Posters don’t drink alcohol

[HannaYeah]

What is it like?

Did you ever drink?

Would love to hear from all perspectives; people that never did, only do very occasionally, used to drink but quit.

Never a huge drinker or a binge drinker, although had the odd occasion of accidental over indulgence.

DH doesn't drink because he doesn't like the taste.

Sometimes I drink a bottle of wine a week, I also can go for weeks/months without drinking at home at all and a just a few on a work night out.

I tend to not drink because it disturbs my sleep tbh.

Only occasionally, even less now that I have dd. My parents were alcoholics and I am very wary of my dd experiencing anything remotely related to what I did.

I'm an alcoholic and almost certainly would have been dead by now, had I not stopped 26 years ago.

It was hell stopping, but life is indescribably wonderful now.

Never have, just not fussed. Not interested in feeling tipsy or drunk.

Used to drink quite a bit socially, stopped being interested in going out-out so drank less. The more I got interested in fitness and exercise, the less I was bothered.

Now I rarely drink and it's not something i think about. If I want a glass of wine occasionally then I have one but I don't feel I'm missing anything not drinking much.

I drank like a man possessed from the age of 17 through to 28. My dad was a functional alcholic when sober, and a massive dick when drunk. I could see myself on the same path, so I stopped in my late twenties.

I love being sober all the time - the background knowledge that I was on a really bad path was ever-present, and it was very empowering to take an enormous problem like that by the horns and just get rid of it.

It's slightly awkward in pubs to be the guy that doesn't drink, but now that 0% beer is available just about everywhere, even that's fine.

I've never like the taste of alcohol but used to drink socially. As I got into my 30s I noticed if I had a drink I'd get very sad and depressed. I spent the end of many parties in the corner crying for no reason. When my Dad died in 2012 I stopped drinking, as I knew I would get upset. Luckily I socialise with a group where some drink and some don't so there's no pressure to drink alcohol when we're together.

I drink a fair bit (not enough to be dangerous but above recommended levels), then do without for two to three days. I've no idea if it causes me harm and don't care - would care if I was drinking heavily every day! However that wouldn't be possible, I have a low tolerance.

Normally I have a glass of wine once a week with a friend catching up.

In lockdown I’ve not had a single drink yet.

I just don’t enjoy drinking in the house unless we’ve got friends or family visiting.

Never liked the taste.
10 years ttc all told, cut out caffeine, any “toxins”.
Then after having my children the thought of alcohol or more specifically hang overs was just horrific to me.

It’s weird how people find it weird that I don’t touch alcohol.
The looks I get!

Why is it so strange to people?

I don't drink, but I'm not teetotal. E.g. I might use alcohol in cooking (though usually it's a low or no alcohol wine anyway).

I did drink 4 alcopops and 8 units of tequila (on separate occasions) at university on my own in my room, to see what the attraction was. It did not enlighten me.

And I grew up having a sip of wine once a week for religious reasons, but I don't bother with that now.

I have rosacea. It makes my face beet red so I don’t drink.

Just to add I have been massively put off alcohol by my job.
An alcoholics death is probably the most horrific death I have ever witnessed. It really is.

Funnily enough I’m fat, seeing obese people dying doesn’t affect me nearly as much because I suppose, it’s different, slower and less gory and well...liquid.

I have memories of nursing alcoholics in their final hours that are etched in my brain as scar tissue that even now make me wince.

I LOVE the taste of a good Rioja or carmenere - love that dark, smoky velvet taste. I love the first glass and the relaxed feeling and how it washes all my worries away like a lovely big warm hugc

Trouble is it's addictive and I end up having half a bottle at a time, not being able to concentrate on anything and then going to bed 3 hours earlier than planned. I then end up wanting it every night. I also can only afford cheap stuff at the moment which I see absolutely no point in. I'd never drink spirits or anything disgusting tasting just to get drunk.

I do occasionally drink now, but there have been periods of my life when I didn't. My parents didn't drink and still don't.

It isn't really like anything. I mean, to me, it's like saying "what's it like not to eat Turkish Delight?" or "What's it like not to watch Vera?" Turkish Delight can be very pleasant if well made, but it's not a big thing in my life: it's one of hundreds of possible pleasures. I quite enjoy Vera but it's not like my life would be empty if I never saw another episode.

Maybe it's because it was never a big part of life growing up. Social occasions, like Christmas or big birthdays, don't involve alcohol in my parents' house. Dh's parents did drink quite a bit, but I've never noticed he has a problem with not drinking. A bottle of wine can be nice, but so is a nice cake. When there is wine in a work context, there is never any pressure to drink.

I only drink if I go out. Since kids that means rarely so I go months and months without a drop. I just don’t like how I feel after. It mucks up my sleep and the next day is a write off, even if I only have a couple of glasses. If I have more I end up very sick the next day too. Plus it’s a depressant.

I rarely drink. If I'm pregnant or breastfeeding, I drink nothing, which has been the case for the last 2 years. Before getting pregnant with my first DC, I'd sometimes have a glass of wine at the weekend in the evening with DH. There's no point opening a bottle of DH has a beer instead, as the wine would just go off, as I'd have one on the Saturday night and that's about it. It would then stay in the fridge for ages. Beer is DHs preferred drink so the times we'd have wine together were pretty few and far between.
I'll have a glass of the fizz for the toast at a wedding etc. Things we host are generally alcohol free. I was stunned to find that people serve alcohol at the post christening celebration 😄
My dad also had a brief spell of alcoholism after some traumatic events during my teen years and it definitely put me off alcohol.

Hated the taste the first time I tried it and have drink alcohol since, I refuse trifles or anything else with alcohol in, detest the taste.

I also find it very sad when people ( my sister included) say they can’t enjoy themselves without a drink or two

I'm a recovering alcoholic with 26 years of sobriety. I had to detox in hospital.

Needless to say, life is considerably better now without alcohol.

The only alcohol taste I actually enjoy is a Bailey's but only at Christmas or on my Birthday. Rest of the time I have never been interested in it.

My Alcoholic BIL committed suicide a couple of years ago, because he just couldn't stop. Going through that with my Dsis rather soured the taste for it too.

I've nothing against those who do, it's just never been my "thing" so to speak.

I used to drink a fair amount socially. Then went down a road where I drank to cope, alone, and hid it. Not sure if I would have been an alcoholic but I definitely had a problem.
I rarely drink because the opportunities to do so socially aren't there and I have 2 rules regarding drinking now. I don't drink alone, and I don't drink if I'm stressed or down.
It was hard getting out of the habit of drinking to cope and I don't want to do that again.

I used to drink to excess and do a lot of cocaine. I stopped when we were TTC and haven't touched a drug since and maybe have 5 drinks a year maximum - normally a nice cocktail when we rarely get a night away from the kids!

It's lovely. DH drinks an awful lot, usually a few beers and a bottle of wine a night which upsets me and I don't feel it would be sensible for me to be under the influence with 3 kids under 4 at home.

I used to drink a ridiculous amount. I lived in central London and could walk home from pretty well everywhere I socialised - sometimes it would talk a few hours but I enjoyed walking so no prob.

I stopped first when I realised I was deeply unhappy in my job, was very ill, and took the opportunity to become self-employed, with a consequent loss of disposable income. So no more boozing.

That lasted about 5 years, and then I got married. DH as more of a drinker so I joined in. Not for very long though, I became pg and it was the easiest thing to just stop drinking again (I was quite thankful for the excuse, it turned out!).

I've never really got back into it. DH being a musician meant that he was out a great many evenings which left me at home with the baby. I'd never been a lone drinker, had only really done it socially anyway so was not tempted to drink when alone at home with dd.

I do drink occasionally. I became ill again (ms, had massive attack) and have never fully recovered. This means that evening socialising is rare as I'm too tired. We don't often socialise at home, but when we do I'll have a glass of wine. I'm not really interested in having more than that as it just sends me to sleep.

So I've gone from being able to drink huge men under the table to not being able to hold even one drink well! I don't get hangovers though

I rarely drink now, mainly because it gives me a bit of a nauseous stomach sometimes, this didn’t used to happen when I was younger so I did drink more then but not excessively

I think it depends on your social circumstances, how your parents drank and how it effects you when drunk, so: I drank every weekend as a student, doubles and always spirits - my parents have only ever really drunk wine or the odd spirit and only ever with food, they were never pub-goers (as parents) - I hate the feeling of being drunk but I do like feeling tipsy and I do like the feeling of calm (helps if I'm feeling anxious), so I drink a glass of wine probably one or two times per week with dinner (and whilst cooking), I rarely drink without food, unless it's a one-off spirit-based drink like g'n't or rum and coke.