Drinking and the unintended consequences.

Before being sent to your country of invitation, and before completing your medical clearance, there is a formal interview that takes place prior to nomination.  The recruiter asks, "So how will you cope in times of high stress, boredom, and other idle times."  One pastime that I am sure was not mentioned was partying and drinking among PC volunteers.

 PCV drinking in the Philippines is always a hard topic to talk about without isolating it from the Filipino drinking culture because it is one in the same.  Here males sit around and drink (pass the bottle around and drink from it) and it is a casual occurrence.  Then there is also the argument that we are all adults and should be able to take care of ourselves, which is true in our normal and familiar environment.

The purpose of this post is to bring awareness to the abusive habits that partying ensues. Being irresponsible while drinking and threatening one's own safety or the safety of other volunteers is the point when we have to say enough is enough.  At that very moment one should take the time to self-reflect and decide where you are going from there (which may be unrealistic depending on the person's intoxication level) or at the very least just stop drinking and sober up.  If drinking socially is what you like, that is fine, but for people who are passive-aggressive a drunk mind speaks a sober tongue, meaning everything that is suppressed during the day and on a daily basis, will come out during drinking when you are uninhibited.  This can be dangerous if one has been holding back and not being expressive and confronting stressful situations.  No one is to blame. We just need to work on this.  Sometimes the partying takes a wrong turn and we need to re-examine our own comfort with dealing with our drunken buddies in general. It is clear that you can not stop individuals from drinking however we need to stress a greater emphasis on recognizing the warning signs of abusive maladaptive behaviors.  

Not too long ago, I witnessed a situation related to drinking and the irresponsible/abusive usage which lead to hospitalization because of alcohol poisoning.  I'm not sure if gender plays a major role in these incidences (male volunteers seem more effected) but I can tell you that isolation, dissatisfaction with work, boredom and blatant disregard for rules and policies impacted the events that I speak of.  In other words drinking is used a coping mechanism in this scenario.  The entire experience was embarrassing for a few reasons.  First off, this person was traveling alone by himself and passed out in a public place. Anything could have happened but it is a blessing that two security guards took good care of him instead of leaving him there unaccompanied.  On top of that it is always awkward or uncomfortable to be involved in something like this. You never know if that person will be upset about involving staff, although they will know once you submit receipts to be reimbursed for hospital bills.  It is a sticky situation.  I was thoroughly disappointed by the situation because of the fact that his actions were irresponsible and neglectful.

We don't want to police our friends or not seem cool, but there comes a point where that doesn't matter and better judgement plays a part in your decision.  We all have choices to make, and I'd rather live knowing that I've made good choices. Personal integrity is more important than being cool for the moment.

The top four popular beers here in the Philippines.