![\"drinkingteens\"](\"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/drinkingteens.jpg\")
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By Holly Kenny<\/p>\n
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Before anyone thinks this is a rant towards people who drink excessively, it\u2019s not at all. If it was, I\u2019d be the world\u2019s biggest hypocrite and if I\u2019m perfectly honest I have some amazing and hilarious memories from those times.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve only stopped drinking for a week because I simply couldn\u2019t afford to but I had no idea how much I would realise, I didn\u2019t need to depend on it to make connections. It\u2019s just such a shame that it has taken this long to realise that.<\/p>\n
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I used to have <\/i>to drink when I went out because otherwise I\u2019d feel awkward. Earlier this semester I could easily get through about 70cl or more of vodka a week.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019d go out every night with my friends and when I think about it now, the drinking was due to insecurities. I get shy meeting new people and with alcohol in my system I was this confident person that was so completely different from my normal self. I didn\u2019t mind meeting new people, I loved dancing no matter who was watching and I didn\u2019t care what anyone thought about me.<\/p>\n
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When people would meet me when I was drunk they\u2019d say \u201cYou\u2019re so fun to be around\u201d and \u201cYou\u2019re hilarious\u201d.\u00a0 When I\u2019d wake up the next day I wouldn\u2019t know what to say to those same people, would they still like me even though I was completely different sober? Am I just boring or too shy now?<\/p>\n
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These thoughts used to race around in my head every day from pretty much the start of college in first year. I was getting through the year and making friends along the way but I always had this anxiety that they only really preferred the drunk me instead of the normal me.<\/p>\n
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Looking at the bigger picture, I realise that drinking excessively did nothing but hinder my life. It would make my psoriasis flare up which made me self-conscious about my body. It made me gain weight because I would be tempted to get takeaway as it was the easier option. I wouldn\u2019t go to the gym because in fairness who likes going to the gym with a killer hangover?<\/p>\n
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I wouldn\u2019t be able to concentrate in class at all because the hangovers I had on a daily basis were colossal and only got worse as the week progressed. It was just doing nothing but making me a slob and so unmotivated that it was impossible to achieve anything.<\/p>\n
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This year, I\u2019m living with my best friends from college and it has been nothing but a confidence boost being around people who completely understand and support you. I think this has affected me in such a positive way because when I wasn\u2019t drinking this week, despite them drinking, they didn\u2019t complain that I wasn\u2019t and were completely supportive of my stance.<\/p>\n
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In fact when I was dancing with my friends I was asked \u201cHolly are you drinking?\u201d to which I replied, \u201cNo, I haven\u2019t had anything.\u201d And they were shocked. \u201cYou\u2019re really fun sober,\u201d was what I heard this week and it made me so happy.<\/p>\n
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It made me realise the only way I was being \u2018fun\u2019 was accepting who I am. I was completely embracing the person that I was and that\u2019s the happy, quirky and energetic person I can be.<\/p>\n
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So the drink was helping me embrace who I was, I just needed to take the time to learn how to do that without it and now I\u2019m so assured of the person I am. Sure, I might enjoy the odd drink when I\u2019m out with my friends but I don\u2019t think I really need that much. After all, I feel great when I wake up in the morning and much more motivated.<\/p>\n
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*The content in relation to alcohol use in this article relates to UL\u2019s Alcohol and Drugs Awareness Week and involves the opinion of a UL student which is solely intended to illustrate an opinion and promote discussion. Nothing in this article should in any form be taken as an endorsement of any illegal or unhealthy activity involving alcohol.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n