People's opinions of non-alcohol drinkers

seensensee

zoegh wrote: »

But those links are about alcohol ALLERGY and the psychological feects of alcohol misuse. Surferdude was talking about moderate drinking, same as with moderate chocolate eating. I know people who are severely allergic to chocolate and would suffer the same symptoms after eating that a person allergic to alcohol would suffer after a drink, and I also know people who are obese because they're addicted to chocolate. That's not to say everyone should stop eating mars bars!

A surprising but factual aspect of having an alcohol allergy is that it only takes one drink to experience negative effects, check the link or take it from me who suffers from the consumption of alcohol. It was'nt always like that but changes occurred and now I can't/won't drink. It makes me feel sick, depressed and stupid, almost moron like but in fact it's a real allergy. check the link if your interested.

mickman

SurferDude41 wrote: »

As I sit here typing, I am drinking an ice-cold bottle of a quality German pils.
Why oh Why? do us Irish, have such an unhealthy fixation with alcohol?
And before any of you ask, This one bottle of beer will be more than enough for me this evening.
And a Glass of nice red wine, with a steak is one of lifes great and simple
pleasures.
Although I am irish myself, I have never quite understood out national obsession of "getting Hammered, Or having a session"
I mean to use alcohol as an agent of oblivion, is one of the most stupid and bone-headed things an adult human, of even moderate intelligence can do.

Now while I have the greatest respect and admiration, of the people who admit they do have a drink-problem, and seek help for their affliction.
And while alcoholics are either on or off "The Wagon"
Where I ask, does that leave the rest of us???

Now while I do not wish to pontificate to anyone, there is a third way. I guess it's the road less travelled, "at least by us Irish anyway"
This Is the way of the moderate drinker, the middle path between tetotalisim and binge-drinking.
For instance I was stopped at a garda checkpoint, sometime last year, while returning home after a nights drinking with some friends.
I was breathalized, and registered a ZERO reading on their machine despite
having four pints of Shandy, that evening.

Later on, I will lie awake in my bed listening to the drink fuelled antics raging in the street until 4am. We have a sick society, sick from alcohol and it's effects. Meanwhile our government rakes in the money on alcohol duty. So it's pointless expecting our useless and corrupt government, to do anything about the problem.

It's time us adults take personal responsibility, for our drink soaked culture.
We are not children anymore, "we need to grow up" As a nation. The church won't save us, indeed they are a huge part of the problem as to why most older people can't express themselves without alcohol.

So enjoy that nice German beer, or the odd glass of red wine.
But don't for one second think, it gives you an excuse to act like a total moron. If you act like a moron, after a few drinks, you were a moron before you started drinking.

Peace and Love.

this is a great post , especially the bit about "if you are a moron after drink then you were a moron before drink"

that is so true. i have seen lots of people who are happy in life and when they get drunk they are just happy and no hassle at all. others then are so agressive when drinking, they are also unhappy in life. its these people that shouldnt drink or one day they will wake up in a garda cell saying "what have i done"

for me , im grand after drink except i cant have a few pints, i just cant. after one my mind starts to change and want to stay drinking. its amazing stuff really.

coffee_cake

Annoys the bejaysus out of me.
"what are you drinking" "coke" "and?" "and coke, that's it".
Then follows a bloody interrogation. Why, why not something else, what's wrong with you, why don't you drink.
Shut up!
And stop rolling your eyes at me for drinking water.

Ah I don't care, it's just the odd aggressive person I don't even know who thinks it's their business what I'm drinking. Wouldn't catch them at that carry-on at a restaurant interrogating all the other patrons. "Why are you eating THAT" :rolleyes:

mickman

indeed blue wolf

i have "friends" who would try and put alcohol in my drink if i wasnt drinking. one of them would hardly give me the time of day if i wasnt drinking on a night out

Lord TSC

Ah, this sort of topic is always one which interests me. Apologies if the following turns into a long winded rant.

Don't drink. Never have, never will. At 23, I just have never seen the point of alcohol and dispise the effects it not only has on the Irish individual but also how our entire society seemingly revolves around it. Sadly (and perhaps pathetically), I find I've lost contact with most of my friends over the years due to the fact I am a non-drinker who decided to focus on getting a decent education and doing something with myself rather than dedicating most of my resources to going boozing. I know there's a lot of jealousy there over the fact I've done quite well in college. I also know that several friends turned on me because I was the "parental friendly" friend who they all wanted their kids to be like. I know that sounds egotistical and I don't mean it to be that way; I just know that several of my former friends turned on me because their parents were constantly holding me up as some shining example of brilliance and wanted their kids to be like me.

It wasn't too bad as a teen in secondary school. I had two other friends who were nondrinkers as well and we stuck together. When we went on a skiing trip in TY where 47 people were getting drunk every night, the three of us were able to make our own entertainment and we had an amazing time.

Then towards the end of sixth year, things really turned south. One of the two when he went off to college started, according to stories I've heard over the years, going down a really bad path, regularly getting drunk and apparently also starting up drugs. The other apparently doesn't drink still, but does hang out with a group who do and we simply drifted apart when we went to different colleges. However the main problems came with other people I used to hang out with.

We were a group of about 10 people back in school and were a diverse enough bunch. Many of us only talked since we were friends of friends, abut problems started to fester towards the end of sixth year. I really found out when tickets went on sale for the Grad. I had no intentions of going; the things always turned into drunken brawls and I had heard absolutle horror stories over the years. They were for the innercity chavs, not the likes of me. Still, it was my personal decision and I didn't force my belief on anyone else. Still, I apparently had more pull within the group than I realised cause when I sadi I wasn't going, so did half the group. The real problem came though in the bitterness this left in the other half of the group. I actually had one friend who started speaking really badly about me behind my back; I overheard a conversation one day between him and a girl I really liked (and I mean REALLY liked <_<). He knew how I felt but he was absolutly ripping into me in the conversation, telling her I was a manipulative ***** who was trying to ruin everyone's fun, and how horrible and boring I was. Really annoyed and upset me. I had never even talked about the grad to people other than to say I wasn't going and that was only cause I was asked about if I was or not. Years later, I still hear stories of how he never misses an opportunity to run be down because I'm a non-drinker and choose not to go out getting sloshed most nights.

There was more bitterness when a few months later, one of the gang invited me to his birthday. We had never been close but I still said yes. At the very least, it was a chance to catch up with other friends after we had all gone to different colleges. A few minutes after the invite though, I get another phonecall. Apparently some of the group thought it would be hilarious to spike my drinks and get me piss eyed drunk. Even apart from the fact I'd have noticed they were laced with alcohol, this really annoyed me, since it was a blatent show of disrespect and I hated some of the people for trying to trick me.

I think that's what really gets to me though. If you don't drink, people treat you like some monster. They refuse to be respectful to your decisions or let you live how you want to live. I don't know if it's that they feel that nondrinkers think they are better than everyone else so want to bring them down a peg or two. For my part, I never rubbed my choices in the faces of others. I never bragged or thought myself better. The thoughts were all on their end, yet I recieve the blame and the abuse for it. I was left with most of them not just losing contact with me (which I could understand since they obviously want to do one thing and I want another; as people grow older, differences divide and people move on) but actually seemingly with most of them hating my guts for some reason. I hated that and I feel so guilty over it as well. Which is stupid, I know.

What's worse, I hate that even today, I still find that my choices affect me and can really destroy my confidence. Case and point, there was a girl this year at college. I liked her and she really liked me, based on the signals I was picking up. But she always was talking about how drunk she got at the weekend and how she loved drinking. And cause of years of the above attitude towards me as a non-drinker, i had zero confidence to ask her out. I was afraid....I am afraid that I will be too boring for her or most of the girls in Ireland.

I have pretty much no friends. I can't ask out the girl of my dreams. And my confidence is pretty much nil. The joys of being a non-drinker in Ireland.

leinsterrugby

man like wtf. i basically like dont drink and didnt drink till i was like 19. i started drinking coz like i actually like the feeling when im drunk, im still the same nice person but with a bit more confidence and a little bit funnier. still theres times i go out and dont drink and people wouldnt say anything to me. alcohol isnt bad at all just some people abuse it like and that is the problem. in my yr people really respected the fact i didnt drink and were kinda dissapointed when i started.

camera2010

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Ah, this sort of topic is always one which interests me. Apologies if the following turns into a long winded rant.

Don't drink. Never have, never will. At 23, I just have never seen the point of alcohol and dispise the effects it not only has on the Irish individual but also how our entire society seemingly revolves around it. Sadly (and perhaps pathetically), I find I've lost contact with most of my friends over the years due to the fact I am a non-drinker who decided to focus on getting a decent education and doing something with myself rather than dedicating most of my resources to going boozing. I know there's a lot of jealousy there over the fact I've done quite well in college. I also know that several friends turned on me because I was the "parental friendly" friend who they all wanted their kids to be like. I know that sounds egotistical and I don't mean it to be that way; I just know that several of my former friends turned on me because their parents were constantly holding me up as some shining example of brilliance and wanted their kids to be like me.

It wasn't too bad as a teen in secondary school. I had two other friends who were nondrinkers as well and we stuck together. When we went on a skiing trip in TY where 47 people were getting drunk every night, the three of us were able to make our own entertainment and we had an amazing time.

Then towards the end of sixth year, things really turned south. One of the two when he went off to college started, according to stories I've heard over the years, going down a really bad path, regularly getting drunk and apparently also starting up drugs. The other apparently doesn't drink still, but does hang out with a group who do and we simply drifted apart when we went to different colleges. However the main problems came with other people I used to hang out with.

We were a group of about 10 people back in school and were a diverse enough bunch. Many of us only talked since we were friends of friends, abut problems started to fester towards the end of sixth year. I really found out when tickets went on sale for the Grad. I had no intentions of going; the things always turned into drunken brawls and I had heard absolutle horror stories over the years. They were for the innercity chavs, not the likes of me. Still, it was my personal decision and I didn't force my belief on anyone else. Still, I apparently had more pull within the group than I realised cause when I sadi I wasn't going, so did half the group. The real problem came though in the bitterness this left in the other half of the group. I actually had one friend who started speaking really badly about me behind my back; I overheard a conversation one day between him and a girl I really liked (and I mean REALLY liked <_<). He knew how I felt but he was absolutly ripping into me in the conversation, telling her I was a manipulative ***** who was trying to ruin everyone's fun, and how horrible and boring I was. Really annoyed and upset me. I had never even talked about the grad to people other than to say I wasn't going and that was only cause I was asked about if I was or not. Years later, I still hear stories of how he never misses an opportunity to run be down because I'm a non-drinker and choose not to go out getting sloshed most nights.

There was more bitterness when a few months later, one of the gang invited me to his birthday. We had never been close but I still said yes. At the very least, it was a chance to catch up with other friends after we had all gone to different colleges. A few minutes after the invite though, I get another phonecall. Apparently some of the group thought it would be hilarious to spike my drinks and get me piss eyed drunk. Even apart from the fact I'd have noticed they were laced with alcohol, this really annoyed me, since it was a blatent show of disrespect and I hated some of the people for trying to trick me.

I think that's what really gets to me though. If you don't drink, people treat you like some monster. They refuse to be respectful to your decisions or let you live how you want to live. I don't know if it's that they feel that nondrinkers think they are better than everyone else so want to bring them down a peg or two. For my part, I never rubbed my choices in the faces of others. I never bragged or thought myself better. The thoughts were all on their end, yet I recieve the blame and the abuse for it. I was left with most of them not just losing contact with me (which I could understand since they obviously want to do one thing and I want another; as people grow older, differences divide and people move on) but actually seemingly with most of them hating my guts for some reason. I hated that and I feel so guilty over it as well. Which is stupid, I know.

What's worse, I hate that even today, I still find that my choices affect me and can really destroy my confidence. Case and point, there was a girl this year at college. I liked her and she really liked me, based on the signals I was picking up. But she always was talking about how drunk she got at the weekend and how she loved drinking. And cause of years of the above attitude towards me as a non-drinker, i had zero confidence to ask her out. I was afraid....I am afraid that I will be too boring for her or most of the girls in Ireland.

I have pretty much no friends. I can't ask out the girl of my dreams. And my confidence is pretty much nil. The joys of being a non-drinker in Ireland.

Hey there Teamshadowclan. I'm saddened reading your post.

Yes, unfortunately a lot of things/events in our society revolve around drink.

I'm a 33 year old girl. I rarely drink. I drank a bit when I went to college but soon grew tired of it. Also, I've seen first hand how drink can destroy people. Most of my friends drink and I've no problem with that.

I've found that a lot of my friends don't drink to the same level as they did in college. Many students talk about drink- it doesn't mean they'll still be talking like that in a few years time. Don't give up on the girl of your dreams!

It is annoying when your out and you have a soft drink and people hassle you over not drinking. They are not your real friends and are really not worth worrying over.

Sounds like you need to meet a few like-minded people at this stage in your life. Clubs are a good idea...

camera2010

SurferDude41 wrote: »

As I sit here typing, I am drinking an ice-cold bottle of a quality German pils.
Why oh Why? do us Irish, have such an unhealthy fixation with alcohol?
And before any of you ask, This one bottle of beer will be more than enough for me this evening.
And a Glass of nice red wine, with a steak is one of lifes great and simple
pleasures.
Although I am irish myself, I have never quite understood out national obsession of "getting Hammered, Or having a session"
I mean to use alcohol as an agent of oblivion, is one of the most stupid and bone-headed things an adult human, of even moderate intelligence can do.

Now while I have the greatest respect and admiration, of the people who admit they do have a drink-problem, and seek help for their affliction.
And while alcoholics are either on or off "The Wagon"
Where I ask, does that leave the rest of us???

Now while I do not wish to pontificate to anyone, there is a third way. I guess it's the road less travelled, "at least by us Irish anyway"
This Is the way of the moderate drinker, the middle path between tetotalisim and binge-drinking.
For instance I was stopped at a garda checkpoint, sometime last year, while returning home after a nights drinking with some friends.
I was breathalized, and registered a ZERO reading on their machine despite
having four pints of Shandy, that evening.

Later on, I will lie awake in my bed listening to the drink fuelled antics raging in the street until 4am. We have a sick society, sick from alcohol and it's effects. Meanwhile our government rakes in the money on alcohol duty. So it's pointless expecting our useless and corrupt government, to do anything about the problem.

It's time us adults take personal responsibility, for our drink soaked culture.
We are not children anymore, "we need to grow up" As a nation. The church won't save us, indeed they are a huge part of the problem as to why most older people can't express themselves without alcohol.

So enjoy that nice German beer, or the odd glass of red wine.
But don't for one second think, it gives you an excuse to act like a total moron. If you act like a moron, after a few drinks, you were a moron before you started drinking.

Peace and Love.

I like it SurferDude41! Some very interesting points...

Teferi

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Ah, this sort of topic is always one which interests me. Apologies if the following turns into a long winded rant.

Don't drink. Never have, never will. At 23, I just have never seen the point of alcohol and dispise the effects it not only has on the Irish individual but also how our entire society seemingly revolves around it. Sadly (and perhaps pathetically), I find I've lost contact with most of my friends over the years due to the fact I am a non-drinker who decided to focus on getting a decent education and doing something with myself rather than dedicating most of my resources to going boozing. I know there's a lot of jealousy there over the fact I've done quite well in college. I also know that several friends turned on me because I was the "parental friendly" friend who they all wanted their kids to be like. I know that sounds egotistical and I don't mean it to be that way; I just know that several of my former friends turned on me because their parents were constantly holding me up as some shining example of brilliance and wanted their kids to be like me.

It wasn't too bad as a teen in secondary school. I had two other friends who were nondrinkers as well and we stuck together. When we went on a skiing trip in TY where 47 people were getting drunk every night, the three of us were able to make our own entertainment and we had an amazing time.

Then towards the end of sixth year, things really turned south. One of the two when he went off to college started, according to stories I've heard over the years, going down a really bad path, regularly getting drunk and apparently also starting up drugs. The other apparently doesn't drink still, but does hang out with a group who do and we simply drifted apart when we went to different colleges. However the main problems came with other people I used to hang out with.

We were a group of about 10 people back in school and were a diverse enough bunch. Many of us only talked since we were friends of friends, abut problems started to fester towards the end of sixth year. I really found out when tickets went on sale for the Grad. I had no intentions of going; the things always turned into drunken brawls and I had heard absolutle horror stories over the years. They were for the innercity chavs, not the likes of me. Still, it was my personal decision and I didn't force my belief on anyone else. Still, I apparently had more pull within the group than I realised cause when I sadi I wasn't going, so did half the group. The real problem came though in the bitterness this left in the other half of the group. I actually had one friend who started speaking really badly about me behind my back; I overheard a conversation one day between him and a girl I really liked (and I mean REALLY liked <_<). He knew how I felt but he was absolutly ripping into me in the conversation, telling her I was a manipulative ***** who was trying to ruin everyone's fun, and how horrible and boring I was. Really annoyed and upset me. I had never even talked about the grad to people other than to say I wasn't going and that was only cause I was asked about if I was or not. Years later, I still hear stories of how he never misses an opportunity to run be down because I'm a non-drinker and choose not to go out getting sloshed most nights.

There was more bitterness when a few months later, one of the gang invited me to his birthday. We had never been close but I still said yes. At the very least, it was a chance to catch up with other friends after we had all gone to different colleges. A few minutes after the invite though, I get another phonecall. Apparently some of the group thought it would be hilarious to spike my drinks and get me piss eyed drunk. Even apart from the fact I'd have noticed they were laced with alcohol, this really annoyed me, since it was a blatent show of disrespect and I hated some of the people for trying to trick me.

I think that's what really gets to me though. If you don't drink, people treat you like some monster. They refuse to be respectful to your decisions or let you live how you want to live. I don't know if it's that they feel that nondrinkers think they are better than everyone else so want to bring them down a peg or two. For my part, I never rubbed my choices in the faces of others. I never bragged or thought myself better. The thoughts were all on their end, yet I recieve the blame and the abuse for it. I was left with most of them not just losing contact with me (which I could understand since they obviously want to do one thing and I want another; as people grow older, differences divide and people move on) but actually seemingly with most of them hating my guts for some reason. I hated that and I feel so guilty over it as well. Which is stupid, I know.

What's worse, I hate that even today, I still find that my choices affect me and can really destroy my confidence. Case and point, there was a girl this year at college. I liked her and she really liked me, based on the signals I was picking up. But she always was talking about how drunk she got at the weekend and how she loved drinking. And cause of years of the above attitude towards me as a non-drinker, i had zero confidence to ask her out. I was afraid....I am afraid that I will be too boring for her or most of the girls in Ireland.

I have pretty much no friends. I can't ask out the girl of my dreams. And my confidence is pretty much nil. The joys of being a non-drinker in Ireland.

You're problems aren't caused by you not drinking.

That won't be a popular opinion here but to blame you having no friends etc. on you not drinking and your ex-mates drinking is beyond ridiculous.

RoryMurphyJnr

Totally agree with OP

I gave up drinking when I bought a motorbike.
If the lads were going for a drink after work it just worked out easier not to drink so I could drive home than get 2 buses.

After a while it just became a habit not to drink.
Didn't at my stag or my bros.
Had a glass of champers to toast myself when I got married.
The only time I drink is on hols and even then it's only when it's part of a competition or skit as part of the entertainment. (drink a pint with a straw) that sort of thing.

Don't miss it in the least and after a while my mates just bought me a coke.
Being Irish though when you say you don't drink most people think you're a recovering alcoholic which doesn't say much about us as a nation

R

Lord TSC

Hey there Teamshadowclan. I'm saddened reading your post.

Yes, unfortunately a lot of things/events in our society revolve around drink.

I'm a 33 year old girl. I rarely drink. I drank a bit when I went to college but soon grew tired of it. Also, I've seen first hand how drink can destroy people. Most of my friends drink and I've no problem with that.

I've found that a lot of my friends don't drink to the same level as they did in college. Many students talk about drink- it doesn't mean they'll still be talking like that in a few years time. Don't give up on the girl of your dreams!

It is annoying when your out and you have a soft drink and people hassle you over not drinking. They are not your real friends and are really not worth worrying over.

Sounds like you need to meet a few like-minded people at this stage in your life. Clubs are a good idea...

Hehe, thanks for the reply. Looking back over the post I wrote up a few days, I do think it was a tad doomy and gloomy. Don't be saddened. I'm not. I'm actually living quite a happy life and am happy. Sure, it may not be a very social life but I'm generally not the type of person who sits about mopping or complaining. Think that that post went a tad down that route but it was more pent up venting.

I should add that when I was doing a work placement last semester, I did meet plenty of cool people and even though they did spend their time getting drunk, they were still cool to talk too. And I know there are like-minded people out there. I think one problems comes from the fact that I reckon that heavy drinkers who cause the most problems are a vocal minority, and it's tough to meet the like minded people since they too have had years of being the social outcast and now stay quiet. I'm also optamistic by nature so don't think my post is one of a vision of years of misery. I know a huge chunk of my problem comes from the fact I just don't seem to gel with my own age group, or at least the bracket I've been in for years and am now coming out the other side of.

Which leads to....

You're problems aren't caused by you not drinking.

That won't be a popular opinion here but to blame you having no friends etc. on you not drinking and your ex-mates drinking is beyond ridiculous.

Contraversial! Or not. You're welcome to your opinion and truth be told, your right. In part. I know that the whole drinking thing isn't the lone reason for my "problems" (A word I use to describe my situation loosely). It's a part of a larger problem which revolves around the fact I lack self-confidence and have trouble making friends as a result. However, I do feel as if it was my attitude towards drink during my later teenage years which caused a lot of the problems with people, or at least were the catalyst for the problems. The fights I had with people were about drink. A lot of my personal problems with people and vice versa seem to revolve around drink.

The main problem is one of self-confidence. Drink played a major factor in the development of that problem.

(Soz if grammer or spelling is off there or if I'm rambling and repeating myself. Just back from Manchester and am absolutly wrecked...)

mfceiling

Don't drink myself....haven't touched it in nearly 2 years.
Just got sick of getting a hangover from hell (after 2 pints of guinness:eek:)
3 kids under 5 doesn't help neither!!

Funny when i read other peoples experiences too.........
Was at a wedding on friday past...usual 7 up's and lucozades.
Wifes work mate all serious "did you stop drinking because you had a problem?"
Cue everyone staring at me...
Yes i did have a problem, i couldn't stick the hangovers and i'd rather get up early on a sunday morning and take the kids into stephen's green to feed the ducks, look at the horses and carriages etc.

Oh you've got the right idea, i wish i had you're willpower etc etc etc.

Wasn't too many of them about at 9 the next morning when i was enjoying a walk on the wexford strand after a tasty breakfast!!

Plus i've been breathalysed a few times....once very early in the morning.
Great to know you're safe on the road and not going to be another statistic or the cause of a death/serious injury!!

That's great to hear mfceiling. I'm sure the kids will have very fond memories of weekend mornings with you, instead of "mammy and daddy stayed in bed all weekend cause they were sick"

mickman

mfceiling wrote: »

Don't drink myself....haven't touched it in nearly 2 years.
Just got sick of getting a hangover from hell (after 2 pints of guinness:eek:)
3 kids under 5 doesn't help neither!!

Funny when i read other peoples experiences too.........
Was at a wedding on friday past...usual 7 up's and lucozades.
Wifes work mate all serious "did you stop drinking because you had a problem?"
Cue everyone staring at me...
Yes i did have a problem, i couldn't stick the hangovers and i'd rather get up early on a sunday morning and take the kids into stephen's green to feed the ducks, look at the horses and carriages etc.

Oh you've got the right idea, i wish i had you're willpower etc etc etc.

Wasn't too many of them about at 9 the next morning when i was enjoying a walk on the wexford strand after a tasty breakfast!!

Plus i've been breathalysed a few times....once very early in the morning.
Great to know you're safe on the road and not going to be another statistic or the cause of a death/serious injury!!

good post. if parents dont have the discipline to stay off heavy nights when they have children there is something wrong in my view

nothing wrong with a few but its horrible when children say daddy and mammy are sick etc

XxMCRxBabyxX

I'm 19 and while I drink, I will never drink enough for it to have an effect and I think people find that harder to deal with than someone who doesn't drink at all.

I've been drinking since I was 16 and the worst I've been was a bit tipsy a few nights ago and I hated it. The whole idea of drunkenness has no appeal to me at all. Family background has also played a part in that as well. But when I try to explain that to people I just get the reaction of "ah sure, I'm going to get you locked and you'll love it". No one has managed it yet and I won't let them.

It's annoying though because it seems like people's mission is to get themselves and others drunk and I just don't understand it!

TwoShedsJackson

Irish people want everyone to drink/get pissed so they don't have to consider their own drinking - sure if everyone's doing it, it's grand!!

rantyface

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

Irish people want everyone to drink/get pissed so they don't have to consider their own drinking - sure if everyone's doing it, it's grand!!

Most people who drink aren't alcoholics or morons so it is actually grand. It's the minority that do have a problem and get aggressive and sleazy that give the majority a name. Most non drinkers aren't boring or socially inept but the minority who are sanctimonious and defensive give the majority a bad name.

There isn't much difference between moderate drinkers and non drinkers. I regularly have to stop drinking because my medicine doesn't work when I drink, and nobody ever asks why I'm not drinking or even notices that I'm not. I don't make a point of it and I don't see why anyone would. It's a stupid thing to define yourself by and it's a stupid reason for anyone to stereotype you. You don't drink but you could have hundreds of other things in common with people who do drink.

Sunnyisland

As the majority of people drink, and an awful lot over the recommended units per week,they just cant get it that you can have as much fun not drinking as drinking,and waking up the next morning brand new,its great

Ave Nocturna

I'm 24 and have never really been able to tolerate alcohol (due to medication) I may have a drink once or twice a year (at that it will be one small drink, no doubt I'll fall asleep after consuming it too!) For the most part people either just don't notice/care or (to the other extreme...) they look at me like I've 10 heads. It's bizarre to me that it's bizarre to them... But, sure, such is the culture we live in, I guess. Some people will mock me or even use me to mind them/their things... Which, obviously, I'm not too impressed about.

I like to (try to) believe that I don't care what people think about the fact I don't drink but it can become tiresome when I've to keep repeating myself in explaining to them why I don't... And I don't like that I feel I HAVE TO excuse myself for being "the bore". Guess that's more my problem than theirs!

Fear not OP, you're not alone

Jeboa Safari

C_Dawg wrote: »

I'm not ashamed of being a teetotaler, actually I'm proud of the fact that I'm not a sheep like those drunken idiots who've destroyed this world.

Have you thought that this may be the reason why you get a negative response? If you come across as condescending and think your better than 'idiots' who drink then it's no wonder you'll get a hostile response.

C_Dawg

Jeboa Safari wrote: »

Have you thought that this may be the reason why you get a negative response? If you come across as condescending and think your better than 'idiots' who drink then it's no wonder you'll get a hostile response.

I think you're reading a little too much into a five month old post there. It's not like I start a conversation preaching against the infidels.

wolfpawnat

I am the person, where having one, means one! I have a drink once a blue moon if at all. OJ or fizzy orange does me fine Thank you

But yes the questions and comments are annoying.

All my friends don't like how when they make a tit of themselves I can actually remember. I remember my debs night and everyone was trying to say the food at the hotel was not right. but myself and one other girl weren't drinking and we were able to say that it was fine because we were fine.

I have more fun because I had no sick head the next day, I had money left over and I did not embarrass myself!

capslock88

i'm 22 and a non drinker...didnt really make any conscious decision not to drink but my dad hates alcohol -(he had bad experiences with his semi-alcoholic father and never drank as a result) so he was always saying to avoid it if possible but never banned it either...when i started going out i didnt bother drinking and continued like that...got all the responses like...the ten heads stare....the OMG how do you do it?..the role the eyes 'your a dryass' face...but most people say fair play etc...pretty much all of my friends drink and generally when they get drunk and go a bit crazy, i just go a bit mad myself!..a few red bulls usually helps aswell...iv had a few ugly experiences with friends and others who give me **** and abuse when theyre drunk which sometimes really gets to me but i'm fairly tolerant and havent resorted to violence yet!...

Not drinking has disadvantages though...sometimes i feel slightly outside the group at a house party or doing rounds at a pub...you're not really one of the lads, or truly part of the group...the 'not trusting a non-drinker' sounds ridiculous to me...how a girl could be more safe with a drunk person is beyond me...i usually couldn't get away with half the stuff my friends do on a night out...afterwards they'd say 'oh i was langers'...'didn't know what i was doing'...when i'm fairly sure they know all about it!..but cos everyone would know i wouldve been sober that night i would have to be on best behaviour...generally!

However its great to always be able to drive there and home (though sometimes youve to take the whole town home!)...avoid hangovers(i hear theyre not very nice!)...not spend anything really on booze...not wreck yourself for sporting activites and healthwise...remember what you did last night and not make more of a fool out of yourself than you are already!...

PaulGogartyTD

Have never drunk much and in the past when yfs would often have driven a gang of friends into town to go clubbing and drink water, minerals, non alcoholic beers etc. I would dance sober and enjoy. But you do tend to get stigmatised and was often told to "enjoy yourself, have a drink". Also when you are sober and your friends not so, it does get quite irritating to have your ears pulled and nipples pinched when you are driving them home...

Mr Benevolent

I didn't drink till I was 23. I respect people who don't drink, but I'm still slightly hypocritical about it. Drinking has vastly improved my social life, although I generally don't drink much, once a week, 4 pints max. I don't enjoy being drunk.

PaulGogartyTD

PaulGogartyTD wrote: »

Have never drunk much and in the past when yfs would often have driven a gang of friends into town to go clubbing and drink water, minerals, non alcoholic beers etc. I would dance sober and enjoy. But you do tend to get stigmatised and was often told to "enjoy yourself, have a drink". Also when you are sober and your friends not so, it does get quite irritating to have your ears pulled and nipples pinched when you are driving them home...

You should really stop going out with other TD's

Getonwithit

Just joined the site, non drinker for 3 years nearly now. Tried giving up a few times before that but social pressure always got me back. I gave up the drink because I was an arsehole when I was drunk, fighting, acting the prick and generally letting myself down. It got to a stage where it had to be enough and I gave it up. I dont find other people drinking to be idiots etc as I know I was that lad and not so long ago. As non drinkers we have a responsibility to mirror that idea, if we want people to see that you can have a good time without drink then thats all you have to do. Fighting and sulking wont change the world, I just dream of the day when I dont get embarrassed when I have to insist on a coke or a water when someone is buying a round. As non drinkers the best thing we can do is show others that there is an alternative and that its not that strange or weird. Keep the faith folks..

Superlativeman

You see, the populace of Ireland are very stupid. The people who look at you with 10 ten heads are the archetypal fools that can't hold a conversation that doesn't involve sex, drugs, football, gossip or the X factor.

I know exactly how people feel. Sure, I get laughed at for reading books and voting.

"It's an Irish thing."

Yag reuoY

PaulGogartyTD wrote: »

Have never drunk much and in the past when yfs would often have driven a gang of friends into town to go clubbing and drink water, minerals, non alcoholic beers etc. I would dance sober and enjoy. But you do tend to get stigmatised and was often told to "enjoy yourself, have a drink". Also when you are sober and your friends not so, it does get quite irritating to have your ears pulled and nipples pinched when you are driving them home...

Really? You must have been drunk when you voted in favour of NAMA.

One thing is certain: you'll need to drown your sorrows when you're tossed from the Dail for selling out your country.

I'll toast to that.

Wingman2010

I just realised I'm off drink 10 months today It's kind of funny the way you forget about it! Living the dream now