To think as a teetotal I shouldn't have to constantly explain myself

[FargoFGS]

I'm a recovering alcoholic and I haven't drank for ages but I work in an environment that endorses 'Friday drinks' and my family are partial to the odd drink.

I always have a soft drink which I can pass off as an alcoholic drink but if someone else is buying a round when I ask for a non-alcoholic drink I'm always interrogated as if something is wrong with me. People will ask if I'm pregnant or on medication but the simple truth is just that I don't drink anymore.

Why have I suddenly turned into the gooseberry on every occasion. AIBU to think it perfectly acceptable to just say "I don't drink" and others leave it at that?

I'm not teetotal but I certainly don't drink as much as most people.

I will have a couple of glasses and that's enough - I physically cannot stomach any more and don't enjoy it if I force myself to drink. If I do, I'm il for days. It's just not worth it.

It's ridiculous the amount of attention this gets - 'oh, what's wrong with you', 'I've never seen you drunk' 'have another, come on' etc etc.

It actually offends people if you don't get pissed. They also think that you are a lot less fun too.

Fargo I gave my twopennies worth up thread a bit . But I just wanted to say that not drinking is a MASSIVE achievement. Huge. If you have a problem with alcohol it has a terrible impact on all areas of your life. Likewise, not drinking improves life so very much. You should be very proud of yourself for having the strength, courage and sometimes sheer bloody mindedness to stop drinking and stay stopped. Bollocks to anyone who has a problem with it.

A friend recently said to me that ahe doesn't want to hang out with me any more because I don't drink and she likes to get sozzled.

MamaLazarou not much of a friend then?!
It's funny that people assume you must be as fun as a wet weekend if you don't drink. Although to be fair, I have a friend who can't go out unless they get wasted and act like a tit and that is definately not fun to be around when sober.

Also used to hate work dos/parties where people insist on buying trays of shots and get arsey when you won't have a bloody jagerbomb.

Yadnbu.

I don't drink and used to get it all the time. I don't like the taste, I hate feeling out of control and I hate throwing up. There's literally zero reasons for me to drink so I don't.

Whilst trying to see if I liked the taste of bland alcohol I discovered that vodka makes me sick almost instantly. No one ever believed this that was until someone spiked my coke. I insta vommed on her shoes... no one ever questioned me again.

I often find those that can't have fun without a drink to be more boring than the non-drinkers.

Because I find it often turns out that their idea of "fun" is to vegetate in a pub, getting louder and more obnoxious as time goes on, while their conversation revolves around stupid inanities.

A couple of drinks doesn't seem to have this effect, but the people I know who like to drink a lot really seem to do this. I've stopped going out with a lot of them.

I'm not a recovering alcoholic, but I was asked 'have you had a problem with alcohol?'

yes - I don't like the stuff.

say 'I don't drink - problem to you?' or 'I can have fun without chemicals' or even tell them the truth - no shame!

It is really interesting that so many people still have a problem with non drinkers.

I have never liked alcohol much, would much rather have a coke! (or a cup of tea).

But I find now that in any group there are always drivers, non drinkers, pregnant/bf mums etc so it is rare for a round of drinks to all be alcohol. I have never had this pressure about drinking and I am surprised (and sad) that it is still around.

Similarly, we often have a crowd of people at our house for a meeting and out of 15 they would only be about half who will have a regular tea of coffee, the others have decaf, fruit tea, hot water, cold drink etc.

I though that was the norm now, but obviously not.

I think it depends on your group of people. Many young office workers all drink and lots of students. By the time people are having babies or not liking the effects as they get older lots don't. Although even with younger people fewer teenagers drink now than say 10 years ago. I've noticed it with my second lot of teenagers (who don't drink).

(as far as I know of course....)

When I was a student (and drank a lot more) I had one friend who would have one drink and then switch to coke. She took a lot of stick and we would ask her if she wanted one etc, but she just smiled and said no every time. I discovered that it was because she was a christian and believed that being drunk and out of control wasn't the right thing for her.

We all really respected her self control and thought more highly of her that she stood her ground too. Made her feel like the reliable one in our crowd. I have known her walk drunk friends home out of her way to just to make sure they got home OK.

I get this too. Its very annoying. I just say I don't drink because I don't have a stop switch, if they keep asking....and I'm not an alcoholic! But its insensitive and rude to pressure someone to give an explanation imo.