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.

i first got pass-out drunk aged 8. alcoholic parents regularly bought me alcohol. blackouts by 13, hanging out with street drinkers at 15. and we were a VERY middle-class family. behind closed doors it was very different.

i’m an alcoholic. my mother is an alcoholic, my father was heavy drinker. i believe i was born alcoholic and the first drink set me on a path to utter destruction.

i was a rock-bottom alcoholic. my last drink was just over 6 years ago - i lost 3 days and drank 2 bottles of brandy, a litre of vodka and about 20 cans of strong cider. the withdrawal nearly killed me.

AA* saved my life. i don’t crave a drink any more. i sometimes idly think about it but it holds absolutely no appeal for me now. and i was the person least likely to ever quit.

my life is smaller now, but infinitely sweeter. i’m a very grateful alcoholic!

• it’s not for everyone. it’s also nothing like its portrayal on a lot of tv and films. you don’t have to announce yourself, you don’t have to say a word. it’s not a god thing. the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

if you need help, consider AA. also, your GP, your local drug and alcohol services, or rehab. i have regretted many things in my life. getting sober isn’t one of them.

I’ve never been a big drinker. Last time I drank I was in my teens and never got drunk. I’ve never liked the taste of alcohol and I don’t like being around anyone who’s drunk.

I don’t actually think alcohol would be legal if it was discovered now and I believe it should be illegal, but unfortunately everyone is so obsessed with it that it won’t happen.

I haven't had alcohol since January 2019. I never liked the taste, and it would make me feel low for 2 days afterwards. I thought what's the point of it?! So stopped. I dont miss it at all. I'm on a diet, I'd rather use the calories for food anyway!

I drank a lot as a teenager / student. Never really been one for drinking at home much though.

Am 38 now and kids are 9 and 13. I think I've been drunk twice since the eldest was born and I very very very occasionally have a cider. I just don't really like alcohol tbh and I just don't see the point in ruining the next day with a hangover if you drink a lot and if you don't drink enough to get drunk then what's the point of it really?

I used to drink quite abit. Loved wine. I don't drink at all now. I started suffering with migraines and alcohol was a trigger.

I haven't had a drink for a few years. I am autistic and used alcohol for years to try and help 'mask'

I started drinking at 15 and soon realised it helped me relax a bit and cope with highly social situations. I was the dick that always took it too far. Being diagnosed as an adult helped me make sense of it and understand I didn't need either alcohol or the social situation.

I drank with friends from 14ish until I was 19 and the novelty had worn off. I haven’t drank since them and I’m not far off 22

Had the odd drink as a teenager, had to give up for a while at 19 because of medical treatment and I just never started again. I know how to party and always have a great time on a night out. If I wanted to analyse it, there was alcohol around me in my childhood and I definitely saw it as a destructive thing. People generally assume I'm an alcoholic when they first meet me, then they feel sorry for me as though I'm missing out, but I have never felt this way. After 34 years of no alcohol it's just not something I think about.

Parents never drank much alcohol, my father sometimes made sloe gin (!!) but it never got drunk. My mother said any alcohol gave her a headache.

Tried my first drink as a teenager, hated the taste so much, I couldn't even swallow the stuff. Looked on in utter amazement as teenage friends seemed to be able to drink the stuff with no problem.

Tried all types of alcohol, the result was always the same. Can't swallow even a mouthful the taste is so awful. Worse than trying to swallow neat freshly squeezed lemon. In fact it taste like brasso smells to me! Watched in amazement as all my 20-something friends got totally drunk regularly and wondered why they went through the hell of a hangover when the stuff wasn't worth it.

In my older years, I can manage a sherry trifle and the brandy in brandy sauce at Christmas, that's about it. Never drink alcohol at all, don't feel the need to, it doesn't bother me.

My (now adult) children are different, one can drink alcohol but the other has the same problem as I do, just can't cope with the taste and so never does.

I probably drink every few months, maybe a bottle of beer or glass of wine and a drink at Christmas. I’m not that keen on the taste really. My parents don’t drink much so I never grew up with alcohol around. Got drunk a few times in my teens then realised what a waste of the next day it was!

Used to drink nearly every night, about 4 pints, have done for years, it never got any higher, stopped completely when the lockdown started, just too much hassle getting supplies in, and I needed to lose weight, don't actually even miss it much, it was just a habit.

My mother is an alcoholic, and I saw the horrible effects of alcohol my whole life. The most I've ever had to drink was a glass of wine and I mean an actual glass of wine, not a huge goblet. I have not had anything to drink in, I can't remember how long, probably 10+ years. I just never saw the reason to drink.

Alcohol is expensive, it doesn't taste nice, I am not a social person and don't feel the need to drink socially when I am social. If you like the taste of things that have alcohol in them, such as wine, you can buy it without alcohol. Alcohol damages brain cells and upsets your liver.

I very rarely drink. I simply can't tolerate it. I drank 2 large glasses of wine at a party and spent the night vomiting and lying on the bathroom floor. Apparently that's a sign of alcohol poisoning!

Ditto with a mix of much smaller drinks.

2 gin and tonics and my head is spinning. If I drink enough to get dizzy (as in 2 gin and tonics) I have an almighty headache and nausea the next day.

It's just not worth it. I can be happy and relaxed without getting pissed, so why bother.

I used to binge drink a lot until I was 35 when I was put in anti psychotic medication.
Alcohol really doesn't mix well with that.
So I stopped drinking in 2012 for good.

I used to crave alcohol & feel I was really missing out but not any more, I can go out & have fun without it.

I never have. I've tasted various alcohols, but I've never had a full glass of anything. I have a family member who was an alcoholic and it was really traumatic. Just put me off for life. But I'm quite happy this way. I don’t think alcohol tastes nice anyway. Never have found anything that doesn't make me gag.

So much insight and great perspectives here. I’m really surprised that within just a few hours there are more than 9 pages of posts and so many people that don’t like it, avoid it or really limit it. I don’t even know anyone socially that doesn’t drink ever! That seems sad actually.

I hate the way alcohol is glorified in our cultures.

You probably do know people who don't drink, they just stay quiet about it. It's hard sometimes to admit to it - people can have such an issue with spending time with someone not drinking. I don't mention it, just quietly buy a plain tonic. I wouldn't lie if asked but people just assume you're drinking.

Its bloody stupid that drinking is the default but it definitely is.

I drank socially in my twenties. Didn’t drink whilst pregnant at 28 and just never drank again. I’m 50 now. I don’t like the taste. Generally people are surprised when I say I don’t drink. I don’t judge anyone who does.

I drank loads as a teen to fit in I suppose. Then I got to eighteen and realised I didn't really like the taste or how it made me feel so I stopped. I haven't drunk alcohol for more than thirty years now. It's not something I ever think about tbh.

I don’t drink because after 2 glasses of wine or a pint of beer I just want to go to sleep. First I feel dizzy and lightheaded and then need to be asleep. I don’t get the feeling confident/merry/up for life sorts of feelings that many people say they get when they’ve had a few drinks. More than 2 glasses of wine and i feel sick. Occasionally I will have a drink of something to help me fall asleep but I don’t keep anything alcoholic in the house so I have to go and buy something. I don’t like the taste of wine (even good ones) or spirits but will have a beer very occasionally to be sociable. This is mainly when I stay with family in Germany though because I quite like the taste of the local beer. If I was told I could never drink alcohol again it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.

I don’t drink (well maybe one drink if I’m eating out).

When I was a teen I dated someone who was a lot older, they had a alcohol problem, when he dank he was abusive so even the smell of alcohol makes me feel sick. I also have a fear of being sick so I have never really got drunk. I worked in a few pubs in my early 20’s and seeing people acting like total idiots after a few drinks made me never want to drink again, I just couldn’t see how not being in control of your body could be fun.

I love wine and cocktails but it gives me hangovers and anxiety! Didn't drink for 6 months before lockdown. Had a few drinks over the last 2 months and think I may just have to leave it

Have never drank,can’t stand the taste.

I was never a conformist so had no inclination to drink to fit in.

Occasionally I had e.g.the odd archers and lemonade which tasted like soft drink anyway so little point really.

I’m amazed there are so many replies here though. Alcohol is very definitely considered an essential to most people. We hear about wine o’clock, happy hour, how someone needs “a liquid lunch”etc.And there have been numerous threads and posts here over the years from posters saying they would never date someone who was teetotal because they’d feel they had nothing in common. Seriously if alcohol is the common ground you seek then the teetotaller isn’t the issue here.

I don’t judge people who have a drink, my DP likes a beer and my eXH likes a glass of wine. Neither drinks to excess though although when we split up my ex said that he’d like to meet someone who he could share a glass of wine with as he didn’t like that I wouldn’t.

I am on some fairly hefty medication now for a serious heart condition so even if I had ever drank I would no longer be able to. But it’s great to say that you don’t drink when they ask at the hospital.

For one of the meds I take there is an online chart so you can calculate how much you can drink dependent on your dose of the medication, again, I think that if you need to do that then perhaps you have a bit of an issue with alcohol.

Started to drink like lots in the UK (14), carried on through university and into my forties, nights out, wine at home after work. Had a good day - let's celebrate! Had a bad day - better have a beer, is it gin o'clock yet! Drinking most days. Decided to stop 2 years ago, read an amazing book 'The naked mind' by Annie Grace. Haven't had a drink since finishing the book. Will I drink again? It would be nice sometimes to have one with DP by the beach/in the sun. I liked booze, but really like life without it. Silly things like being able to jump in the car if I want to, especially when out with work and I want to go home. Or need to pick up DDs from parties or friends houses.