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.

For me it's simple, alcohol tastes gross.

Just can't be bothered. If I'm at a wedding, I'll have a glass for the toast, I tend to have a glass of something with dinner on holiday but rarely finish it. DH the same. Adult DD is the same. Adult DS more likely to have a drink but tends to stop after 1, 2 if its a party.

From age 14-17 I absolutely tore the arse out of alcohol from 18 it was a bit boring to be honest. Then i apparently rinsed and repeated the tear the arse out it attitude from 25-28.

Now I'm no alcohol again ( I am pregnant though).

I do drink on nights out, fairly heavily but they're rare so maybe once a year or so
That's about it I guess, never really occurs to me to drink at home. If I go to the pub after work (again v rare) with colleagues then I'll have a drink

Never got into it as don't like the taste of most drinks and as a teen it was be sober and drive for a social life or not have one.

Would drink at works parties etc in my 20s & 30s but only two or three then I'd had enough.

I reckon one glass of something about four times a year now - xmas, new year's eve and a family event/wedding. If someone said no alcohol ever I would not be bothered in the slightest.

Used to have very occasional glass of wine at Christmas, Easter, maybe at Birthdays. Several years ago BIL, who we look after, threw a phone at me while he was drunk, cracking my rib. We've had to move BIL into his own unit because of his antisocial behaviour. Somehow after the phone incident I decided not to drink alcohol...don't really know why.

Never been a heavy drinker, maybe a few drunken nights in my 20s!
Don’t quite understand it when you hear friends post 40s taking about going out and getting blathered. Bit pathetic imo

I gave up drinking last year. I was drinking a lot but I'd got used to it so no crisis (don't know if my innards would say the same) I just got fed up of feeling below par all the bloody time.
I tried cutting down but it was impossible so I stopped altogether with the help of the book alcohol lied to me by Craig Beck.
I don't miss it except on the odd hot day where I sometimes think a glass of wine might be nice. I wouldn't stop at one though so I just have an AF beer. I honestly never thought in a million years I could live a happy alcohol free life but I am. Best thing I ever did.

Used to drink regularly and heavily - before children it was pretty much every night, then it was every weekend. Weekends being Friday Saturday Sunday, and sometimes a Thursday too. Couldn't countenance socialising without alcohol. I started to radically cut down in maybe 2017, and since then I have been mostly teetotal. Now I'm at a place where I will have a drink to be sociable. I do seem to have reset my relationship with alcohol, which is what I set out to do, but I don't want to be teetotal in the long term. I like the 'one drink' feeling and it's good to be able to stop there: that's not something I could have managed a few years ago.

I do have an addictive personality and I always seem to be looking for my next fix of whatever it is - that's always going to be something I need to watch.

I used to drink heavily when I was younger. I stopped when I changed jobs and needed to drive to work, so I started choosing non-alcoholic drinks at Friday night work drinks. After I got over the strangeness of being in a bar and not drinking, I realised I didn’t actually like the taste of alcohol that much and had just been using it as a confidence boost.

I’ve not drank now for over 15 years, and don’t miss it.

A bottle of vodka every day was normal. Now having a drink is a rare occurence, i never have anymore than 2. Last drink was the night they shut the pubs, our landlord opened the Champagne and gave us all a glass as we sang We'll meet again before we were piped out of the pub.

I used to drink more socially than did at home and had some very drunken nights. It was mainly due to taking medication that I initially stopped as the line between merry and out of it was too fine, plus the resulting hangover horrendous. I used alcohol to try counter social anxiety but I think can make it worse especially the overthinking after & being drunk got me into a few bad situations.

I don't miss it and would rather have a cup of tea in a pub. I dislike how others seem to be uncomfortable with my choice as I'm not bothered by what they order or if they get drunk as long as I don't have to carry them home . I frequently get bottles of wine as gifts even though I've not drank with these people in at least past 10yrs, it makes me realise how tricky must be if did have a alcohol addiction.

I only drink when I go “out for drinks” with my friends, or at a family celebration, which is every two months or so. When I drink, it’s uaually 2 glasses of wine at the low end (family occasion) or up to about 8 drinks including cocktails (night out with the girls).
I never buy alcohol to drink at home because what’s the point? For me the positives of alcohol are becoming less inhibited and more relaxed and silly in the company of others. It adds to the fun of social occasions. So there’s absolutely no point to me drinking when alone (I live alone).

Also, I am a fairly anxious person. I am aware that if I were to drink purely to relax on my own at home, that could turn into a nasty habit. So I never do. I’m 33 and have only drank alone probably twice in my life.

Wow so many answers so quickly! Thank you!

@ToffeeYoghurt

I think I’d like to cut it out almost entirely and was just curious to hear what people say.

We met a doctor at the counter of a local joint few years ago while having dinner. He said he never drinks, because he saw what it does to one’s body and brain. That stuck with me and was on my mind today for some reason.

I stopped for a few months last year just to try it and really didn’t miss it at all. It was great actually.

It’s just such an ingrained habit, when cooking, socializing, etc. I think ideally I’d only drink once a month at most and only a bit of wine or a bourbon.

I think the worst part when I was not drinking was that other people quickly became very annoying after they were about an hour into it!

Used to drink loads, got a liver thing while working in India that meant I couldn't drink for a year. That just stopped it. Now I have one or two drinks a month at the very most, usually not even that. Before lockdown I'd not had a drink since New Years Eve, and since lockdown I've had 3 - 2 gin and tonics and a beer. I never think about booze at all, it's just not my vice anymore. Chocolate however...

I don't get the appeal with alcohol. I will have a drink maybe twice a year if that at a party or special dinner. On those occasions it'll be a cocktail rather than spirits. I've never understood why people enjoy and can finish a whole bottle of wine. I love food though and think about it all the time hahaha, i just dont get any joy from alcohol.

I used to drink when I was in my late teens/20's but I never really enjoyed it despite getting smashed on a regular basis. I've never enjoyed drinking alcohol with food I've always preferred water or a soft drink.

I got pregnant with my first child at 28 and it was such a relief to have an excuse not to drink alcohol, I loved it! After that I never really drank properly again, I would have a glass or two of wine if I went out with friends but that's only because I felt like I should.

I find it's really socially unacceptable to not drink alcohol and I will often make an excuse or drive so I don't have to drink and I've also had a couple just so I'm not the odd one out. I have my close friends who know I don't drink but school Mums etc are really into the whole "Mums night out" thing which I love but I don't love the whole "oh don't be so boring" when I say I'm not drinking! Everyone loves the lift home though at the end of the night 😉

My husband says he drinks half of what he would do if I drank alcohol!!

Same as zoflora I end up with a 3 day hangover from just a large glass of wine. It feels awful.

I now mainly drink non-alcoholic beer which feels lovely when you take several really big swigs and know you don't have to slow yourself down or it will go straight to your head

I drink very small glasses of white or rose wine but only one. I love it, but it doesn't love me back. Sigh.

Big time drinker who stopped November 30th last year! Started as just wanting a break but I was suffering from really bad depression at the time and this was one of the things I wanted to do to try and help myself without anti-depressants. I noticed an immediate change and now I've just continued. Not a drop. And I don't miss it and I don't think I'll be returning.

I grew up around alcoholics on both sides of the family. One of my earliest memories is being taken to Al-Anon. That and physical fight with an abusive drunk at 18 months old.

I always worried I might have “the gene” but I’m ok really. I thought alcohol would have some sort of magic power and was scared the first time I drank alcohol, which was only down to peer pressure and people making out I was “weird” because I didn’t drink.

Actually it did the opposite. I wondered what was so bloody special about it. I spent years taking “just the one” “to be polite” and then realised that in itself was unhealthy. I was only taking some alcohol to please other people. I didn’t like the taste. I didn’t like the added cost. It did nothing positive for me and I could be relaxed and have a good time without it. So why people please?

Occasionally I will have one if feel like it. I can really take it or leave it.

I did go through a period of getting drunk a few times when I was heartbroken but only when alone or with a trusted friend. I was definitely using alcohol to numb the pain. I thankfully realised and was able to stop and I’ve found that when I sometimes feel I “need” a drink it’s because of something emotional or stress related that I’m struggling with. And luckily there are other cures for that!

Since we entered lockdown I've been drinking far too much - every night at least 2/3 of a bottle of wine, often a full bottle. Sometimes even more. I can feel it becoming a problem so I've decided to stop drinking for a few months and see how I feel. I've also gained a ridiculous amount of weight recently and I suspect much of it is booze-related.

I used to drink as a young teenager from around 13. By the time I got to Uni I was bored of it. Although I did go back to it for a few years throughout my twenties.

I'll drink now on a work night out or christmas do or with my boyfriend. But i won't drink Christmas day or alone (I live alone). I can easily go 3 months without having a drink.

My boyfriend has about 8 beers a weekend, my parents have about 2 bottles of wine every weekend or work colleagues have gin and tonics and espresso martinis all weekend every weekend. I just don't get it really.

I'm not too fond of the taste except for maybe a cider in the sunshine in summer. It's good for confidence and to ensure a good time. But other than that I'm just not bothered and the thought of it most of the time is horrible and I'd much rather have water.

I do find it interesting how personally some people can take it when you don't drink though, they take it as a personal insult if you won't have an alcoholic drink on xmas or someones birthday, but I dont see how it should make a difference to someone else what happens to be in my glass.

Single parent and I view alcohol as only a social activity. Would never dream of drinking alone. Don’t socialise much at night (mainly coffees and lunches out) - maybe handful of time a year? And then just a glass or two as I am really enjoying in to running and love waking very early and that wouldn’t work with alcohol.

When I was married I would drink more. Maybe once or twice a month

I had a glass of wine with Xmas lunch back in 2015, and I can't remember the last time before that. I just think alcohol is vile, i dont think it's good for the body, mind, or soul. I wouldn't judge anyone else for drinking it though.