Coming from a guy who used to drink, religiously, some of the comments on here from drinkers are ridiculous! I drank because it gave me a false sense of security and it seemed like the only way to have a good time. It made me more outgoing. It was a world much different then my sober state.
The first sip of alcohol was always something that I never looked forward to, but after stomaching a few more sips and catching a slight buzz it didn't taste that bad. A few more drinks and I was completely waisted. I craved the taste of alcohol. A few more and I was passed out, gurgling alcohol in my sleep. I'd repeat this cycle every time I drank.
Yeah, I acted like a moron most of the time and did a lot of things that I regret to this day while I was completely intoxicated, but I felt like I was nobody without it. A complete loner.
I think that kind of defends alcohol to a point. So, now onto why I quit drinking. Unlike Tynan, I was never a health freak. I could have cared less if it tore apart my liver and kidneys.
As much as I hated the taste of alcohol, that didn't really bother me. I knew that if I drank more the taste would later be alright, if not pleasurable.
It made me act like an idiot, but I liked that.
I could tell you about the horror story that was caused by large amounts of alcohol and total loss of self-control, but that wasn't even the reason that I quit drinking. In fact, that made me want to drink more to forget that it ever happened.
The reason why I quit drinking was a lot more simple then one would believe. The more I drank, the less I was able to stomach alcohol. I was tired of throwing up and waking up with hangovers. That feeling of slight dizziness, migraines that would only worsen with the slightest noise and a sick feeling in the stomach. None the less, the running to the bathroom every five seconds to take a 90 second piss.
It became apparent to me that I was waisting my time drinking. I drank to make myself feel better. To have a good time and I'm not going to lie. I had some great times under the influence, but I'd feel horrible the next morning. If not for the sick feeling, then for the regretful things that I'd done the night before.
The benefit of alcohol is that you lose all self control without any instant regrets. The problem with alcohol is that you lose all self control without any instant regrets.
Even the feeling of being completely waisted is something that I can't stand the thought of anymore. The feeling that everything around me is spinning around in circles and being afraid to stand up, because I'm afraid that I'll fall over... To name a few things.
Of course, staying sober has its negatives. Living in a small town in Wisconsin, the main social gatherings are bars. It's impossible to go into a bar, stay sober and fit right in. It's impossible to speak to a drunk when you're sober and even more impossible to have a good time with a drunk when you're sober.