Re: Going Out/Drinking Alcohol
I used to drink but don't anymore. I hate how I get asked by everybody why it is that I don't drink. It's like I've told them that I enjoy tap dancing barefoot on a bed of nails. It made me see that as a society we have an unhealthy attitude to alcohol. Drinking too much and ending up in hospital was considered a badge of honour when I was a student.
I found it really hard going out and not drinking at first, with bad anxiety. I discovered that it's really cheap going out and not drinking, but it can get boring and I also get more hungry than other people. I started taking a camera out with me and taking photos of my friends and the places we were in and it kept me entertained while everyone was buying drinks. I stopped off for snacks between bars and sometimes I'd go to the club before the majority of my friends if it played music I like and just enjoy the music.
Now I'm older I don't go to bars much and almost never go to clubs. I found that since being on Sertraline, alcohol doesn't have any enjoyable effects, only unpleasant ones. I try to arrange to meet my friends for daytime activities rather than nights out, and we go to cafes or casual pubs rather than loud bars.
I realised that I didn't need to worry too much on nights out because everyone else is drunk so they won't remember what I say or do, and they'll probably assume I'm drunk too. Once I got over the boredom and resentment of not being able to drink, I learned to enjoy nights out without drinking.
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"Every day, every hour, I wish that I was bullet proof"