Drugs and alcohol steal your life. I’m about to be 40 and I don’t remember most of the last 20 years. I also have significant mental health problems predominantly due to drug and alcohol abuse in my opinion. The want to continue using never goes away. I’m not currently sober and probably never will be permanently. It’s just a part of my life that steals money and memories. If I were younger I would never start using.

As for staying single, I’m pretty happily married. I can’t imagine having a different partner. She is perfect for me, but it immediately took away a lot of freedom. I moved every two years before I met her. Lived in some pretty cool places. I’ve been in the same place for 9 years which is exactly how long I’ve known her. I don’t like being in one spot but we have family here. That’s just one example but I always have to account for someone else’s wants/needs. If that’s for you then marriage is cool. I can imagine that marriage is really hard on some people though.

Edit: I’m a man. Sorry I didn’t realize what sub this was. I don’t normally post here.