Question for EX-Drinkers.

[monkeystomach]

I use to drink a lot, I was an alcoholic but I stopped cold turkey. I like not drinking, I feel a lot better than I use too (solid poops are better than liquid ones), but the peer pressure is the hardest when you hang out in social situations. It is well worth it not to drink, just be the DD and see all of your friends drunk, it is still fun, probably more fun because you can remember. You might think that it sucks and you won't have fun, but if you have true friends they will understand your situation and support your decisions.

[Modificationvt]

I am 21 and have never had a drink (and am not planning on having any ever) I have many friends who drink (my girlfriend drinks) and I have not noticed it affecting me in any social events. people who dont drink is becoming more common and is becoming more accepted. very rarely do I get people questioning me when they offer me a drink and I ask if they have anything non alcoholic. just go about your social life as normal and instead of having bear or wine have soda or juice. if some one does ask you can ether tell them the truth, or you can jsut say "I just dont feel like one"

growing up with an alcoholic dad was all I needed to chose not to drink, thankfuly he is now in AA, along with my younger brother...seeing what they both went threw makes me happy that I never went down that road.

good luck with the not drinking.

[amishclark]

Originally Posted by monkeystomach

You might think that it sucks and you won't have fun, but if you have true friends they will understand your situation and support your decisions.

i have to say that this is the crux of the issue. i am not sober myself...well, at the moment i am, but that can change...but i have dealt with addiction in my life far more than anyone should (imho). if you are feeling "pressure to backslide" you are hanging out with the wrong people. i have dope-fiend friends who have been clean for years, go to meetings, etc. and we hang out all the time (i've known a few since elementary school). if the people you hang out with can't respect your choice/doc's order, they aren't your friends.

as far as social aspects, you don't sound like you "need alcohol to function" so you'll be fine. get a soda or water in your hand and people will stop offering you drinks.

to the tea-totalers i can say only this: you have one life to live, and i would never try to tell you how to live it. that said, i would not want to be laying there on my deathbed dying from nothing

[Sparks007]

Thanks. You all have great answers.

[NavinRJohnson]

Originally Posted by JeffXD

Your liver will like you better. Apparantly in my recent reading, its a fairly important organ to keep.

I was always told the liver is evil and must be punished!

[Riflemanz]

I quit after going on 40mg lipator a liver drug.I feel great,no more hangovers!!!!!! I now drink diet Mt dew.You'll see how stupid people act when they drink!

[Gravel]

I stopped drinking once, it lasted 9 yrs. Your personal desire to drink will greatly dictate the level of dedication you must exert to keep from drinking.

My drinking when I was a kid, was completely out of control, now its only partly out of control...

[Pugs]

Well,

I don't drink alcohol and haven't since I was sixteen (well over twice that now). My friends all drink socially and it's never been a problem for me. In fact, in college it was actually a boon. The main reason I had friends was 'cause I didn't drink.

"Hey, Pugs! We're gonna go hit Trumps. You wanna come?!"

"Uh, sure guys, that'd be great... Thanks for askin'"

"Cool, Bro! You're drivin'!"

Honestly, it's a total non-factor for me. I've worked in bars (bouncer/bartender through college and in short stints afterwards) and restaurants that serve alcohol and never had an issue. I hang out in bars and drink root beer, ginger ale, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc... My friends drink socially. My wife drinks socially. It's just a fact of life for me.

Sometimes it's a pain in the a$$ playing responsible, designated driver all the time (see my blog for an example), but sometimes it's freakin' HILARIOUS!

One of my and my wife's favorite stories is from our honeymoon.

We went to Ireland and one of the first few days there, we decided to walk the few miles into town from our countryside B&B. One of the first buildings at the edge of town was a pub where we stopped in to warm up a bit (it was March). It was about 10AM on a Thursday morning and this lovely couple were three sheets to the wind.

They were some of the happiest, liveliest, funniest drunks that I've ever met in my life and we had a great time swapping stories with them and talking about the Midlands. Having just walked a couple of miles and it being near noon, we were pretty hungry and decided to wander further into to town and grab lunch. We said good-bye to them and went searching for food.

After the meal and being dorky American tourists, we found ourselves back at that pub several hours later. The couple was still there and they were still lit. So, we hung out with them swapping more stories and stupid bar tricks (can you balance two forks on a toothpick?).

After a bit (and downing a couple more pints of Guinness), the gentleman (I wish I could remember their names) said, "Pugs! Let me buy you and your lady a drink!"

My wife being the beer conniseur that she is immediately took him up on it.

"Sure! I'll have a... Smithwicks!"

"Pugs! What about you! What'll you have, lad?!" (You'll have to imagine the Midlands brogue here)

"Uh... I'll have a... Club Orange..." (An orange soda with actual orange juice and pulp in it)

"Noooo! I'm buyin'! I wanna buy ya' a DRINK!"

I don't always like going into the whole drinking thing and why I don't drink and so on.

"Eh, the Club Orange is good... really..."

We went back and forth with him insisting I get a real drink and I finally said, "actually, I don't drink."

He seemed to need a moment to process that and came back with, "well... Let me buy you a Harp, then!"

For those who don't know their imports, Harp is an Irish lager. Apparently a lager doesn't count as an alcoholic beverage in Ireland!

My wife then stepped in and rather than go into the whole story said, "Actually he CAN'T drink. He's allergic to alcohol" (it's not really an allergy, just more of an intolerance).

The couple and the bartender all looked as if she had just said, "he's dying of cancer!"

The man forged past the stunned silence and said, "Oh! I'm sorry, Pugs! That's the saddest thing I've ever heard!"

[DeltaV]

While I do drink, I do have a somewhat useful story. I work out a good bit, mainly because I enjoy the rush, but also partially so that I can still be in shape despite how much I drink. I also have a friend who works out about as much as I do, but doesn't drink at all.

To make a long story short, my friend is RIPPED. I have another friend who works out and drinks with me, and we look about the same (in shape, but with a small beer gut/love handles), and we look at him and think 'damn, that is what I would look like if I didn't drink'.

Then again, I think a good whiskey or a good porter are one of the things in life that are meant to be enjoyed. That, and I'm half Irish, so I don't think I really have much of a choice in the matter