Please help... I feel like such an idiot!?!
The other night I went to a friend's place and they were all drinking. I had one, then another, then I ended up drinking far too much. I remember most of what happened, but it's sketchy, and I'm unclear as to what order everything happened in. I'm quite certain I didn't pass out, I almost fell asleep on a couch because I was so tired, but I don't think I passed out, I seriously hope I didn't.
Anyway, I'm a total hypochondriac and now I'm worried that I've killed off all my brain cells, done serious lasting damage and have ruined all chances of doing well in school (I usually get A's) and getting anywhere in life. I've been slightly tipsy before but until the other night I'd never drunk like that, and I can confidently say that I will never, ever do it again, at least not until my brain has finished forming.
I feel like such an idiot for doing what I did, I'm only 16, and I feel like this one incident has completely ruined my chances of getting good results at school, getting into a good university course and finding a good job. I know I'm completely over-reacting, but the only way I'll calm down is with reassurance.
Please help me, I'm stressing over this so much!
By the way I'm Australian, the drinking age here is 18, but there is a lot of peer pressure to start younger, and most do. I know I'm an idiot for giving in to peer pressure, I can't believe what I did.
Answers:
Not to fear young one. Let it be a lesson to you, but you are right in that you are overreacting.
Some of the greatest literary minds of all time were notorious drunks. Some of whom did most of their writing while they were drunk. Stephen King was a bad drunk and eventually coke addict for many of his early novels. He's clean now. Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S Thompson were also incredibly bad drunks. Those two did end up killing themselves later in life, which shows you that living a life drowned in alcohol may not effect your brains ability but certainly leaves you with an unfathomable emptiness after years of use.
Other Smart Drunks:
Charles Baudelaire
Brendon Behan
Dorothy Parker
Karl Stefanovic (fellow Aussie)
Me
There were certainly several times when I was in high school that I got absolutely plastered and I consider myself one of the smartest people I personally know. A lot of other people tell me the same, so I must be at least a quasi-genius.
The long term effects of alcohol are what really affect the brain. While your actual blood alcohol content is elevated, your brain is of course severely impaired, but all of those things subside. Your age, surprisingly will work to your advantage in recovery, but once the hangover passes there should be no lingering effects.
Don't make a lifestyle out of it, wait until it's legal for you to drink; but don't beat yourself up too bad over it. I hung out with a lot of pseudo-philosophers in high school, and a good percentage of those folks got hammered every weekend. It's different drugs that can really do a number on your brain.
Check out my first link in the source page for detailed effects of alcohol on the brain.
I find it hard to believe you're only 16. The school system in the states must really be going to pot or you're quite precocious. You worded your question well, and there wasn't much of a sentence fragment in sight. You're smart. Your grades will continue to reflect how much work you put into them. Like I said in the beginning, let this be a lesson to you, but don't trip.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/a…
http://www.life.com/image/50698313/in-ga…
http://www.webtvhub.com/karl-stefanovic-…
dont worry too much about it. im sure you will be ok in the long run. but. lesson learned right? drinking like that all the time will def keep u from getting ahead in life. but as long as you dont do it normally you will be alright.
Drinking one time isn't going to ruin your brain. Relax, and don't worry so much. Everything will be fine. I mean this in a kind way of course. Not trying to be mean. =]
Sounds like your being mature about it. Just don't let it become a habit. Learn from the hangover and drink in moderation. Your learn over time where your cut off point is.
Don't worry. You haven't done any harm. Brain cell damage comes from excessive drinking. And everyone is peer pressured atleast once in their life. So no worries :)
It sounds like you have far worse problems than getting drunk one time and thinking you're doomed. See a therapist STAT!
No need to stress about it you will be fine. Everyone or most people at one point or another during there life has a drinking session like that and they learn from that experience just like you have. My advice is simple forget about it, your brain will heel back to normal pretty soon. Its all good your life isnt over by any meens
Don;t worry about it. Seriously, calm down!!!
If you are stressing over this so much you will always think about it when you are doing exams and assignments and you will not do so well simply because of this stress!
OK. You lose brain cells every time you hit your head. Did you know that? The brain cells that you have lost by drinking for ONE night is very minimal and you will not lose any of your knowledge because of it. You are ok and if you were getting A's before then you will continue to get A's.
Seriously if every time you got stupidly drunk you instantly became dumb I would be brain dead. (Not really :) I don't drink that much) But I do drink often and I am at uni and I am doing very well.
So stop stressing about it and do great at school!
I am 16 and live in America. The peer pressure is the same. I have never had alcohol, but nearly everybody in my school has. It may sound cliche, but everybody makes mistakes. Everybody's brains lose millions of cells a day. I'm pretty sure you're fine. But never ever drink like that again. Stand up to the peer pressure, I have promised myself since I was small not to ever drink alcohol. I hope you can promise yourself the same thing. Don't worry you are fine, I have seen so many classmates come back to school with a hangover, and they're fine except for a severe headache. But that doesn't make it right to drink like that ever again.
You are worried over nothing drinking a lot one time will not cause any damage whatsoever. In fact even a binge here and there wont hurt you. Just don't do it too often. I mean seriously if drinking a lot once can cause permanent damage then all the college students would be long dead already wouldn't they? They drink like tons each weekend. Oh ok that's fine don't drink if you don't want to in fact I'm proud of you for not drinking and waiting till you're older cause at 16 it's not a good idea to drink anyways cause your brain and liver are still developing at this age and alcohol can hinder this. Good job you made a good choice if your friends want to get wasted every weekend let them but don't join in.
Not too many brain cells killed, just 1/4 of your liver.
Just kidding, if you were sick the next day (vomiting, I presume) it means that your body was trying to get rid of the alcohol quicker which is good. I seriously doubt whether you'll have done any permanent damage. Just don't make a habit of it, OK?
Oh, that's silly. Drinking does kill brain cells, but it doesn't do permanent harm unless you drink yourself to drunkeness every day for a long time and become alcoholic. And even then, it doesn't make you entirely stupid--great writers have been alcoholic. I don't think it's something a 16 year old girl should be doing, especially if it makes her not remember the events of the night. Wait till you are older and can drink responsibly.
I have blacked out at two parties before and woke up the next morning on the couch and once in the bathroom haha. Crazy night, anyways I have yet to be affected by drinking. You have nothing to worry about. I'm a freshman in college and still have a 3.75 GPA. I go to the second top partying school in the United States and I party about every weekend.