Teenage alcohol abuse is on the rise and many people don’t seem to realize how bad it’s getting. I’ve seen kids in elementary school shotgunning beers. Kids, I know middle schoolers who brag about how much they drink. I know many high schoolers freshmen to seniors who are becoming or have become alcoholics. My goal for this website is not to eliminate high schoolers having fun because it is beneficial to learn to drink when you’re a teenager however I want to bring awareness to kids about the dangers of alcohol so that they don’t develop problems or help parents understand the issue so they can try to intervene before their child develops a problem.

I also think it would be good to clarify that I am speaking out about alcohol abuse and binge drinking. I can’t stress enough I want teens to be able to understand safe drinking before being given too much freedom and developing bad drinking habits. I also think if we try to just teach kids not to drink once they start they’re going to develop bad habits. My goal is to help teach teens the dangers of addiction and how to tell you might be developing a problem before it becomes an actual health issue for them.

For this website, I want to share statistics and personal experiences that can shine a light on how to identify alcohol abuse. I will also post videos and links on how to fight and beat alcohol abuse. One trick that is very good to know is understanding we all kick addictions differently. Some people fill their time with healthier habits like working out or cooking. Others like to take it easy and maybe watch movies and read books to focus on something other than drinking. It’s also good to know the 2 types of alcohol addictions. You have alcoholics who can’t go a long time without drinking but, a lot of alcoholics are people who can’t stop drinking once they start. So please take all of this intro information and start trying to look out for friends and family to make sure they don’t develop a problem. 

MY STORY

My first time getting drunk was on a school trip to Guatemala at the end of my freshman year. Over that summer I didn’t drink and I was rarely drinking my sophomore year. However when covid started my friends and I started drinking because there was nothing else to do, and everything was pretty boring since we couldn’t really go anywhere. During my junior year, I would drink a little bit but not an overwhelming amount. During the summer break between my junior year and senior year, I was drinking a lot. If I had to estimate I probably drank about 60% of the days during that break. Most of the time I was by myself. Then during my senior year, I was drinking about twice a month nothing too bad but an increase from my past years. Eventually, people including my parents started to realize how bad my drinking got. Mainly because I was trying to drink my sadness away. My doctor gave me antidepressants and diagnosed me with mild alcohol abuse. My doctor told me I should take a month off from drinking so they could accurately tell how my body reacted to the pills. After that month the pills seemed to be working, I wasn’t feeling as sad as I typically did but it also didn’t stop me from feeling any sadness. However, my life was improving a lot I got to really see how lucky I was at that time. I had a lot to be happy about and realized I was putting people I care about through too much especially my girlfriend of the time. After that month had passed I gave it a little more time but I did know I wanted to start drinking again. When I did I was drinking on more social occasions and I was just happy I wasn’t trying to drown my issues in booze. There are still nights when I might drink too much but I’ve made drastic improvements from where I was. 

I share my story for multiple reasons. One is because of why I’m making these blogs. I want to help people avoid the position I put myself in. It may sound hypocritical since I still drink but I do think it’s good to hear from the perspective of someone who has dealt with a drinking problem. Second I want people to know just because you have a problem doesn’t mean you have to quit forever. Some people are able to relearn safe drinking habits. If you are someone who recognizes you don’t have control and will stay sober forever then good on you’re very self-aware and strong to do that. I just think people should know it’s not black and white when it comes to sobriety. You are the person who knows you best you’re the one who can make the best decision for you, but sometimes it does take the words of our friends and family to help us see what we need more clearly. So remember drinking your problems away will lead to more problems learn to appreciate your life and learn that alcohol is for you to enjoy with your friends.

MY THOUGHTS ON ALCOHOL

I’d like to also make my views on alcohol clear. I feel like with the information I’m presenting I come across as someone who thinks alcohol makes you throw your life away. That is far from the truth. I find alcohol to be a great stress reliever and something fun to do with friends. At the end of the week if you’re stressed and want a break I think drinking with friends is a great way to forget your troubles. However, I’ve also seen the downsides to drinking and it comes when you lose the ability to control your drinking. I’ve been in that situation and at times I still struggle with it. I think alcohol is great but easy to lose control of. I’ve seen many people go from drinking on special occasions to drinking before going to school. The point of this website is not to make alcohol seem like the worst thing in the world but to help people understand it more, especially people who are younger because drinking while your brain is still developing can have really bad effects in the future.

All I am saying is that you have the ability to handle drinking but it is also a substance that is easy to abuse. So be careful when drinking because it can lead down a dangerous road but it can also be helpful in life. Alcohol is like a gamble you can have a very good experience with it but there are many people who can have a very negative outcome from it so be careful. 

From my experience with drinking the best advice, I can give is to drink socially. As basic as it sounds it’s not as easy as it sounds. Its easy to feel in control but being a vigilante is not as simple as it is to be blind to addiction. That is why I preach being smart and vigilant.