To just not drink alcohol, for no reason other than I don't want to?

[calmandhappyy]

Growing up, my parents never drank alcohol. Not for any reason, they just didn't. As a result, I grew up not really being around alcohol much. When I was a teenager and at university I did try alcohol when friends offered it, but didn't like it or particularly dislike it, just felt indifferent to it.

Now I'm in my late 20s I've started being more assertive with saying I don't drink alcohol, and often people are curious why but I never have an answer - it's not for religious reasons, health reasons or a bad reaction to alcohol I just don't think of it as part of my life and am just not bothered by it. If there's a champagne toast or something I'll happily oblige. But equally, if I'm at a bar I'll happily sit there with a soft drink, but I feel embarrassed when asked why I don't drink, as I don't really have a reason...

It's come up a lot at work, as we have 'happy hour' in the office once a week and they have alcohol. There are frequent drinks out in bars after work and on work trips. Our work Christmas party there's an open bar and people get absolutely drunk even though it takes place 9-5 in our work day, and I can't get out of going as it's mandated/during work hours (I'm already dreading it). Christmas gifts are open bottles of wine/champagne. I hate being around drunk people, they freak me out a bit as I had one bad experience when younger (I was at a friend's house for a sleepover and the parent in charge got really drunk and stumbled into the room we were in in the middle of the night, threw up and then passed out).

Does anyone else relate to not drinking alcohol, but not for any particular reason other than you're just kind of indifferent to it?

I'm sure no one cares if you drink or not? If you don't like drinking, then don't. People will be too busy enjoying getting drunk around you that they won't care if you're not joining in🤣🤣🤣

@Suetwo

On the other hand, mushrooms, ecstasy, Khat, MDMA and the milder forms of cannabis, which make people giggly, affectionate and happy, and cause minimal physical harm, are illegal!!

WTAF??? And you think these should NOT be illegal?! Just when I thought I had read everything on here!

I don’t drink. I haven’t for years. I don’t like to feel out of control in any way. It isn’t anybodies business but mine.

this wouldn’t bother me, I’d just say “I don’t drink” & move on…just like, I don’t like meat so I just say I don’t like it. I like drunk people, I find them funny & jolly but if I didn’t, I would decline invites & on the Christmas drinking work day, I’d book it off.

I like a drink, I have a set amount each week & if anyone said drink less or drink more, I’d just say no!

I’m the same, totally indifferent, will have a couple on a night out at times but equally could be told tomorrow that I’ll never be able to drink again and it would not put me up or down. I just say “I’m not in the mood for a drink, thanks,” or “I’m driving.” 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm sure no one cares if you drink or not? If you don't like drinking, then don't. People will be too busy enjoying getting drunk around you that they won't care if you're not joining in

people do care. A lot. Try not drinking for a few weeks, and see how many people feel the need to ask why, offer you a drink, push when you refuse. Some people even stop inviting non drinkers out.

that’s the whole point of this thread. All the non drinkers are saying people comment and push.

you only have to read threads from women newly pregnant asking for advice on how to hid the fact they’re not drinking. All sorts of shenanigans from being in antibiotics to partners drinking their drinks and throwing drinks in plant pots. If people didn’t care then there’d be no need. People notice.

@calmandhappyy

I don’t drink, simply because I don’t enjoy it and it makes me feel crap I don't like really drunk people they scare me.

it’s a good thing to not be a drinker it really
confuses me why people find this so strange !

Fully agree Op , those who think it's not an issue have obviously never said no.🙄

It was annoys me no end, I used to drink fairly heavily in my younger days. But to be quite honest I just don't like alcohol any more. You want to drink crack on but don't come back from the bar with an alcoholic drink if I have said not, or slip vodka in my drinks to chill me out.

Work places who organises after work drinking and meetings in pubs. May be consider you may like drinking Ng but I'm not too keen on drinking Ng soft drinks all night to keep you happy and it's not anti-social of us if we don't turn up, it's not our thing.

Having to explain every single time why I'm not going on a night out where only drinking has been planned or telling pretty much every one all night I don't want alcohol is very tiring.

Having to explain every single time why I'm not going on a night out where only drinking has been planned or telling pretty much every one all night I don't want alcohol is very tiring

this is it isn’t it. I actually stopped going out as it’s such a PITA to fight off the “go on, just the one, have some fun for once” crowd.

I’m quite happy not drinking. I can still have a cracking time. It’s a catch -22 though when the drinkers think I’m boring for not drinking, when what’s really killing the buzz is their obsession with trying to get me to drink.

Of course YANBU.

Aye you may be right. I'm probably just too drunk to notice...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I think it's a lot more common now. I don't drink anymore either.

There's days that younger generations are drinking far less.

I'm in some mum networking groups for the job I do and the answer to everything is "crack open the wine" "is it too early to down a bottle " - it does get quite annoying that we still see alcohol as the remedy to a bad day.

I've really cut down since I was in hospital earlier this year, lost a lot of weight and realised that drinking had become a ritual rather than a pleasure (its Friday night so it's wine o'clock....). I've discovered zero alcohol beer and non alcoholic G&T. It's quite interesting that a few of the young grads at work are zero alcohol beer drinkers as well. I still treat myself with a small brandy, whisky or G&T at the weekend but hopefully won't go back to what I drank in lockdown. No one has questioned me at all why I'm not drinking