Teetotalism

I've never drunk alcohol in my life and never will. I have a bunch of the best mates ever and go out with them and always have loads of fun. All of them drink. I sit there with a glass of OJ or water.

I admit I hate pubs with a passion and never go there in my own. Even with mates I hate the places but being around friends lets me forget where I am and I go on to have fun.

As much as I like my buddies I also fail to understand why they have a driving need to get smashed to have fun and "let go on the weekend". I dont question it I just find it fascinating. Its not for me to ask - everyones entitled to a lifestyle choice.

Tute said:
If you need to drink alcohol to enjoy yourself, you're doing it wrong.
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+1

With snazzy commercials on UK TV plugging alcoholic drinks (some of them like mini-movies) I guess that plays a big part. And peer pressure as well.

The people who really get up my nose (and other sensible drinkers noses!) are those goons who wander around in groups of 10 hollerin like demented goats and kicking in shop windows etc. With the wussy state of law enforcement here that aint goin away soon.

Im not against drinking - but I wil never understand the desire to drink till your liver almost shuts down and you hurl.

Not drinkin has never had a downside for me. IMHO my mates who find it IMPOSSIBLE to have a laugh without a beer in hand have a problem.
 
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Haven't had a drink (alcoholic) for 28 years, have absolutly no problem socializing with others (whether they drink or not), I choose not to drink from choice and I certainly don't miss waking up with a hangover! ;)
 
I drink because i enjoy it. Now im a bit older (26) i know my limits, and i can just as easily not drink in a pub, as i can have 5-6 pints.

Ive been bought up in a family where alcohol has always been present at the dinner table, wine for example, so i've never seen it as a negative thing, however i never drink and drive obviously.

I like real ales, and i've never disliked the taste of alcoholic drinks, (can't stand Uzo however). Having a nice bottle of beer when relaxing is great, and i love the feeling.

I can enjoy a quiet night at the local with friends, or a blow out in town (this only happens once every 3-4 months now), and i'm never one to think "oh do i have to go out and drink" as i know my limits.:)
 
It's normal around here to go out to some dump where the music is loud enough to damage your hearing and certainly far too loud to talk to anyone, then spend more money than you can reasonably afford on getting drugged out your mind on alcohol in the general vicinity of friends that you can't talk with because there's far too much noise. That's laughably called "socialising" by some people. The noise level is deliberately set to stop socialising because clubs don't make profit from socialising. They make profit from people being drunk enough for their judgement to be compromised so they spend ever more money on drink. Clubs do everything they can to make everything else (like socialising) impossible.

So people have an evening that's bad enough for them to need to be drugged to tolerate it, are prevented from socialising, spend more money than they can reasonably afford, damage their hearing, suffer poisoning from the drug that will probably last well into the next day at least, damage their health in general and their liver in particular...and this is thought of as fun? Why?

They get to boast that they're taking enough of the drug to build up a large tolerance for it. Wow, I am so utterly impressed. That's a major achievement in life, clearly on a par with being a neurosurgeon or a physicist.

Why not just drop a day's wages down a drain, punch yourself repeatedly in your ears and drink salty water to make yourself sick? You'll get the same effect, but it won't take as long, you are much less likely to be hit by some other idiot and you won't feel as bad the next day.

I'm not teetotal. I probably average a unit a month. I'm not passionately opposed to recreational drug use, whether the drug is alcohol or something else. It's the prevailing attitude towards alcohol that grates on me. It's profoundly dysfunctional and from the outside it's very disturbing.
 
Angilion said:
It's normal around here to go out to some dump where the music is loud enough to damage your hearing and certainly far too loud to talk to anyone, then spend more money than you can reasonably afford on getting drugged out your mind on alcohol in the general vicinity of friends that you can't talk with because there's far too much noise. That's laughably called "socialising" by some people. The noise level is deliberately set to stop socialising because clubs don't make profit from socialising. They make profit from people being drunk enough for their judgement to be compromised so they spend ever more money on drink. Clubs do everything they can to make everything else (like socialising) impossible.

So people have an evening that's bad enough for them to need to be drugged to tolerate it, are prevented from socialising, spend more money than they can reasonably afford, damage their hearing, suffer poisoning from the drug that will probably last well into the next day at least, damage their health in general and their liver in particular...and this is thought of as fun? Why?

They get to boast that they're taking enough of the drug to build up a large tolerance for it. Wow, I am so utterly impressed. That's a major achievement in life, clearly on a par with being a neurosurgeon or a physicist.

Why not just drop a day's wages down a drain, punch yourself repeatedly in your ears and drink salty water to make yourself sick? You'll get the same effect, but it won't take as long, you are much less likely to be hit by some other idiot and you won't feel as bad the next day.

I'm not teetotal. I probably average a unit a month. I'm not passionately opposed to recreational drug use, whether the drug is alcohol or something else. It's the prevailing attitude towards alcohol that grates on me. It's profoundly dysfunctional and from the outside it's very disturbing.
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You missed out the part about meeting chicks at clubs.
 
There's a problem in this country where everyone is EXPECTED to drink, and you're somehow weird if you don't. That's like having a society where everyone is expected to take speed or smoke cannabis, and looks weird if they don't.
 
Gave up alcohol 2 years ago ( Boxing Day was the second anniversary of that decision ).

I used to be a happy drunk and enjoyed going out and socialising, but over a period of time I became very angry on drink and suffered blackouts.

When this happened I knew I had done something crazy, reckless or downright dangerous.

Decided that the drink was no longer sitting well with me and I knew I was unable to drink in moderation, as I have always been a binge drinker and have always managed to be able to put serious amounts away.

So I gave it up all together, and although I do miss it the odd time ... especially during the summer ....... I am happier and realise that alcohol does not suit me.
 
There's a problem in this country where everyone is EXPECTED to drink, and you're somehow weird if you don't.
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Absolutely spot on. My friends are cool about it and they respect my wishes but now and then I get the incredulous "YOU MEAN YOU DONT DRINK AT ALL? YOU MEAN LIKE EVER? SORRY TO HEAR THAT!"

Zzzzzzzz.
 
I drink, but I'm not a drinker. It's not for me. I tried, believe me, I just cannot stand the taste of beer or spirits. Saying that, on special occasions I help chug down the odd bottle of vodka or whiskey, but I don't really like the taste. It's done more for the benefit of the occasion than actual enjoyment. On any other 'normal' day, I don't touch the stuff.
 
KatanaDV20 said:
"YOU MEAN YOU DONT DRINK AT ALL? YOU MEAN LIKE EVER? SORRY TO HEAR THAT!"
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Oh god I ******* hate it when people do this. It's like you have an illness because you don't like alcohol. The last time someone said this to me I almost rolled my eyes so much they fell out.

I've also had "friends" try and spike my drink with vodka.
 
Some people in the UK do have a problem with alcohol, it may appear to be a large proportion but the reality is those out in vertical drinking establishments are a small percentage (perhaps a large percentage of the 18-25 group, but still small overall).

I think it's a serious problem and will cause problems for those involved but I don't sit in judgement because I know some will judge me for drinking 4 pints on a Saturday night in a quiet pub. Each to their own.

I do despise 'angry drunks' but I blame the person not the drink, the drink just brings out their character.
 
PapaLazaru said:
I am sorry, but your rant appears to me at least, to be coming from the fact that you are a lightweight. :p
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Not really sure if I care for the relevance. Doesn't make me feel like any less of a person.

That being said, I actually tried to drink as much as I could when I was a bit younger and I just never got drunk. I felt "full" to the point where I didn't want to drink any more, so didn't. But now I drink half a bottle and my body just doesn't want it.

Apparently something in my body doesn't turn the alcohol into something friendly to my insides (putting this REALLY basically) as its technically poison. It's like on that 1001 Ways To Die program where some guy died by shooting a stream of beer up his arse. It went in the wrong way for his body to convert it from that poison to something the body can handle, and thus he died.
So when I drink, my immune system panics and kicks in because whatever it is in my body did not convert it from the poison it is to something else.

Not only am I saving the trouble, but like others I've never really had a taste for much alcohol. I much prefer a glass of water or a soda.


Tute said:
Oh god I ******* hate it when people do this. It's like you have an illness because you don't like alcohol. The last time someone said this to me I almost rolled my eyes so much they fell out.
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+1 for hating this.

I like your posts, Tute. You talk sense.
 
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I'm not a massive drinker. A friend of mine is completely tee-total, and we got bored of ribbing him for this after about 2 seconds.

I used to drink a lot more when I was younger (primarily at Uni, and mainly when I was on my sandwich year), but I realise now what a waste it was.

I don't find I need to drink to enjoy myself. If anything I enjoy myself more whilst sober and don't find it inhibits my desire to go out and have a good time.
 
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