To not really understand the need for people to drink alcohol all the time?

[BusWankers]

I really don't understand why people socialise and drink alcohol all the time, or go out specifically to get drunk and have fun, or all the "LOL Prosecco time!" At 11am in a Sunday. And people buying boxes if beers and 4 bottles of wine as part of the weekly shop.

I do drink, very rarely, sometimes for weddings or whatever.bit I really don't understand the normality of everyday drinking.

I know I'm in the minority, bit
..what gives?????

Presumably, you never mixed with Russians or other Eastern Europeans during your travels all over the world.

Uks not even in the top 15

In fact its no 24

@Elbowpatch mixed with lots of Easter Europeans in Cyprus and they didn’t have a piss up culture and Russians are well known for their excessive drinking. Still not sure anyone does it like the UK and their fixation.

I like a glass of wine or a gin and lemonade. I just don't have alcohol in it. I agree with you though. It's saved for going out with friends for socialising or having with a decent meal. I don't chug it down five nights a week.

I don't think it's anything new though. People have always gone out and drunk to oblivion. I remember when it was still okay to drink at lunchtime then come back into the office. I remember all the binge drinking headlines in the '90s. And the Victorian men who'd drink their wages away. I think social media has just shoved it in our faces.

And the mark up on alcohol means that of course hotels want you to have Prosecco Afternoon Teas. Far cheaper than champagne. And the bottomless brunches where actually you don't get much alcohol for your money and you don't get bottomless food but pay a fortune. Prosecco cocktails that are mostly cheap fruit juice.

More people are addicted than what we believe.

I had a drink dependency. Not to the point of full blown addiction and it affecting my health severely or personal life, but it was the start of something quite dangerous that I have managed to curb.

I used to drink around 4-5 bottles of wine per week, and only had about 2 days a week where I didnt drink.

Getting a bottle of wine and drinking one to myself in the evenings seemed relatively normal - think "mummy needs wine!" Or "its wine o clock!". Gimmicks like this make you feel as though what you are doing is normal.

When I moved in with my DP (who doesnt drink much at all), I realised just how bad my drinking was, as I felt embarrassed to even say how much I was drinking, or hiding bottles in cupboards around the house.

I havent give up completely, but we only have a alcohol 1 night a week now, and we will usually just share one bottle.

The difference being you need food to live but you don't need alcohol 🙂

That's how it is here in Australia 🙂 supermarkets don't sell liquor only the bottle shop and ALDI

But you don’t need meat to live. So it’s not actually that different.

That is very true, there definitely are some people who can’t fathom a person who doesn’t drink. They assume it’s because you have a drink problem and are sober. When I say no, I just …don’t, they are baffled. 😂

I've got a difficult relationship with alcohol. I started drinking at boarding school when I was 13 and it felt like nectar from the gods, all my sadness and troubles went away. It wound its way into my life as a coping mechanism now and it's one I've been trying to unpick. There are links with trauma and addiction, also ADHD and addiction.

I also listen to a great podcast by Gill Tietz (Sober Powered) where she explains that for some people, alcohol just lights up part of their brains and it's those people who are prone to becoming problem drinkers. Alcohol makes us feel REALLY GOOD. It helped me understand why some people are just "take it or leave it" drinkers. I am take it or leave it with food.

We use a range of unhealthy coping mechanisms in the world unfortunately when taken too far. The culture of booze here is insidious and let's face it, it would never be allowed today as a new invention.

Are you asking why people do it? It's because they enjoy it.

Or are you asking why they enjoy it? Well, probably as many reasons as there are people - just like mountain biking. crochetwork, cooking, playing bridge, going to football matches, travelling abroad.

What's the question exactly?

@JunglistRavertotally agree about the ADHD and addiction element. It does marvellous things to my brain and feels so good - up to a point. If I were capable of stopping there it was be amazing.

it makes people feel good - makes them feel able to cope, it’s a reward, an escape. It’s also many other awful things for some people, if not at first then later.
I used to not understand why some people didn’t drink and found them boring etc - well now I’m the boring one 🤣 but it’s worth it every time I wake up with no shame, no hangover and no nagging feeling that I’m slowly poisoning my body. I’ll take that 😊

Oh give over you don’t ‘enjoy’ it you enjoy the effects of the depressant which begs the question why you need it to begin with.

Why are aldi allowed to sell alcohol but not other supermarkets?

Oh don't be ridiculous & don't presume to kniw what I do/don't enjoy.
i don't need it, I occasionally enjoy it.

dont put your issues onto other people.

I hardly drink these days, although still enjoy it when I do. But I find most people’s obsession with alcohol really cringe.

I daresay there's things you enjoy doing that would bewilder others OP.

agree, @AppleWhichWatch - it's very OTT to say that the only reason we can say we like alcohol is that we are all desperately in need of the properties it has. Many foods and drinks are functional - giving us energy boosts of different kinds and altering our brain chemistry. You can enjoy that effect without being enslaved to it

I enjoy a coffee in the morning and a bag of Haribo sometimes and a glass of wine sometimes. The enjoyment I get isn't the same as the hopeless desperation of an addict. Well maybe the Haribos.

Some people with their own issues & addictions want to put that on everyone else.🙄

That poster has no clue.

The big 2 supermarket chains choose to sell alcohol under a separate brand though often co-located. I'm not sure why, perhaps just easier to manage because the staff doing the selling need specific training and have to be 18.

Independent supermarkets, Costco, Aldi (in most states) can and do sell alcohol from within their stores.

@AppleWhichWatch in my case I’ve accepted that other people don’t have the same addictive issues and I pass no judgement. I’m happy that others can get enjoyment without the bad consequences - it can be a useful tool.