I find drinking overrated. I enjoy a few drinks occasionally, but loads of my friends in uni love to go out every week or every other week and get absolutely smashed. I always regret it the next day when I feel **** - plus too much alcohol and lack of sleep can make my depression worse, especially if I keep going on nights out.
I enjoy socialising, but sometimes I feel that the only way to socialise in uni seems to be by getting smashed. I stopped going on many nights out in this year I've just finished, but I feel like I've barely seen anyone. I bump into people and they go "Hey! Omg I haven't seen you in ages. You never come out any more" and that's it.
I feel like I've been spending too much time around toxic people. I'm actually studying medicine and most of the friends I've made are from the same course, but it seems like even though they are training to be doctors, they are very cliquey and do not understand those who might not want to party as much as them. In fact one of my (supposedly) best friends is a girl who, although very smart and academically successful, gossips and parties a lot and will pressure me into doing it with her if she can't find someone else, and make me feel guilty.
I don't feel like I have many friends at all now - most of the ones I spoke to have fell out of touch since I stopped going out as much and I don't know how to make new ones without seeming a bit desperate. I'm hopefully going to join one or two non-medicine extra curricular things when I go back this September in order to meet more people who are not from my course, but I'm worried they'll just be the same.
Any advice?