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?

As a lifelong non drinker I find it quite funny. When I think of all the persuading I've endured from drinkers trying to convince me I should drink, how great it is, how much more enjoyable a night out is, how I should loosen up and join in, it is funny to think of them all now lecturing others on the evils of drink or even funnier to think of them getting the lecture.

Made me morning.

I don't understand why people talk about giving up alcohol for one month like it's a big deal, unless they actually do have an alcohol problem and find giving it up a struggle (in which case absolutely talk about it, get support, and let people motivate you with their encouragement).

It’s not hard to understand. It’s clear the people writing these article are regular drinkers. No mystery there. Let’s not pretend we don’t know that there are a LOT of people in the UK, who need to drink at least once a week.

My friend doesn’t eat refined sugar, so of course she wouldn’t write about sugar free September. Whereas for me going a month without eating sugar would be a challenge for me (and no doubt positively impact my health) so I would be more inclined to write about it. It’s very simple.

Oh and another example of alcohol being pushed on us in the UK. I used to work in a PR company and everytime someone left or was promoted or did something really well they’d go round giving everyone Prosecco. This happened at least once a week. There was also a free bar on Friday as well as regular afters work catch up at a bar, it was frowned upon when I declined. The same company also essentially told me I wasn’t a “culture fit”. Go figure!

I agree. I do drink but I suspect I go several months a year without doing so and don't need to turn it into some kind of achievement,it's just worked out that way. I have a social occasion once a fortnight and usually have a drink at that, sometimes not. Might have a drink if we go for a walk and stop at a pub. Might have a drink at home the odd Saturday but it's not part of a pattern an evening or weekend must follow.

I think what these pieces really say is 'i was in denial about how much I drank ' which would be fine but it's dressed up as something else and then made out that everyone would feel the same if only they saw the light.

These massive benefits really only exist if you were overdoing it or using alcohol in an unhealthy way.

If I gave up drinking I don't think it would make much difference one way or the other and no one would probably notice.

I thought that when I read @fourelementary post.

It makes me laugh how many posters diagnose other posters as being alcoholics.

There are a lot of young TikTokers who claim to be alcoholics.

My DS doesn't drink half as much as I did when I was his age which is good though. I was a real party animal. Not so much these days.

Just don't read the articles. The more you click on them the more your algorhythm will push those type of articles to you. If it's just the title of the article annoying you then... well... I fail to see how the mere title of an article could be so triggering to someone who has a healthy relationship with alcohol.. And no I don't care if I sound sanctimonious/boring. It's the truth.

Haha! Same 😂 it’s not very nice when the boot is on the other foot. Ive experienced loads of drinkers pressuring me to drink when I don’t want to - it’s bizarre. Me having a Diet Coke isn’t stopping them drinking and yet they can’t stop themselves going on about how much fun drinking is despite them getting tired and emotional as the evening wears on!

Im loving that people are getting a taste of their own medicine 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you ignorant people have any idea how horrendous alchoholism is?

Its probably the same people who say exercise lightened their mood and solved all their problems. Great that it works for them but its doesn't work for everybody - I'm yet to experience the endorphin rush I'm supposed to get from exercise! We're all different in how our bodies handle these things.

I rarely drink - just celebrations really - not against it or a health nut - just not a feature in my day - and you'd think I'd spring out of the bed with all the joy of the world ready to solve one of life's great problems if these lazy, January articles were anything to go by. But I don't and, when I do drink, it's not much different. It's not that great and it's not that bad unless you are actively hammering your liver.

There is a middle ground between alcoholism and being tee total though, which a lot of recovering alcoholics seem to forget.

Most people can drink when they like and then not drink when they like without it being a problem.

I avoid that issue as I tend to drive. I'm going out tomorrow, I'll drive to the station and hop on the train nearer where we're going. When I'm inevitably asked that question I just say I'm driving. Job done, no insisting I have a drink, no fear that I'm judging them.

I won't touch a drop when I'm driving anyway.

I think if stopping drinking completely changes your life, you had a drinking problem.

deep down I think they are uncomfortable with their alcohol intake , and the guilt of doing A Bad Thing lessens when everyone around you is doing it. Classic case of misery loves company!

I mentioned upthread about the PR /communications company that pushed drinking culture but what I forgot to add is that it was a health comms agency 🤦🏽‍♀️ the irony!

THIS

I don’t drink but have seen the devastation it brought to family members.

I also work with several heavy drinking late 40s women who put their bodies through weekly headaches, low moods, low energy, terrible dry skin, lank hair, weight gain, insomnia, depression and more. Dry January comes and there’s a month long lull of symptoms, by Valentine’s Day the ailments are back. Mention giving up the booze long term and you get the flames of hell and every excuse under the sun. They like being pissed on a weekend at home with their partners.

Exactly.
And the bottom line is that even without the endorphin rush, people choose to exercise because they know it's good for their health.

Equally the facts are that cutting out alcohol is also beneficial to your health.

People can choose how they act on that information.

I don't rant about all the articles or FB posts about couch to 5k or Parkrun or pilates.

And where someone ends up on that spectrum is just luck, alcohol is addictive, addiction can happen to anybody

Most people can have a few drinks now and again because they want to not because they have to.

I was a big drinker, then gave up completely for years and am now back to an occasional drink a couple of times a month.

Whilst I do think the volume of articles on not drinking are tedious, where people get evangelical and a bit smug is when they realised the hold alcohol had on them - every social occasion is centred around drinking. Every celebration marked by drinking. Distress with a drink. Gin o clock. Prosecco o clock.
It’s pervasive and we are conditioned to seeing it as an integral part of life that wouldn’t be acceptable if it was smoking or weed despite the fact it is a drug and does huge amounts of harm socially and physically.

What struck me was when I was completely teetotal was the anger and judgment I got from drinkers - way more than the OP is showing to non drinkers. Drinkers take it personally when someone else isn’t drinking. And the bigger their own relationship to drinking is, the angrier they are to those who don’t drink.

Look at the recent boom in zero alcohol drinks - all marketed as just like ‘real’ alcoholic drinks rather than drinks in their own right.
So as a non drinker you don’t feel ostracised for not drinking and as a drinker you don’t feel defensive because it looks people are drinking.

However annoying the newly dry are, it doesn’t change the fact that we have a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

I had t give up drinking for medical reasons a few years ago.

I feel no better. No healthier. It’s boring as fuck not drinking.

I think the point is though- to be teetotal in a culture where alcohol is completely normalised and pushed at every social occasion is hard- just look at the comments people have got on this thread from others when they choose not to drink. Therefore, having articles or posts from people who have done it and are going against the norm can only be a good, encouraging and inspiring thing for those people trying to give up.

If you see a title of a post about not drinking and it irritates you then dont read it- it's pretty simply to avoid. For example, I am a meat eater. I have seen plenty of articles about the benefits of being plant based and they dont interest me so I just scroll past. I dont get angry about them because I simply figure I am not their target audience and people who embrace a vegan lifestyle will like those articles- good for them. But I am not going to rant about the fact they shouldn't exist because thats ridiculous.

Presumably you're secure in your choice to not drink/drink moderately/drink heavily, so why would these articles bother you? If it's so boring and sanctimonious to you then just scroll on past and don't let yourself be irritated.

Seeing plenty of sanctimony and sly judgement on here from those who find it so easy to moderate and feel the need to tell everyone.

If you've seen endless articles published widely throughout the year then doesn't that suggest you're wrong when you say 'no-one cares'?

Were you a regular heavy drinker? Your liver will be thankful even if not drinking doesn’t bring you joy.

Absolutely supportive of people making this choice but there seems to be a rush to try and make money from it, which has led to all the banging on.

No, just normal. Not heavy at all. I’d love a couple of glasses of wine on a Friday night.