Any advice from experienced drinkers?
Absolutely. I wrote the
Craft Beer Beginning Drinker's Guide just for people like you!
why drink beer if it tastes awful and its hard to get drunk?
Awful beer tastes fucking awful. Good beer tastes fucking amazing.
Also, it's not difficult to get drunk on beer. While beer (usually -- you can get some strong ones!) has a lower ABV than wine or liquor, there are several factors that determine
how much alcohol you absorb and therefore how drunk you get, including body weight, whether you've eaten, etc. Interestingly, carbonation can increase alcohol absorption, which means you get a little more bang per ABV with beer. And while a single beer may not get you as drunk as a single shot, why would you want to be drunk after only one? Beer is meant to be enjoyed over time, slowly building a pleasant buzz!
All that said, please do read the above link on alcohol absorption, as well as this page on
safe alcohol use (I've updated my craft beer guide to include these as well).
Drink safely and enjoy!