Convincing reasons that I’m not drinking

[DonaldDucksTowel]

I’ve recently started taking antidepressants so I’m obviously not drinking
I have 2 family parties this weekend I don’t know how I’ll avoid drinking without raising lots of questions
I was sterilised after my last baby and everybody knows so they won’t even just be able to assume I’m pregnant and not saying, so they will ask and ask why I’m not having one

Has anyone got any convincing reasons besides the obvious ‘I’m on antibiotics’ that no one ever believes? 🤔

Do you drive? Just say you’ve decided to drive home.
Or you are trying to lose weight, so you’ve cut out booze for a while.
Pre Xmas detox?

"I've started getting migraines and have been advised to cut it out to help"

Heartburn or acid stomach

Not drinking has got quite trendy at the moment.

I’d say you’ve gone teetotal for health reasons.

Well if people know you aren't pregnant then antibiotics is the next obvious one - that's the reason it's the go to excuse. Plus will people really push youto find out?

Could have some kind of “dry advent”... but then you’ll need a new excuse come a Christmas.

As in I get the nosey types try to work out if you're pregnant but if you're not then the reason is less likely to be good news and much more likely to be personal.

The migraines excuse is a good one.

Massive hangover

Plenty of reasons this time of year - you've got something else on the next morning, so you want to be able to drive / clear head; detox - though "finishing" it soon may be more believable in some circles in the run up to Christmas; general "medication"; watching the calories pre-Christmas; just gone off it recently.

"No drink November" is in full swing - use that for now; and then in December say you realised how much better you felt not drinking/ how few headaches you got/ etc and are keeping it going?

That's pretty believable 🙂

“I’ve decided that I have had enough of destroying my body. I’m also giving up sugar and caffeine.” If someone tries to push you further go on a sanctimonious rant, make sure you compare your body to a temple at some point. No one will ever ask you again after that.

Surely it's not anyone's business except your own? Why can't you just tell them the truth? (since you seem to feel you need to give an explanation)

OP, the implication in your post is that you feel there is some kind of stigma attached to being on antidepressants, and you want to keep it secret.
Why would it be any different to say that you’re on antibiotics?
Why is “I have an infection” okay, and “I have a depressive illness” not?

Surely your friends and family, with whom you will be socialising, would be sympathetic and understanding. If not, then they need re-educating on the nature of mental illness.
Why don’t you simply say that you’re on medication, and if they ask further tell them it’s antidepressants? Please don’t feel ashamed of an illness that is
a) absolutely not your fault, and
b) much more widespread than you think.

You could always put the discomfort where it belongs, i.e. back on the nosy asker. "Why do you ask?" "What makes you think that's an appropriate question?"

I often don't drink and never ever get drunk because it gives me PTSD flashbacks to being raped. Anyone who gets pushy with me about knowing why gets their arse handed to them.

Sometimes I drink, sometimes I don't. Depends if I feel like it, even I like the drink on offer. I've never been questioned on it and I've turned down many drinks in my time; will people really ask?

Unfortunately people will ask yes, or I’ll get “oh go onnnn just have one!” I went out for dinner at the weekend with family and drove and someone still bought me a drink saying I could have one, fortunately I had the kids with me so could say of course I wouldn’t drink and drive with the kids in the car don’t be ridiculous, and I still got cries of ‘but you can have one!” 🙄
My family are very of the mindset that if you don’t drink alcohol then you’re being unsociable which is a shame

Babdoc tbh this is all a very recent thing for me and I’m adjusting, I don’t want to tell everybody yet, it was hard enough talking to my DP about it and he’s brilliantly supportive
There are certain people in my extended family that would roll their eyes and tell me there’s no such thing as depression I’m sure

Thankyou all there’s some great ideas here
I might go with the migraine one, as I can continue that into the Christmas period too

Racecardriver that really made me laugh

Ahh. I'm broadly considered a moody fucker by my family, so they don't question my decisions. Perhaps just be less friendly.

I used cystitis when I didn’t want to reveal pregnancies. However I often have a months detox as well and no one questions that.