My addiction.

by Sergio, Fernandez
(California U.S)

When I enter high I wanted to be cool, like other people. I would go out every Friday night and drink. I started going out with older people, so that I could feel like them. I started smoking, then I try Ecstasy I started to like the feeling of it. But that’s because I though I looked cool in front of them.

I wasn’t doing good in school, always getting kicked out of classes because “I was the cool kid that partied every week". There were times I didn’t go to school. I used to stay at my friends house to smoke and drink. I started to hate people, getting into fights and didn’t care about what my family thought about me. I only care about going out and look cool with my friends.

But this doesn’t take you anywhere good, it takes you to places that you don’t want to be in. I wanted it to get away from my family and my problems, so I though by getting drunk and doing drugs I would forget about them. One of my biggest problems was my coming out that I’m gay. I was scared that no one would like me. I didn’t want my friends to stop talking to me, so I was doing the same things they were doing so they won’t think bad about me.

Because if you didn’t smoke or drink you were called "PUSSY, or FAG,". But when I talked to one of my close cousins, she told me to stop, I was doing bad and I was just messing my life. She said I needed to stop caring what my friends think about me. If they were my friends they would accept me for who I am.

So I stopped drinking and going out. People use to tell me you’re not the same, but I didn’t care anymore. Finally when I opened up to my friends, some accepted and some were not that close like before. Thanks to my best friend Jenny and Jasmine, they helped me open to my family. That was the scariest day of my life.

At first they didn’t accept me. They use to call me names or didn’t talk to me. So I felt so much better knowing that my parents know about friends and me. I didn’t have to drink or smoke to look cool in front of them.

Now I’ve been clean for 1 year, and I’ve learned that you don’t have to drink or smoke to have fun in a party. Hopefully, my story will help others understand that getting away from drugs and alcohol is good. :)