2 Years Sober

By my brother Mateus Benarrós

During these 730 days alcohol free I learned that alcohol made me mistake euphoria for happiness, numbness for peace and debauchery for freedom.

It is bewildering to look back and think I invested most of my free time to drinking, and that I have mistaken that for enjoyment, for “living my life”. To look back and see so many pictures taken kissing beer bottles or taking shots, as if the drink itself was the most important thing that existed now makes me feel embarrassed.

I am not saying alcohol is bad. The problem is in the relationship we have with alcohol. At least once a week you drink until you are retarded, and most people I know have been doing it for almost 15 years. All social interactions must be guided by alcohol; sobriety is not an option. It is more appalling to meet someone who does not drink than to meet someone who drinks every week until he vomits.

Alcohol is the driving force behind my generation’s happiness.

We travel to London to drink beer in pubs; we travel to Paris to drink wine by the Eiffel Tower; we travel to Orlando to drink vodka with Mickey Mouse…. most of us only go out — or do anything at all — if they can get drunk while doing it.

And we see this as normal.

I believe we are a generation pervaded by alcoholics who consider alcohol abuse something normal. We reduced our lives to drinking, constantly looking for excuses to drown ourselves in alcohol. The verbs of our generation are drink, smoke, fuck, instead of create, inspire, love, help…

We have become a useless generation that has contributed with nothing to our own lives, our family and our country. We have no revolution, no purpose. We are not aware of our responsibilities. We don’t read, we don’t develop our spirituality, we are unable to have a stable relationship… humanity has never seen a period in which knowledge is so easily available, and yet we waste it in memes and apps that inflate our egos and show how much we love drinking… we became narcissistic hedonists who refuse to grow up…. all of that while still relying on our parents money.

Giving up on drinking did not make me better than others. It made me see how much time I was spending on something so insignificant and pathetic; and how I made my happiness depend on it. I regret many moments that were fueled by alcohol and I hope that those I hurt while drunk can forgive me.

I will never judge or condemn people who drink. I just ask you to look around. See your pictures on Facebook and Instagram… See how you are spending your life… is this all you want? Is chugging beers or taking shots of tequila the zenith of your week? You can have more.

We can create change. Together.

I strongly believe that the main purpose of everyone’s life should be that of helping others. When people understand that true happiness can only be achieved by lifting others, this meaningless lifestyle of getting fucked up as much as possible will end. We won’t need to run away from our empty lives. We won’t need alcohol to help us forget. Then we will be able to build a healthy relationship with alcohol and other substances. Before that, these drugs will only be a pathetic way to deal with oneself and escape problems.

We can be better. If not for us, at least for our loved ones.