Why I am Not Planning on Drinking in College

In about two weeks, I will be heading off to college in Boston. I am extremely excited, and cannot wait to get out on my own, and start to become my own adult person. Going away to college is not magically going to solve all of my problems though. I am still going to be dealing with my journey of recovery from my eating disorder, and gaining trust, love, and confidence in myself. And I strongly feel that drinking will only hurt that, not help it. drinking can be a very dangerous thing for perfectly healthy people, let alone those already struggling with an eating disorder. I know that if I want to truly recover and continue to grow, I need to stay away from it.


So, I have decided that I am not going to be drinking in college. I know I know, this sounds crazy, almost unheard of even. College is a time for exploring, having fun, going to parties and getting wasted. It can seem like these days that is all anyone is doing. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are plenty of others things to do at college, especially being in a big city as I will be. I do definitely feel though, that if I am to commit myself to not drinking, I need to be sure in my reasons.

1. It will only make it harder for my eating disorder

I have only been drunk a few times in my life. It has never been something I have been into, and even when I have, it has been with a few close friends in a safe environment. every time I have ever drank though, I have purged afterwards. I am very worried that if I drink in college, it will only make things that much harder to recover and gain strength, with the added challenge of keeping with my recovery promises while under the influence of alcohol. 

2. It lowers my inhibitions 

Going along with #1, When I, or anyone, drinks alcohol, it lowers their ability to make good decisions, and have sound judgement. This is bad for any college student, but especially one that is struggling with an eating disorder or other mental health issue. It can be extremely hard to act against your eating disorder in a regular situation, but when you are inebriated it becomes almost impossible. In my opinion, when i am trying my hardest to recover, it is not worth it to make it so much harder on myself.

3. It numbs

One thing that an eating disorder does is numb you. It allows you to disassociate, and not feel, or deal with your feelings. Alcohol can do the same thing. When you are drunk, you get a high of sorts, followed by the crash of the hangover, which is similar to purging or restricting. during this time, it is all you think about, and you don't have to worry or deal with anything. You are affectively numb. Recovering from an eating disorder, the last thing I want to do is numb myself any further. 

In the end, its really all about doing what works best for you. I know that for a lot of people college is a time for drinking and having fun, and many people, even those with eating disorders, don't want to give that up. And thats perfectly okay. I just know in my heart that drinking will only hurt me, and make it harder for me to continue on the path to recovery.

If you do plan agree with me and think that abstaining from drinking would be a good idea for your recovery don't worry, its not like you won't have any fun in college. You can still go to parties, you can still have fun! You can:

• Be the designated driver
• Have soda or water instead of alcohol
• Make friends who don't like partying - These people are out there!
• If you do want to drink, stick to only one drink an hour. This way you can still engage in the fun, but you won't get drunk, and will still have your wits about you.

Plus, don't worry about not having fun if you aren't drinking, honestly, you will have more fun! you will be actually present, won't  have to deal with a hangover, and get to watch all the funny drunk people!