regret and cannot take back.

Why go through all that just to forget your problems for the few hours you’re drunk? If you’re old enough to drink, you’re old enough to start dealing with your problems and insecurities head-on.

Not to say that that the occasional drink isn’t okay – I absolutely love beer. But everything in moderation. Besides, beer loses its good tastes, textures, and richness after a few too many. But alas..

Alcohol only helps you forget temporarily what you think you aren’t. And here, I really use “you” as a replacement for “I.” “I” use alcohol to forget what I’m not, and forget the problems that I’ve accrued over the course of weeks, months, years. 

So I’ll take a page out of Paul Carr’s writings, and I’m going to say that if you catch me overdoing it, please stop me. Remind me of my commitment to stop. I’ve lost too many things over the course of binging – precious possessions, the sanctity of my carpet, and most importantly, my closest friend.

There comes a point where it’s just not worth it anymore.