Am I weird.

[Shootfirstaskquestionslater]

Hi all not this is not an AIBU I just want to know if I'm weird or something. I choose not to drink alcohol because I don't like the taste and I watched my uncle die from liver failure when people find out that I don't drink they are shocked and think its a bit strange. My friend invited me to her birthday party in August I said I would go and when she found out that I don't drink she was shocked and asked why I said yes to going is there some new unwritten rule that I don't know about that says if your going to a party you have to drink. My family don't see it as being weird or strange its just accepted that I don't drink but when friends find out they all seem shocked by the idea.

Ihastingsmua I've never tried cocktails before. It's just the taste of alcohol that I don't like.

Ihastingsuma

Sorry, yes, I can. I've ordered a mocktail, complained it tasted wrong/bad/bitter, and then had the waiting staff realise they've given me the cocktail by mistake. More than once.

Unusual in British culture but not weird. Weird is when people don't like chocolate

I think it's unusual not to drink but it's certainly not weird. I've never liked the taste of it either so i'll rarely drink. Now that i'm 6 months pregnant i'm not drinking whatsoever, but it's funny how many people say they'd 'struggle' to not have a drink for a whole 9 months!

I don't drink. Don't like the taste. Assume it's to do with my dyspraxia

I don't drink either, I'm not sure if there is a bit of a cultural shift going on for people my age (mid 20's) or if people tend to increase their drinking as they head towards 40? The only reason I say that is my SILs are more mid to late 30's and really love their wine; I don't know if that's something you move towards or if it's just not something people my age do quite so much. I don't like the taste so I don't think I'll ever take it up.

How old are you OP? More than a quarter of under 25s in England do not drink so I am guessing you are older than that? A third of Londoners do not drink alcohol.

It just isn't a big deal these days. I think you need better friends.

I dont drink, I dont like the effects and it gives me a headache, plus my Dad was a heavy drinker so thats put me off as well. I think its rubbish really.

Each to their own!

I don't smoke, and that's not seen as weird so it's no different

And you really shouldn't worry about what other people think!

Thank you everyone I accept it's a bit unusual but I'm willing to be unusual .

OrcinusOrca I don't think I will ever take up drinking wine either don't like it lol.

anon135 that's something that I don't get how is it a struggle to give up alcohol for 9 months.

nocoolnamesleft what are mocktails?

happypoobum I'm 28. Yeah I probably do.

BrokeAndBad exactly it's not weird for people to not smoke but not drinking is seen as strange I don't get that it's just the same as not wanting to smoke. Thank you

In British culture it might be bit suspicious you don't drink alcohol. People will assume you're preganat or an alcoholic. Personally I found easiest to say: I'm doing cleansing (dieting), I'm not drinking for charity or religious reasons. Otherwise people will think you're weird and won't trust you, especially in work environment.

Some people don’t know how to have a good time without drinking, so to them you are saying “ I don’t ever have a good time”. Up to them , but time it is them who are limiting their options, not you.
I used to go to raves and dance till 6 am on water. I would’ve been the only one there not on ecstasy. Nothing against it, but I just love dancing, and once I start there seems like no reason to stop.

Vampire I know the feeling. If the person asking the question is just a bit clueless, I explain that me having one drink = me drinking one bottle of malt whiskey.

Mocktail = alcohol free cocktail. Basically, an attempt to have some fancy non alcoholic drinks.

I rarely drink and its taken people around me years to stop commenting. I enjoy a glass of Irish whiskey occasionally. the odd glass of Pimms on a hot summers day and a disaronno with a hot chocolate in the winter, but the fact that I don't want wine when I am eating out with friends seems to shock some folks I don't understand why?.

I don't like olives-is that weird? No so yr not either!

im 37 and have been teetotal all my life,peoples opinions never bothered me

I always hear of people saying others are shocked that they don't drink, but in my experience, loads of people don't drink, or drink little, and nobody cares at all.
It's not people who don't drink that others dislike, its people who don't drink and won't shut up about it, complain about others drinking, judge etc that they don't like.

I dont drink either and no its not wierd. I have actually lost friendships due to people going out and drinking, because I dont? What I find wierd is people need to drink on every occasion?

You are fed not weird for not drinking, but not where the need to tell/warn them on invite comes from?
Can you not just go out then drink whatever you want at the time?

I don't drink, havent for years, i just went off the taste, never any weirdness from friends and family.

Thank you everyone nice to know that its really not all that weird that I choose not to drink. I still go out and have a good time I just don't need to be bladdered to have a good time.

Otherwise people will think you're weird and won't trust you, especially in work environment.

I’m sorry Viola but what a lot of nonsense.

I don't drink alcohol, tea or coffee, and people are much more likely to find the refusal of tea and coffee weird.

I'm in my late 50s and have no medical reason for not drinking and no experience of alcoholism in others. I just realised at the age of 19/20 that there was no point in wasting money buying drinks I didn't really like, so I might as well drink something I did like.

I'm not completely teetotal though. I put lots of brandy in my brandy butter at Christmas!