Why don't you drink ?

zef

I never really took to drinking that much, yea as a teen an stuff, few cans n'all, but i would always get either morose or vicious, an i don't like being out of control either. Off it cos of meds five years, now off meds and not bothered with the drink at all . Had an Irish coffee or 2 over xmas , thats about it.

betsie

Samich wrote: »

Don't need it. That's it basically. People who drink need it to have fun. Why else would they drink? Talking about the normal joe soap.

That's very unfair i think, like i would consider myself pretty ordinary some weekends i drink, some i dont doesnt change the amount of fun i can have. but i do enjoy the taste of an ice cold glass of cider on a saturday night and ya it helps relax a bit after a long week as well dont really see a problem with that.

Caveman1

I'm off the drink as part of my new year resolution, I wouldnt be a heavy drinker 2-3 times a week, I feel great not drinking the hardest part for me though is when im going out with my girlfriend theres only so much 7up I can drink, or not having a glass of wine with dinner, although I cant see myself going back on it anytime soon as its great having spare money and not waking up with hangovers, its only when your off the drink you realise what a waste it is.

sunflower27

Hi all

I gave it up befor New Year for a couple of reasons. Mainly I was sick of relying on it to prop me up. I had been going through a bad time and was drinking more as a result since losing my job. 2011 was a pretty low time for me.

Drinking was affecting how I felt about my life. I was feeling very stagnant and I was de-motivated. These days I feel optimistic about the future

I didn't like myself when drinking either.

I also was worried about my health, although thankfully I had no side effects at all from giving it up - no bad withdrawal.

Financially I am so much better off as well.

I wish i had quit a long time ago but I suppose I wasn't ready then.

I used to read about people quitting and thinking all the talk about life being better was a fantasy, but i see now what they mean. Sobriety feels like a gift - and one that I cherish.

hubba

Welcome to the club, Sunflower27. Feels good, doesn't it? Sorry to hear about your hard times in 2011 - here's to 2012 being your year.

BunShopVoyeur

I've had to just stop completely recently. I have started to have panic attacks all the next day even drinking moderately.

x3wiggles

I don't drink because I was diagnosed with a mental condition that requires me to stay on long term medication that's affected by alcohol. The thing that annoys me is the fact that I feel like my friends are judging me or see me as a "dry shi*e" because I'm not having "drunken banter".
Idk about you guys but I get a glass of lucozade with ice in it and it looks like Bulmers so no one says much.
The past year, i've been put off my going out because when you're sober and everyone else is hammered, they get really really annoying.

sunflower27

hubba wrote: »

Welcome to the club, Sunflower27. Feels good, doesn't it? Sorry to hear about your hard times in 2011 - here's to 2012 being your year.

Thanks hubba

Yes, it feels great. Wish I had done it ages ago, but as said, I wasn't ready. I have a lot of hope that 2012 will be a better year. Was very glad to leave 2011 behind

Am happy to go out and not drink. Was out watching the rugby yesterday in the pub and not remotely tempted. I know people say it is not easy, but when you know how much better off you are without drinking, ordering an alcoholic drink doesn't even come into the equation.

I am still as much fun as I always was, only less the hangover and empty purse

jasonb

I'm 38 myself and never drank. I think I possibly tasted a beer when I was a teenager, and a vodka when I picked up a vodka & coke instead of my coke, but nothing apart from that.

My father was an alcoholic, as was my uncle, and my stepfather too. Strong reasons obviously, but apart from that, I also don't like the taste / smell of it, and don't like losing control.

The pub-culture isn't for me, and I hate drunk people doing stupid things but it's "ok" because they've a couple of drinks on them.

Fairly standard reasons I'd imagine?

J.

a fat guy

Essentially I was in a rut and wanted something to change.

Drinking just made me feel as though I was in an even worse rut, so I gave it up.

I'm also after cutting down on videogames majorly, cutting down on bad foods and starting to eat veggies a lot more.

I plan on beefing up over the summer too.

Ah, it's good to feel alive...

Strawberry Fields

A psychiatrist got me to stop after they locked me in a psyche ward for 8 weeks. I realised I was ****ing my life up, was sacked after the christmas party, one of many nights I don't remember, I was drinking to get obliterated and wasn't happy until I'd reached oblivion which messed my head up made me aggressive and often lose touch with reality.

Ape X

Can't handle it. Not in the sense that I get aggressive or anything... I just have a very low tolerance for it, and apparently there's a very fine line between my being tipsy and wanting to puke. This line lies around the four pint mark!

Coincidentally, this realisation happened at about the same time I first went onto anti-depressants, so it just seemed like a no-brainer to officially knock drink on the head and become a veritable tee-totaller.

another new one

Unlike everyone else who's explained they're valid reasons of bad experiences etc I've never drank because the pure thought of letting go of myself and not having 100% control of myself scares me half to death!
Dunno how anyone who drinks can do it to be honest

redzerologhlen

I dont drink because I have a few people in my family that are fond of it and I dont ever want to go down that road. Also there are lots of things I want to do that drinking would clash with. Used to go to the pub with the lads when I was younger and not drink but have given up on that because my tolerence for drunken s**t talk is low. Lucky enough to have a girlfriend that rarely drinks to keep me sane :pac: :pac:

Dwellingdweller

I... don't know!

Willard

there was a time back in collage when I would have drank out of a wellie & I smoked like a chimney. My father died from the smokes four years ago & it made me get my act together. I'm now the fittest i've ever been, I've replaced one social scene with another, Its easy to refuse a drink of a sat night when you know your going for a 70-100Km cycle sunday morn with the tri-club & TBH even if I wanted a drink now I couldnt hack more than three, binge drinking like they do in this country requires practice.

FishBowel

Causes cancer.

libnation

I actually think the foll

libnation

Me giving up drink was so out of the blue. It may have been the fact that I found my friend asleep under a car but I literally just decided to give up (my decision was cemented after coming to this forum and seeing reccomendations for Allen Carr).

Anyway since I've stopped, i swear to god my (sorry for crudeness) bowel movements have improved immensely (again sorry). Also my skin is better (don't know why!?). Most importantly anxiety levels are down (again not sure of the science but they are!)

Weight loss has been made so so so much easier also!

I've also noticed that I get more stuff during the week. It's weird how a Saturday night starts a chain reaction of messing up Sunday sleep which messes up Monday productivity which causes Tuesday to be manic and exhausting leading to Wednesday and thursday being days where you need something to calm your nerves. Take drink out of this equation and it makes a massive massive difference, not joking. Still lots of stress but much easier to put tabs on it.

So basically I'm not really sure why I gave up but I know why I'll never drink again. Although my friends have been so cr*p about it. A*seholes.

gillapino

@Libnation, my friends were crap about it too, but its get better, after starting new hobbies and a new college course i made a lot more new friends who accepted that i didnt drink, and well i still see my friends, which are still mad for the drink, but just meet up during the day or try hang out when there isnt drink involved, bit awkward when there talking about there nights out and parties, but i just know that scene isnt for me!

toastedpickles

I'm 21 and I've never touched the stuff, I hate it, It turns people into everything a person shouldn't be, people my age seem to ridicule others that don't drink, I don't go out to clubs or pubs, partly because i can't stand them, and also because people just ignore me because I don't drink so I'm not "one of the lads" it amazes me when i see people saying "omg I got soo wasted last night" like do you want a trophy or something? I think I'm the only 21 year old in Leinster who doesn't drink at this stage, and I don't intend on starting

languagenerd

toastedpickles wrote: »

I think I'm the only 21 year old in Leinster who doesn't drink at this stage, and I don't intend on starting

Nah, you're not. I'm 20 and don't drink, and I've met quite a few other people in their early twenties who don't either. I've often been surprised to discover another non-drinker in the group. I can think of 7 off the top of my head...

The key is not to give off the impression that you think you're better than people who drink - most people have been fine with me once they realise I can have as much fun as they can...

toastedpickles

I can have as much fun as them it's just like i said, because i don't drink im not i guess you could say, "accepted" it saddens me if im honest I'd like to meet other people and stuff but i can't really go out to clubs and such unlike most people, joys of photosensitivity

gillapino

I'm the same age as you, and i dont drink either, were a rare species :P 3 people in my course dont drink out of about 30, I dont like night clubs either, but can still have fun other ways, pubs arent so bad ! as long as there is a decent conversation and good company ! Join some new clubs or activities, meet new people, i started my current course this year, hardly knew anyone, but everyone accepted that i didnt drink straight away bar one or two. Just be careful you dont end up insulting people who drink or are into that scene.

toastedpickles

That's about the same as my course there was me and another guy who didn't
I don't mind pubs but i still don't really go out to them, my college didn't have any clubs or stuff so i couldn't join any, moving to cork to go to cit though so hopefully it might open a few doors up

gillapino

Just stay positive, meeting new people and starting a new course will definately help, i was feeling the same, i finished school 3 years ago, and all my friends from school, went a bit mad going out nearly every night when they started college, drinking all the time, and i felt a bit left out, but after startin my course this year, and meeting new people and joining in on different activities, i feel so much better about it all hope the same happens for you

ManOnFire

never liked the taste to be honest, would have the odd cider some days.hadnt drank in 9 months until last week and even then i only had 2 and that'd do me. still enjoy going to pub with friends for a few even if i'm on the soft drinks. As someone said above if the company is good what more do ya need

toastedpickles

gillapino wrote: »

Just stay positive, meeting new people and starting a new course will definately help, i was feeling the same, i finished school 3 years ago, and all my friends from school, went a bit mad going out nearly every night when they started college, drinking all the time, and i felt a bit left out, but after startin my course this year, and meeting new people and joining in on different activities, i feel so much better about it all hope the same happens for you

i shall I'll keep you posted thank you

libnation

People have ridiculous reactions to me. My nights out are no longer 'proper' apparently. Something 'awful must have happened' (although I have done a lot of bad stuff over the years). Going to events like concerts etc. will be 'sh*t' without alcohol' for me apparently (totally illogical).

Nobody's called me up for being on a high horse yet because i just keep my mouth shut - but I need to tell somebody about MORE benefits im feeling.

Less need for coffee during the week and more laundry gets done and I've said this already but skin - wow (is this related to hydration?) I also notice my friends who don't even get that drink can't remember really basic things from the night before.

daithieoghan

Feb '11 was my last drink. Since then I am 3 stone lighter, I run races most weeks, I have more money, there is no drama in my life, no hangovers, no drugs, I work better, my concentration is better, I don't waste days anymore, my mood is relatively stable.
All of these benifits yet , My pub life and many friends have fallen by the way side because I'm a dry ****e whose no craic apparently. I get funny looks when asked what am I drinking and I say sparkling water.
Was the right decision, yes, but others don't see it that way despite how it has benefited me. I don't point any of this stuff out to them and i don't preach.
BUGS ME!
Thanks for listening