Your thoughts about alcohol.

[SimuLord]

Alcohol absolutely fucking ruined my adolescence (well, it had a lot of help from the hard drugs, but...)

In my teenage desperation to "fit in", I threw away everything that the world was doing its damnedest to hand to me on a silver platter, ultimately nearly dropping out of high school, graduating near the bottom of my class, and being written off as a lost cause by the people who had a stake in my future.

Then I sobered up and realized I was effectively years behind everyone else since while I'd been wasting my life drinking and drugging and angsting, the rest of my peers were, y'know, actually bettering themselves.

It took me years to finally get it together after that. I've been sober for 14 years, but the lingering damage to my life from my misspent youth? Well, there's a reason I'm 33 and back in college doing what I should've been able to do 15 years ago.

Moral of the story? No matter how much teens hate to admit it, the old folks are right, so ditch your drunkie friends, throw yourself into your schoolwork, make friends with "the good kids", and remember...when you're in your 20s you will LOVE the fact that you knuckled down at 15.

Keep the faith---you think those drunkies are stupid. And you are RIGHT.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I have a few drinks now and then. I leave getting drunk to other people so I can get a laugh.

 

[Infinatex]

If you wanna do it do it, and if not then don't. It's pretty simple. I drank with my mates at that age - we had fun, we got in trouble and we learned quite a lot from it. But to be honest those years were awesome. We didn't do it to brag about anything.

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

I guess you're doing the right thing, but it's not really a right or wrong situation.

If you don't like them, and you don't enjoy spending time with them, then why do you still hang out with them? Find some new friends if it bothers you that much.

They sound like idiots, but if you still want to be their friend just have a coke or something when they drink alcohol, and try to ignore the situation.

 

[Antari]

Okay here's the deal: I'm 15 and I have an "issue". My friends have now started to drink alcohol, and i mean quite alot, they go out almost every weekend and hangs out at some buddy's house and drinks. I don't really care about them wasting their bodies, but what i Do care about is that they are living a lie saying that they are very mature drinking loads of beer and whatnot. They also say that they are very social when they are drunk but I doubt that lying wasted on the floor or barely standing on their own is "social". I'd rather be staying at home rather than getting wasted and pretend to be someone else.

Don't hang out with these people any more. You clearly don't like them, and they don't sound like they care about you, so don't hang around them. Period.

Good advice. And not touching alcohol is another good choice. I've never seen it do any good for anyone.

 

[SovietSecrets]

I love alcohol. I drink at every party and it does make you more social. Laying on the floor is just the after effects of that. You guys are 15, what the hell do you expect? I have yet to meet a single 15 year old that was a responsible drinker. I'm 19 and I barely drink responsibly and I enjoy the hell out of it. In the right? What is there to be right about? Theres booze, they want to get drunk, you don't. That simple. Drinking is not pretending to be someone else (though it does make you into someone else if you take your pace while drunk), drinking is fun. Don't be so condescending and try to drink with them once if you can muster it. Just don't do it at the level they do.

 

[WitherVoice]

Well. My experience on the subject is that drinking too much is one of those things that you do. You try it, you have some fun and you do some things you may regret, hopefully none too bad, and then you move on.

I started drinking like a month or two before I hit legal age, and drank... more than I probably should for a while. Then I toned it down. I experienced how it was to get completely wasted, I had some good times, but having felt much like you describe feeling, it was mostly the sense of being part of the crowd for a while, something I wasn't big on most days.

Now I am 30, and I still enjoy alcohol, but I don't get drunk any more and I don't miss it. I'm glad I tried it but I'm not in any rush to do it again. My advice is: don't dive into it, but hey, test the waters a little at some point, preferably in a few years.

 

[ChaoticKraus]

Alcohol has the uncomfortable characsteric of being both very enjoyable and self-destructive at the same time.

I don't like telling people what to do but 15 is IMO an age where you are not mentally mature enough to properly handle alcohol (exceptions may appear). At that point you are most oftenly drinking simply to feel better about yourself or life in general. Which is all okay if you keep it at that level but it can lead to you having to drink to be able to have fun or to simplu endure, and that is not good.

Don't feel pressured into drinking, that won't end well. If you are going to drink, drink of your own accord and do it with caution. If you manage to do that alcohol can give a pleasant experience, but my recommendation is to wait.

Oh and sooner or later your friends will either realize that getting absolutely wasted every weekend is a terrible idea, something nasty will happen that forces them to realize it OR they will become dependent on the stuff (AKA borderline alcoholism).

 

[Pizzatrooper]

Everybody else seems to have said it all well, it's totally up to you, I personally don't understand the whole drinking thing... It doesn't seem nearly as awesome as everybody seems to think it is, and it's never really helped anybody with anything positive. So. What I am trying to say is: Well done, get some new friends and stay in school

 

[Ham_authority95]

Okay here's the deal: I'm 15 and I have an "issue". My friends have now started to drink alcohol, and i mean quite alot, they go out almost every weekend and hangs out at some buddy's house and drinks. I don't really care about them wasting their bodies, but what i Do care about is that they are living a lie saying that they are very mature drinking loads of beer and whatnot. They also say that they are very social when they are drunk but I doubt that lying wasted on the floor or barely standing on their own is "social". I'd rather be staying at home rather than getting wasted and pretend to be someone else.

Don't hang out with these people any more. You clearly don't like them, and they don't sound like they care about you, so don't hang around them. Period.

Good advice. And not touching alcohol is another good choice. I've never seen it do any good for anyone.

Well, it isn't like he should never ever ever touch any, but to do it with moderation. You'd be surprised the number of people who can saviour and enjoy the alcohol without getting shit-faced.

 

[Doctor What]

What? You mean there are other people in the world besides me that believe in moderation and self control? Jesus Christ. That is a surprise.

OT: If you have to get drunk, high or just generally shitfaced to enjoy yourself or have fun, then something is wrong. That's not fun, that's just you being an idiot. So, feel good for yourself that you have half a brain to think with and always be there to drive your friends home. That's what will make you a good friend.

 

[Shockolate]

I may have only gone drinking twice, but they were both thoroughly enjoyable, and I'd gladly do it again.

Lot's of food, friends, games, and it turns out I'm pretty good at beer pong.

I've never passed out, nor got hungover. You just gotta find that sweet spot with no whammies.

Then again, me and the majority of my friends started at age 18.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Personally, I like alchohol. I don't really think 15 is a good age for it, but that's an issue for local law enforcement.

Also, never been big on getting Drunk. Passing out isn't fun, nor is puking.

Getting tipsy (or buzzed, if your prefer) is all kinds of fun. Cheaper too.


Which... on reflection... isn't very helpful to you, OP.

Okay, looking at your situation... well, getting waisted isn't really healthy at any age. I'd always recommend against getting smashed. The likelyhood that your friends are going to get arrested is another good reason to avoid that situation. When you're legal (whatever the legal age is where you're writing from) you can decide for yourself if and how you want to drink.

 

[Hazard12]

mmm...alcohol.

Frankly it's a phase we all went through, and you'll both move on from it. You'll discover the myriad joys of alcohol, they'll learn to do more than just lie about wasted, and you'll all come together in a glorious union. Personally, I'm on your friends' side, insofar as that's more what I was like, but can't say you're wrong for how you're acting, you all just need to get used to it.

 

[subfield]

First: Please Stop Capitalizing Things That Don't Need To Be.

Second: of course it's clear that neither you nor they are "right" since universal truth is a load of bollocks.

Third: I assume you live in the UK somewhere. In general in Europe, drinking is a social activity (Americans that read this and have not been to Europe, please don't contest this), and so it is plausible to write that drinking is a sufficient condition for being social - but it is by no means necessary.

Personally - I've always thought that since the paragraph before this holds, its only normal to have a few drinks with friends - but that doesn't mean you have to get "wasted".

By the way, you may want to wait until you are of legal age where you live.

 

[chaos order]

man i freaking hate alcohol. it tastes awful no matter whats kind it is or whats mixed with it. i mean y drink something that tastes soo bad. (of course i understand everyone's tastes r different but i cant imagine it tasting good )

 

[Freeakoid3005]

Hey, getting hammered can be prretty fun and some of the memories you will cherish forever however if it's completely your choice and if you don't thinks it's for you, fair does

 

[BlackWidower]

I've seen people who are really drunk...hell I've been really drunk. It's not fun. Those who say it is say that only because they think they need to, because that's whats normal. It isn't.

There was one time I actually enjoyed being drunk. That was when I was extremely depressed about something I don't want to get into. So I guess what I'm saying is this: Drinking to intoxication is only fun when your life sucks.

 

[Brawndo]

At OP's age it's stupid, but I'd have no issues changing the drinking age to the age of majority (18). Old enough to go off and die in Afghanistan, old enough to buy a beer.

I enjoy alcohol more for its social aspects than its taste, probably because I don't have a developed palette to tell the difference between most beers (except piss-water and good stuff). People the world over are brought together to socialize over a drink; it's been like this for hundreds of years and should continue.

 

[AdamRBi]

You're doing the right thing, Alcohol can really mess up a kid's life if they start thinking it's the cool thing to do and all that after-school special stuff. Older people drink as a social stress reliever, at 15 you should not be under so much stress that you need to drink to calm yourself down.

That and as far as I'm concerned, Alcohol tastes like plastic.