This has impacted my life so negatively I don’t even know where to start.

My friends and I started drinking at 17 and went out almost every weekend. Every year we had huge events like festivals (Germany has many) and well those were like 3 days being drunk in a row.

If i could turn back time I’d probably just tell myself to not do it and probably do it again anyways.

I’m getting invested in the gym and it’s so good. I wonder how I’d look like today if I would have just been at the gym in my 20s.

Not only that. I wonder how my friend circle would look like cause currently I have no friends I’d consider “friends”. Those were all drinking buddies. They still drink every weekend and more and more I realised they are just functioning alcoholics.

And since I don’t drink anymore (2 years) I’m basically out.

So I’d say alcohol didn’t only have a negative impact on my brain while I was still young (and after) it also hit my wallet, my time for better things (sports)… etc.

Man. Sucks. Sucks to be me.

Now I am happy I have a wife, a house and going in the right direction but it is soooo hard to find friends or atleast people if you aren’t in school anymore and coworkers busy with own life.

If I could give anyone younger advice I’d just stay screw it and go to the gym and find a hobby like climbing, swimming, golfing, tennis or something and get people there.

  • socsa@piefed.socialEnglish
    2·
    22 hours ago

    Yeah as an introvert with pretty bad social anxiety it’s hard to imagine where I’d be if I was a teetotaler. I don’t think it’s hard to stay in control, and I’m a different person after a few drinks - all that anxiety just fades away and I’m like a different person entirely.

    • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      12 hours ago

      Bring a journal with you—or something—and write down why you feel great and not anxious.

      Read it when you’re feeling quiet and anxious.

      Society can be a prison and social anxiety is the most common symptom of a captive. Everyone’s happy when they are themselves. You can have fun with alcohol, but you can have just as much fun without it. Nothing is different except that alcohol drops your guard and makes you care less about what others think.

      I’ve been in my backyard with headphones, dancing alone like no one’s watching. I now do that all the time without booze, because clearly I want to do that to feel happy. Fuck anxiety. Don’t let it become depression 😘