Any other non-drinkers?

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  • aliblain
    aliblain Posts: 175 Member
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    I don’t really drink anymore, save a glass of wine for a special occasion. I find that no one really notices that I don’t- I just go order a sparkling water or a soft drink and I guess people assume it has alcohol in. I’m late 30s now so don’t really feel the peer pressure to drink anyway.
  • owieprone
    owieprone Posts: 217 Member
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    I gave up 'normal' drinking over 10 years ago. I occasionally drink one particular liqueur (at home, it's not available in pubs), but generally stick to soft drinks or non-alco Erdinger. I quickly stopped being bothered by other people's perception of my not drinking when i realised they were the one with a problem and i didn't care if it was a drinking or attitude problem. Once you've got your alternatives and know which pubs have your preferred non-alco versions, let your mates know so they can put one in the nights roster of pubs to visit. If it's a do at a mates i always take my own drink (hard and soft) so they don't have to worry about it (they also never get it right lol; i don't drink wine, they know this, always get me fake wine).
  • orekosi3485
    orekosi3485 Posts: 354 Member
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    I'm a non-drinker. It takes a lot of discipline but, over time, your feelings will catch up with it (even in social scenarios).
  • SamskiB
    SamskiB Posts: 211 Member
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    I only drink once every few months when my best friend comes down to visit me or i go to visit her. That's like my big blow out.
    Other than that, i don't drink at home (i don't see the point of sitting in the house getting drunk when you're just going to go to bed after) and i'm not really fussed about drinking anyway, i'm not a fan of feeling drunk and i get really terrible hangovers nowadays so i try to avoid drinking alcohol as best as i can.

    Suppose i'm a social drinker but i'm only a social drinker for one set of circumstances :smiley:
  • huntersvonnegut
    huntersvonnegut Posts: 1,176 Member
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    I enjoy a beer or sip of whiskey on occasion, but those times are getting further and further apart.
  • JoAnna4731
    JoAnna4731 Posts: 115 Member
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    I really enjoy GOOD beer and fine wine. But in my 40s, even one drink just makes me feel like crap. I’m a migraine sufferer, and certain alcoholic drinks trigger them, especially in hormonally elevated times of the month, so I have to be really careful about what I drink and when. Nobody seems to care that I’m not drinking. For those of you who have made a difficult decision to part with alcohol, I congratulate you!
  • Urbancowbarn
    Urbancowbarn Posts: 97 Member
    edited April 2018
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    lannebenoit120 wrote: »
    I recently stopped drinking alcohol, partly for weight reasons but for other health reasons too. Now I find when I am in social gatherings where there’s alcohol, I feel self conscious about not drinking and I chow down on more junk food than usual! Then of course the next day, I feel guilty and gross.
    Any other non-drinkers here? How do you deal with the social aspect of it?

    I don’t drink alcohol because I don’t like to drink alcohol, but I’ve noticed that when socializing other people are taken aback if I don’t drink. For some reason it makes them uncomfortable? And they are constantly trying to push a drink on me —to stop that I usually have a glass of water/seltzer with a lime and others assume it’s alcoholic. :-)
  • SalinitySally
    SalinitySally Posts: 258 Member
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    Random comments:

    ~ No one has cared if I'm NOT drinking since I left college. However, the local culture here is not typical of most places re alcohol, and I've had to ignore people who've given me disapproving looks for having wine with my dinner. Good enough for Jesus, good enough for me. Don't want to drink? Don't. The same people who've shown disapproval have acted shocked when I've been offered alcohol and have declined. I guess they think it's something you must lose resistance to.

    ~ A lot of these posts suggest people drink just to get drunk. Not me. I love gin&tonic or a frozen margarita or a couple glasses of wine (occasionally a beer) but I'm not interested in being drunk. I don't like the taste of whiskey but otherwise alcoholic beverages taste pretty good to me.

    ~ I don't drink often, mostly because of the empty calories, but also because I fear a return of pancreatitis. Not worth it.

    Cheers and do your own thing.
  • Katie_Y89
    Katie_Y89 Posts: 330 Member
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    I don't drink. Have gotten drunk once in my life (as a teen) and that was it.
    In a social setting, just do your own thing. Don't let anyone pressure you or make you feel like crap for not drinking (it happens more than you think). Be yourself, stand your ground and you'll be fine :)
  • jolley07
    jolley07 Posts: 22 Member
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    I've been sober for 6 weeks and I feel great! My wife will drink occasionally and we go to social events from time to time. I keep a note in n my wallet to remind me of why I don't drink. I also enjoy a tonic and lime to help me feel the like I'm not excluded. There's a cool app that I use too, it's called easy quit drinking. It keeps track of all sorts of fun facts...
  • ThinGoldLineNS
    ThinGoldLineNS Posts: 265 Member
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    I enjoy a glass of really good red wine but I haven't had a drop since mid March. I decided to make learning to run and getting stronger a priority. I signed up for a 10K race June 3rd and promised myself to abstain until my godchild's wedding in July. Feeling fantastic!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited April 2018
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    You feel self-conscious because drinking is your norm. That's what you've always done and change feels weird. Trust me, most people couldn't care less. I'm a light drinker, and by light I mean really really light. Anywhere from 3 drinks a year to one drink every 3 years. Because my normal is not to drink, social gathering are the same whether I drink or not. I just do what social gatherings are for - socialize. Usually, there is soda water or soft drinks so I have that. People who know I'm not much of a drinker joke about it sometimes all in good fun, but those who don't wouldn't really pay attention to what is in my glass. Not like they're going to stick their noses into my glass and sniff for alcohol. I don't announce it, but I don't hide it either, it's just my normal.

    Give it time, you'll get used to it soon. There is no reason you shouldn't do and enjoy all the things that you did and enjoyed when you drank. Joke around, dance awkwardly, be loud, sit quietly in the corner and contemplate life, or anything else you usually enjoy doing around drinks.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,268 Member
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    As a mother of two kids under two I don't have time or the inclination to drink...mainly b/c I have to be up at 6 a.m. with kids and on the go the rest of the day. I don't have time in the evening to drink with all the household stuff and I go to bed at 9pm. Also, it kills my calorie count so I just don't do it.
    As far as social aspect I just choose to drink water. If I decide to have one beer I do just that and stick with one and drink a bunch of water before and after. It is tough especially when you are young with a lot of social opportunity...just do what is best for you.

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