On Drinking

1. You can dance freely even if you don’t do drugs or drink alcohol. You can also say what you mean without drugs or alcohol. I think a lot of people are not knowing this. When I found these things out, I wondered why people drank.

2. Jk, after my last breakup, I was like, “Oh getting away from feelings like this could be why.” But I have studied the research on hard emotions enough to know that if I don’t feel my pain, it’ll just keep sticking around. And that’s another reason I choose not to drink or do drugs anymore. I am interested in feeling my pain to allow me to deal with the problems I have.

3. I have watched so many folks in my family struggle with addiction. I personally have struggled with running a bit too much or taking care of people without taking care of myself, and I am not particularly interested in trying out another addiction (if I can avoid it).

4. I used to take a couple of sips of a drink when I’d be out and about to make folks more relaxed about me being there, but I realized recently that I do not care anymore. Most people also don’t care that you’re not drinking and if they do, you’ll find that you might have a better time with other folks anyway.

5. I feel more like myself when I don’t. Drinking/doing drugs puts me out of touch with my true emotions, how I genuinely feel, and what my body needs. I’d end up doing things I didn’t want to do when I’d drink.

6. I don’t like how it feels physically. It would irritate my bladder and I’d always be more cranky and tired the next day, even if I only had a little bit. Being an athlete has influenced this because there were obvious disadvantages to doing any drugs when I was focused on running fast.

7. It’s also carcinogenic.