‘It’s Not Alcoholism Until After College’ – The Alarming Reality of Binge Drinking

Introduction

This documentary primarily follows a young woman named Rachel, who struggles with the concept of alcoholism, believing that, although she engages in binge drinking, she is not an alcoholic. According to her, “They always say, it’s not alcoholism until after College. College is like the excuse to binge drink.”

There are a few other people who share their stories as well, but they are already past the point of recognizing their problems and have sought help. Harry, for example, is several years into his recovery and attempts to help Rachel see the reality of her drinking: most people in College, and in general, do not drink the way she does – she has a problem and needs help before it gets worse.

Quotes

“I was always a completely different person, I think that’s why I probably enjoyed it. It starts out as like a social lubricant and it always ended up with me acting like an idiot.”

“Alcohol is a drug. It will kill you the same way that any other drug will, it just takes a lot longer to do it.”

“I’m not an alcoholic because I don’t rely on alcohol. I don’t turn to alcohol for X, Y and Z. I don’t say, I had a shitty day so I need to get drunk tonight.”

“I would black out and really wouldn’t remember anything that I did the night before. Wake up in the morning and kind of wonder what I did and sometimes I would have pieces of the memories and sometimes the pieces of the memories weren’t all that great … things that I probably wish that I hadn’t remembered.”

“I had a restraining order against him and I told him to leave and he wouldn’t … I really couldn’t defend myself and all I can really remember is him having me against the wall strangling me … he was raping me and I was defenseless. I felt broken, desperate, beat down.”

“I don’t know why I had always saved broken pieces of glass but I just do. I guess I feel like it’s kind of symbolic, like a mirror is so perfect and it’s all together and it’s just like a perfect reflection of the world. But then just one trip and the whole thing can just be shattered.”

“I would never say that I’m recovered. They call it recovery or a recovering addict. It’s [an] ongoing process.”

“At this time in your life you’re young [and in College]. We’re all going out. I’m a drinker, you’re a drinking, everyone’s a drinking. Drinking is what kids do and when there’s too much involved it can get fatal.”

“Mistakes make you who you are, but it’s only if they don’t take away who you are. Making mistakes can take not only pieces of you away, but can take you away completely, can just completely remove you from this earth.”