Each week, we post short interviews with interesting people about their thoughts and feelings on women and drinking. There is such a wide array of perspectives about this topic, and we are excited to gain insight into as many as possible and to share them with you.
Drinking Diaries: How does your family treat drinking?
College Student: My family treats drinking pretty casually. It’s not something that’s problematic and my parents are pretty laid back about my trying things. When they were 18, they were allowed to drink and we’ve had discussions about it. I’ve always been honest with them and don’t get penalized for drinking as a result of it. It’s not something that my family or I do in excess.
How do you approach alcohol in your every day life?
As a college student just finishing my first year, I found that drinking became a frequent part of my life at school; I ended up drinking 3 or 4 nights a week. By the end of the year, it felt like a lot and I definitely drank more as the year progressed. Unlike some of my peers, I never drank to the point of blacking out or throwing up. That was not something I aspired to do.
What’s your drink of choice? Why?
My most recent is Smirnoff lime vodka, limeade and a splash of seltzer. My friends and I are into drinks that taste the least alcoholic so we tend to get flavored vodkas most often. Seeing as it’s so easy to buy alcohol at the local liquor store (we use fake ids when needed), we don’t have trouble getting it when we need it and tend to buy our own rather than mooching off of fraternities.
Was there ever a time when your friends drank and you didn’t?
When I had mono during my first semester, I was told I couldn’t drink for a while. I went out a lot less frequently as a result, however, when I went out one night I found that most of my friends were very inebriated and I was the lone sober person at the party. It was a whirlwind of events in which no one was considering the consequences of their actions. I was going along with it, masking my sobriety but actually acting rationally.
How does alcohol affect you?
Since alcohol is a depressant, my friend and I do sometimes feel sad after drinking. But drinking is used in the college setting as away to get people into an altered state, where they can take advantage of liquid courage and act in ways that they wouldn’t otherwise.
Has drinking ever affected—either negatively or positively—a relationship of yours?
I have been in circumstances before when I’ve used alcohol to say the things I wouldn’t normally say. It’s not always good when that happens.
Has culture or religion influenced your drinking? I think as a college student it def plays a role in the amount that I choose to drink. At times I feel it’s excessive but it’s such a daily part of my life at school and in many cases enjoyable so I haven’t really tried to kick the habit or reduce my drinking.
Do you have a favorite book, song, or movie about drinking?
Keke Palmer’s, “Bottom’s Up.” It’s a great pre-game song.
What do you like most about drinking?
I really like the social aspect of going out a little bit buzzed and talking to people who I might be too intimidated to approach otherwise. It’s a fun way to meet new people. It’s definitely great to feel a part of the drinking scene.
How has alcoholism affected your life?
My friends and I joke that you can drink as much as you want until you graduate college and not be called an alcoholic. I feel relieved to say that I have a pretty good sense of myself when it comes to drinking. I feel glad that I never allow myself to get to the point where I don’t remember what happened the next day. And whenever I leave school to come home, I make it a point to steer clear of all alcohol and focus on catching up on exercise and sleep, the things that drinking takes away from the most.
If you could be any drink, what would it be? Why?
A nice, chilled glass of rosé wine, because it’s pretty and elegant.
