Alcohol struggles

Is this just me?

My 17 year old self: what are we going to do this weekend? steal alcohol from the grocery store, have everyone over because we have the alcohol and my mom's out of town, binge drink because who knows the next time we can get alcohol. It's a reoccurring weekend activity.

My 19 year old self: I'm in college, I am underage but tailgate during football games and pre game before going out. The friends I made in college and I spend our weekends going out, drinking, and having drunk adventures. I met lots of people during those times, and I was drinking during the interactions.

My 21 year old self: I can legally drink now. I go out every weekend to bars where I may have been carded before with my friends, I can order alcohol at restaurants with my friends, I can go to brunches and happy hours and drink.

My 22 year old self: I graduate from college, I move back home, I work full-time. How do I make new friends? I have a hard time making friends without activities involving alcohol. I start drinking before I go out to decrease my anxiety. How do I interact with people and meet new people without drinking (this does not include work)? I feel like I have no confidence without alcohol relaxing me and relieving my anxiety.

My 23 year old self: spent the past year working on making friends without alcohol. Begin to workout, mediate, and reflect more often to discover and feel more confident about myself. Lose weight because I am not drinking every weekend. Mentally feel more clear, not experiencing day long hangovers.

Years later: I am the most happy I have ever been, alcohol free. It took years of struggling.

Why is something so poisonous and harmful to our bodies pushed so hard into our lifestyles? Commercials, advertisements, billboards. Alcohol affects us physically and mentally; it increases depression, it destroys our livers and brains.

Thank you for reading! Please comment!