I miss drinking. Really. I do.
Mostly I just miss the social aspect of it, and at least being able to be buzzed enough to tolerate everyone else's drunkenness.
I never used to have an issue drinking. I never noticed a headache forming within an hour of the first sip, or being deathly ill the next day. Those issues either weren't happening, or I was just a lot better at ignoring them.
But now, thanks to something I can't quite put my finger on (liver, kidneys, brain, who knows), alcohol has become the bane of my existence. It's very hit or miss, but often times within an hour of the first sip, my head will be throbbing and it will be time to go home. If I happen to get carried away (which doesn't happen anymore), I put a bucket next to my bed and don't move for at least a day. Not healthy or worthwhile, so I just don't do it.
It's hard to keep coming up with excuses when people ask me to go out with them. "I have to work in the morning" or "Sorry I have a date with my computer screen" don't work forever. And then people feel dejected and don't invite me out anymore.
When on the rare occasion I do decide to go out, I'm bored and stuck babysitting, and saying "I'll get a migraine" doesn't seem to justify why I'm not drinking. "Excuses, excuses. Don't be such a baby."
This is whiny and pathetic, I know. But it's hard to admit that headaches and migraine take a huge toll on my social life, especially in a college town, with so many peers that are primarily my age. I know I have bigger things in life ahead of me, with people who will share more of my interests, but that doesn't help that fact that I'm sitting home alone now.
On a positive note: Drunk people are often annoying, so at least I know I'm not annoying :)
How has migraine or chronic illness affected your social life?
OMG... I think we are twins, No More Brain Pain! I could have written every single word of this post myself. I feel you 100%. It wasn't until I was in college when I first started taking Triptans. It made a huge difference for me. What meds are you taking and does anything work for you?
ReplyDeleteI take Imitrex. I used to take Topamax daily for prevention, which only made things worse, and I blame it for my potential liver problems and disagreements with alcohol. Imitrex usually takes care of migraines for me, but usually leaves me feeling crappier everywhere else in the process.
ReplyDeleteOther things I've been put on that didn't work include low-dose antidepressants and muscle relaxers, and some pain reliever that made me nod off at the wheel. I also take a LOT of Excedrin, which probably isn't helping matters either lol. Excedrin works for my morning headaches that pop up so much, which is nice, at least.
What about you?