The number of people going on and on about their wonderful alcohol free lives

[Eastie77Returns]

It’s a bit boring now. Every other Opinion essay or online article today is written by someone waxing lyrical about their decision to stop drinking and how incredible their lives are now followed by judgy comments about the poor saps who still drink, use it as an emotional crutch and are too wine addled to realise they are drinking themselves into an early grave. It’s all a bit sanctimonious and honestly…who cares?

Presumably because it would make a dull article if it's not part of your life?

I'm not a smoker so it wouldn't make good reading for me to talk about not smoking, but it's more interesting for an ex smoker to write about the changes they've noticed?

Fat person gone thin, alcoholic gone sober, slob turned marathon runner are always the way those articles are written

I know what you mean; there’s a mum friend I follow on instagram who has been teetotal for a couple of years now and her posts have become very sanctimonious about how even the slightest drop of alcohol is absolutely dreadful for you. Yet if you were to look back on her posts or stories from 5 years ago they were often very boozy.

I was never a huge drinker but having lost the taste for alcohol with Covid, I haven’t gone out of my way to recultivate it. I enjoy a glass with my dinner at the weekend or a convivial cocktail at parties; despite what some PPs seem to think, that is not putting pressure on the NHS or making me an antisocial menace.

I just don't understand people who live their lives in a performative way: everything they do they have to make sure everyone else knows about it.

So actually if people think they are drinking too much then of course it's great if they do something about it like giving up drinking for a certain period of time. But I don't understand why there has to be things like " dry January". Why not just make the decision yourself and get on with it without banging on to everyone about it?

Yet another example of people no longer being able to behave like individuals. They have to be sheep .

Self care and health has become the new evangelical religion. They feel superior and think they will live longer. Follow the rule and live for ever. What does it remind you of? Humans need to feel "in control" and have power over their destiny. But the universe is random and we can die at any time. Terrifying. Until you find 'the rules' - veganism, no alcahol, gym every day, whatever it is. That is why they preach, it is their religion.

I've been AF for a couple of years (just happened naturally, hadn't been more than an occasional social drinker for ages) and agree with @sobermum23 and others - I never raise it - to me it feels natural now and I'll happily go to pubs or parties and just ask for AF. It is other people who ask and query and occasionally suggest it is a problem/obsessive/linked to stuff it really isn't. For me it was very simple - the downsides (anxiety, poor sleep and hangovers) outweighed the upsides and I realised I preferred a cuppa and some chocolate 😀. The attitude of others says more about them than me but that's why I don't raise it - but I think it is reasonable to raise and talk about something that has really helped you if you want to, in a forum like this. I suspect some of the "judgy" comments are in the eyes of the beholders and like pp, I'm not sure why you'd read or engage if not interested.

Because it's common knowledge statistics show that if you tell someone about your goal you're more likely to achieve it. That coupled with being surrounded by/in communities with other people doing the same thing at the same time makes you even more likely to achieve it.

What often annoys me about these articles is all the “no more bad sleep! No more hangovers!” Etc etc - I do drink but I very rarely have hangovers, sleep well, control my weight easily etc, because I drink in moderation. I just don’t recognise the “before” part of the articles. It’s always about not being able to stop at one drink, relying on it to have a good time, and nearly always they say something like “I never liked the taste anyway so I’m happier with a mocktail”

I do like the taste of alcohol and certainly prefer it to an overpriced soft drink! I drink water the rest of the time. But not everyone who drinks alcohol has a drinking problem and is suffering terrible negative effects. Maybe some people just like it and find it doesn’t have much of an impact on their life. That’s never ever acknowledged in these types of articles. It’s always about how people can save themselves from booze hell 😂

I must be odd because when I tell people I lose motivation and drop it because I feel all eyes on me.

I agree. I found alcohol massively increased my anxiety levels during perimenopause. Then I noticed that I felt so shit the day after drinking even a couple of gins so I massively cut down a few years ago. But all those who’ve found happiness and joy at the bottom of a cup of tea drive me nuts!

most of us can enjoy a glass of wine in moderation, we don’t need to cut it out completely.

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I too can get annoyed with people who lead performative lives like a PP so acurately expressed it, but then again, I think in cases such as these where it improves peoples health I can see that there is a point to it. It most likely encourages other people to do it if they feel like there is a large number of people doing it and they all say that it's great. After all, the younger (than me) generation drinks a lot less than my generation does and I think a lot of that comes from a health focus they see of social media that simply didn't exist when I was younger. Having a healthier population is a win-win for any country so this particular one I can't really get worked up about. Anything that improves health or the environment should be broadcasted in my opinion, even though I don't do it myself.

I don't drink, but I don't class it as a celebration! I still have other problems like being overweight etc due to PCOS.

I agree it’s just a habit like smoking !! And both are incredibly dangerous
Specially Middle Aged woman it increases the risk of breast cancer as well !!
I had to stop drinking any alcohol due to being on immunosuppressive drugs in 2020! I never drank much anyway but what a difference not drinking anything is incredible!!
so I do understand why people rave about it !!

Its a habit that’s can be hard to break but it’s been made normalised to be socially drinking at home when your out and about but it’s not good at all ❤️

I like a drink but have had to give up a few times for various reasons (pregnancy, weight loss etc…) I’ve never noticed a difference and never really gave it a second thought. If you’re noticing a huge difference and can’t stop thinking/talking about it then it was likely a problem for the person in question.

I think anything that turns around the harmful binge drinking culture is helpful. Alcohol is a normalised poison. Nothing wrong with drinking moderately but how many do that?

I think the reality in this country is if you don't drink you're regarded as a bit of a weirdo. I've seen my non-drinking husband interrogated and sometimes mocked by people he's just met as to why he's getting a lemonade on a Friday night and not a beer.

It's a bit better now but in order for the culture to shift a bit we probably do need people waxing lyrical about sober life.

I actually hide the fact I dont drink as I'm fed up explaining why and feeling like a leaper. People think theres something wrong with me because I dont drink and I wish they'd just accept it and move on without me having to explain why. So I've learnt to just not say anything and hope no one buys me wine as a gift :)

I disagree. The people who are talking about it probably started because they read something which changed their mindset (and life).

I have lost three family members to alcohol. If you don’t understand the damage it can do- you probably haven’t got a problem, but don’t deny those who might one day have an epiphany, that chance.

My family members weren’t passed out on park benches, they were happy drinkers, until one day they weren’t, and mental illness crept in.

If people don’t like the posts, they can scroll on by, but for some people it might trigger a thought which changes their path.

Live and let live, eh?

I agree OP. I fail to see why it's such a big thing. Drink if you want, don't drink if you don't want. Who cares.

People don't seem to go on about having stopped smoking in the same way, I wonder why?

OTOH look how normalised it is for people to talk about how much they drank for the weekend and at such and such event. And how “bladdered” they were. Especially in January when they’re “entertaining” us with tales of Christmas excess.

I had to give up alcohol when I became unwell and went on several medications that I might be on for life. It was non negotiable and I just had to get on with it. When I see people posting about their great achievement of giving up booze it does really get on my nerves. I wasn’t a heavy drinker but enjoyed a glass of wine.

Most of us, otherwise we'd all be destitute (having lost our jobs) and have been banned from driving.

Binge drinking is a problem, but most people do drink in moderation (there are degrees of moderation of course).

As a none drinker it’s very boring hearing from people who make everything about alcohol but I also feel the same about those who make exercise their one and only topic.

I see an article recently about an alcoholic who got sober and wrote about how much pity she feels for people who drink. It was incredibly condescending and if her intention was to get people on board with an AF lifestyle then I suspect it would have had the opposite effect! I think it was more about her bragging though.

Not everyone who drinks is a problem drinker. Plenty of people are able to have a drink at the weekend to unwind and can enjoy it responsibly without creating problems in their work, relationships and health.

That said, I'm doing dry January and am finding the threads on here really helpful for support so I think it should be spoken about, just not in a judgey patronising way.

I completely agree. And to be honest, I agree with the poster that said people that do dry January are usually the ones with an alcohol problem.

I like a drink. I like the taste of a gin and tonic, or a glass of wine. I drink at home as well as out but I have more days a week where I don't drink alcohol than I do. I'm not hungover, I sleep well. The vast majority of the time if I have a drink at home it is just one.

I don't recognise any of the "before going teetotal" descriptions in these types of articles. Clearly, they had an issue with alcohol before and it's great that they have been able to sort that out but personally I love a bit of moderate alcohol consumption!