Social consequences of giving up alcohol? Advice please!

[FavouriteFrites]

I live in a community where alcohol plays a huge part. I don’t drink all that often, but it’s almost anti social here not to have a drink when friends get together.

I think I’m quite good fun when I’ve had a few drinks, but I suffer from memory loss really easily, and I also get the fear. The anxiety it gives me is horrendous, even on occasions when I don’t suffer from memory loss. I just don’t like the thought of my guard being down, if that makes sense. It makes me want to give up alcohol. But I’m worried about the repercussions of doing so, socially.

I wondered if anyone on here has made the decision to give up alcohol (despite not being an alcoholic) and what impact that has had on their social lives? I’d be really grateful for any advice on this.

Thanks :)

You just drink soft drinks instead, so you have fun without the side effects. And if everybody else always gets boringly drunk, you find other social activities as time goes on where the people aren't so boring.

Yes, me and DH. Never been much of a drinker. But our friends and community aren't either. Drink doesn't agree with us and DH is also diabetic.

We don't have great social lives but not because we don't drink...

None, really.

It becomes more noticeable that drunk people somehow manage to be both unpredictable and boring simultaneously!

Alcohol is a big feature of a lot of our socialising as well, but we also have several friends who don’t drink at all or drink very minimally. They drink soft drinks only or alternate one alcoholic drinks to two soft drinks. If it’s the fear of getting too drunk which is your main issue rather than not being able to stop drinking once you start, the latter is a good solution.

It’s never attracted any comment from anyone (I think this is largely because of the sort of “community” we belong to) and they’ve been hanging around with the rest of us in this way for years, so am going to assume they don’t find us boring when we’re drinking and they aren’t.

I've really cut down my alcohol intake since I had (non-alcohol) related pancreatitis and have drunk zero alcohol beer and lager at social events. Looks like you are still drinking but way less calories and you don't get drunk. Some of the zero options are really very palatable. Just wish I could find a decent very low alcohol wine.

My social life got better. I met different people, due to doing different activities, who had things going on and are active and interesting.

I haven't got much time anymore for the people that just sit in the pub.