Putting Feelings Aside

[♥ Choir. ♥]

I've always thought that I've been against drinking and drugs while underage, and drinking is something I've never been able to see myself doing. I have friends who lives have been torn apart because a loved one became an alcoholic. On Wednesday night I got a text from one of my really good friends telling me that he wants help because he drinks. He's hardly a year older than me, and he expected me to have all the answers. He asked for help from his school counselor, and he got it. Something that he happened to mention to me is that when he drank, all feelings were pushed aside and he didn't have to feel them anymore. I know that all it really does it prolong them, but an hour or two without feelings, without having to really think. I want that more then anything. If I want to drink, I can get alcohol easy, I know that much. But I don't know if I'm willing to risk my health for it. I've gone through D.A.R.E. and Stepping It Up!, and those countless hours in health where we're told what underage drinking can do to your body. Is it worth it? Is it really worth me risking my health, risk having to give up things that I love just because I want time where I don't have to feel? I'm so confused right now, I don't know what I should do. I really don't want to harm my body by putting unnecessary things into it, but the no feelings thing really tempts me. What do I do?

[Ngikhona]

It's not worth it. Yes there's a certain appeal to "not having to feel" for a while, but alcoholism is a life-long battle. Once you become an alcoholic, you will struggle with it for the rest of your life. Some people who are alcoholics do eventually stop drinking, but the fact remains that the temptations will never go away. In addition, even if you can "avoid feeling" for a while, people make stupid decisions all the time while drunk. Even if the drinking itself weren't to ruin your life, you could definitely make a decision while drunk that would negatively effect the rest of it.

[Anduriel]

Also, if you become an alcoholic and quit, most recovered alcoholics can never drink again, because once they have one drink they can't stop and end up right where they started. Better to wait and drink responsibly later than ruin it for a couple of weeks of numbness.

[Soliloquy]

Originally Posted by Anduriel

Also, if you become an alcoholic and quit, most recovered alcoholics can never drink again, because once they have one drink they can't stop and end up right where they started. Better to wait and drink responsibly later than ruin it for a couple of weeks of numbness.

I must agree with this. While I have not been an alcoholic myself, both my parents have. About a week ago, my mom was celebrating twenty years sober. She told me that when she was younger, she always thought that she would be able to get her life back together and then drink socially again, without the temptation to do it in excess. But as she got older, she realized that the temptation to revert back to her alcoholism was always going to be there, and that that first drink after all these years would be the beginning of the end.

It is not worth it. Any behavior that is used to "numb out" feelings never is. While emotions can be difficult to cope with at times, it is better to feel them than to drown your sorrows in a bottle of beer. You may find the escape you are looking for momentarily, but the fact is, your problems will not vanish into thin air if you ignore them. If anything, they will get worse. Later on, you will sober up and STILL have to face the issues that life throws at you.

Writing, drawing, and other forms of self-expression are great to cope with feelings. Check out the Self-Harm Alternatives thread stickied in the Self-Harm forum if you ever find yourself dealing with any distressing emotions. There are some wonderful suggestions on there!

[mr_null]

It would be much healthier mentally and physically to learn to cope with stress/problems/life without relying on alcohol. Drinking to cope won't solve anything and usually makes problems worse. That being said drinking can be a lot of fun. If you choose to drink make sure you're smart about it and take it slow.

FYI programs like D.A.R.E. are extremely biased and one-sided, they're basically propaganda.