Being Teetotal

[Kier]

After coming to the conclusion some time ago that I simply do not enjoy alcohol or the effect it has on me, I have decided to become teetotal. This has been a good decision, it saves me money, no more hangovers and I do not miss it one iota and know I will never drink again.

The only fly in the ointment has been the reaction of people. Most people find it odd and think I am strange for not drinking and I feel a bit of an outcast. Some people have even implied it is boring not to drink Has anyone else who has gone down the same road as me had such a similar reaction. Or do any drinkers also think it is odd?

 

[causton]

Usually I only drink things that I like the taste of, which ends up with me usually being called girly! I do not see the fun in getting hammered and making a fool of yourself... alcohol doesn't really have that big of an effect on me anyway, so I just have one or two!

 

[EM2]

I stopped for about three years, and all my friends were cool about it. Still used to go to the pub, and go clubbing, nothing really changed!

 

[richw]

I havent drunk in about 2 years, before that I'd have gone for a few pints 5-6 nights a week.
I cant think of any negatives, but many positives. I am financially better off and now have money left at the end of the month, I feel better in myself, and i suspect my health is improved although i have never undertaken medicals to find out before or after.
I started by driving if i went out for the night, so couldnt drink, and realised how much better i felt, and would say i had a better night not drinking, because I could laugh at what my drunk friends were getting up to.

 

[Donny Dave]

As long as your happy about it, that's all that matters.

I still drink, but my long nights out are now a dim and distant memory. While I still go to the pub, it's now extremely rare I get very drunk, just nice and merry will do me ....

 

[trentside]

I'm not a huge drinker - I enjoy a pint occasionally with friends, or a glass of wine with a meal but I don't enjoy drinking to excess. I could probably live quite happily with out alcohol at all, and from the point of view of my friends - many of them are similar.

I don't find someone choosing to be teetotal odd, I'm surprised you've had such negative reactions. It's a shame that people consider non-drinkers 'boring', surely it's better to have a stimulating sober conversation than exchange slurred drunken ramblings?

 

[telstarbox]

The only fly in the ointment has been the reaction of people. Most people find it odd and think I am strange for not drinking and I feel a bit of an outcast.

I'd be very surprised if, deep down, any of them genuinely care whether you drink or not. If you don't want to drink then whose business is it but yours? (from a drinker )

 

[Yew]

Good on you! Personally I'm not, however I rarely drink to get drunk, usualyl just because I have some Nice ale or whiskey in that I think tastes good. To be honest if you could take all the alcohol out of them and it would taste the same, I would probably just drink that.

Un fortunately beign surrounded by fellow students, occasionally (Once or twice a year) I do drink a bit too much, but thats because clubs are awful

 

[Kernowfem]

I stopped drinking after leaving uni...and a night drinking with my brothers navy friends at the age of 21. I woke up in a church the following morning during a sunday service, with out my shoes. I realised then that it didn't agree with me!!

I'd rather have a glass of coke any day!!

 

[SS4]

Being teetotal is not bad but in a culture known for drinking it's going to be perceived as unusual/weird.
Going out with the objective "to get wasted" is seen as common even if it actually isn't, a common sort of date is at a pub with a drink over a meal (alas unconfirmed by personal experience). Physiological changes, especially to brain function, need to be considered when drinking, no doubt you've noticed how inane your companions sound but to each other it's decent conversation.

Teetotal is slightly odd but only because of the cultural backdrop. The irony of course is if it were your religious duty to not drink or a medical condition you'd be fine.


It's going to take a lot to make me give up having a drink although I rarely drink to excess these days.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Each to their own I say. I don't judge either way.

 

[Crossover]

I'm not teetotal but I drink very little alcohol (a lot of the time now it is because I need to drive, but it has never really appealed to me) - never been drunk either, and don't really ever want to be.

I have had stick for it in the past and had the usual of it "being boring not to drink"

To get round the first one, I tended to start driving whenever going out, as people tend not to argue with you being a driver and thus not drinking. In all honesty though, even if a lot of people don't make sense when they've had a few, as long as things don't get out of hand (and I have seen that happen on a couple of occasions), it can be as much of a laugh to stand and watch everyone making a fool of themselves! (and better still, remind them the day after what a fool they made of themselves :P)

I have only ever once been to a club (Oceanana, I think it is, in Milton Keynes, about 3 years ago, and excluding odd nights with friends in the SU bar at uni) - it was a work night so I wasn't drinking anyway, but I really didn't see it as being "my thing". As far as I'm concerned, if you have to shout at someone just to make yourself heard then it isn't for me - I'd much rather go somewhere I can have a conversation without coming out hoarse!

 

[Ivo]

After coming to the conclusion some time ago that I simply do not enjoy alcohol or the effect it has on me, I have decided to become teetotal. This has been a good decision, it saves me money, no more hangovers and I do not miss it one iota and know I will never drink again.

The only fly in the ointment has been the reaction of people. Most people find it odd and think I am strange for not drinking and I feel a bit of an outcast. Some people have even implied it is boring not to drink Has anyone else who has gone down the same road as me had such a similar reaction. Or do any drinkers also think it is odd?

Good man. Now just don't give up, and if it ever feels like a difficult chore, remember that you are the one whose liver - and modesty, among other things - is not at risk from avoidable damage.

Now, unfortunately, I have had it difficult at times. The most difficult was in my last year of college, because the others in the class decided to go out all night and asked me to go with them. I somewhat reluctantly agreed, in an effort to be sociable (this was seven months before I was diagnosed with ASD), but by about 2200 I was literally scared. One of the older women tried to force some of her wine down my throat, and one of the others who was basically drunk tried it on with me (I'm not supposed to complain about that, am I?), so I was relieved when they said they were going to a nightclub and I had no form of ID on my person! Never again. And that was almost four years ago now.

These days, the only alcohol etc that ever touches me in any shape or form is the near-unavoidable stuff such as the substance used in KFC wipes or the ethanol used to form malt vinegar. I might only be 23 but I am currently 3,212 days down the line from the last sip I had! (When younger, I used to have a glass of wine at Christmas to please my mother; the last time was when I was 14.)

If I was PM, I would consider outlawing it. But then I would remember that doing so would not only make me by far the most hated PM in history, it would also irreparably damage the country's economy and puts tens of thousands of people out of work...

I'd rather have a glass of coke any day!!

If "coke" can be used to mean Pepsi instead then I agree wholeheartedly! But Coca-Cola is a good substitute when Pepsi isn't available.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

If I was PM, I would consider outlawing it. But then I would remember that doing so would not only make me by far the most hated PM in history, it would also irreparably damage the country's economy and puts tens of thousands of people out of work...

But create a nice little earner for criminal gangs and gangsters, as shown in 1920s America and Prohibition, which failed rather spectacularly, but kept a lot of gangsters afloat in Chicago and others with the income for moonshine. I am tempted to say that I'd be impossible to moderate, certainly you'd never get people to stop, indeed it would just make criminals out of innocent citizens.

Oh, and for anyone wondering, I don't tend to drink either (it is lawful for me if having a meal and all that, not fully legal though). I am also fairly certain that I am the only person in my college classes who doesn't drink for the sake of it (minus Muslim students etc).

 

[Crossover]

Ivo, that third paragraph has so many hallmarks of Sheldon Cooper it actually hurts!

 

[Ivo]

Ivo, that third paragraph has so many hallmarks of Sheldon Cooper it actually hurts!

If this is the same Sheldon who is on one of those young-adult US comedy shows (is it Big Bang Theory?) then I have been told repeatedly that I have more than the odd thing in common with him. Indeed, after being told as much, I asked my brother if he thought it was true and he shouted "YES!" so loudly the windows shook! I can see myself developing the nickname "Sheldon" over the next while; I am almost surprised it hasn't happened already.

The concerning thing is that an actor is actually paid to behave in the way that he does; on the other hand, I do it naturally...

 

[Crossover]

Yep, that Sheldon.
Maybe you are intended to become to mad researcher then :P

 

[Ivo]

I have noticed that any research I undertake, whether it be for (the) University [delete the word "the" as applicable] or otherwise, tends to be vastly removed from that undertaken by other students at Bath Spa University, and indeed elsewhere. For my dissertation I am considering the study of location as a factor of students' preferences of University and their respective performances, as opposed to the more usual empirical work relating to children in school...

...does Sheldon drink at all?

 

[ainsworth74]

If I was PM, I would consider outlawing it. But then I would remember that doing so would not only make me by far the most hated PM in history, it would also irreparably damage the country's economy and puts tens of thousands of people out of work...

And would be quite a significant infringement on peoples liberties and likely be totally ineffective and probably help fuel organised crime

On the issue at hand I don't drink all that much. I'll sometimes have a drink over meal (though normally at a restaurant I hardy ever drink at home) or if I'm waiting for a train. About the only time I'll ever get drunk/merry is when I'm down the pub with friends. If I were to decide to be teetotal I doubt any of my friends would care all that much (they might think it a bit odd), certainly they wouldn't ridicule me for it.

I have to say though that the Uni drinking culture did get on my nerves to quite a large extent. It seems that pretty much every student event is based around drinking and in the case of Athletic Union 'inductions' for teams would normally involve drinking both dangerous amounts of alcohol and even dangerous cocktails (not of the liquid nitrogen variety but still a danger to your health). I had one friend who attended the rowing clubs induction and ended up passing out in the car park of McDonald's and getting brought home in a ambulance. He still isn't sure exactly what they gave him but needless to say his membership of that club went no further.

 

[Temple Meads]

I do have the occasional drink if offered it or given it, but I really can't see the appeal of drinking for drinking's sake, but then my age means I haven't really had a chance to buy drink for myself, not that I can see things changing that much in the future, maybe the odd pint, but nothing excessive.

 

[Crossover]

I have noticed that any research I undertake, whether it be for (the) University [delete the word "the" as applicable] or otherwise, tends to be vastly removed from that undertaken by other students at Bath Spa University, and indeed elsewhere. For my dissertation I am considering the study of location as a factor of students' preferences of University and their respective performances, as opposed to the more usual empirical work relating to children in school...

...does Sheldon drink at all?

Funnily enough, I always thought you were something like a computing student, rather than wanting to become a teacher and that sort of thing. Not sure why, mind!

And from what I can recall, Sheldon doesn't drink and I can imagine him saying something like what you said in the aforementioned post. Have you never watched TBBT?

 

[Ivo]

I have, but never intentionally

 

[12CSVT]

I suspect many railway workers have become unintentionally teetotal over the last 20 years since the drugs and alcohol policy became law. It is months since I last touched any alcohol.

 

[Robinson]

I do like to have a good pint down the pub (of real ale), but I have never yet gone to excesses doing this and always make sure it's no more than 2 pints in any given day.

The worst I have been involved in was the last time I was roped into going to a nightclub (over a year ago now), and that mainly due to someone else who was drunk trying it on with me, another guy we'd both gone with, and a complete stranger. Put me off nightclubs and vodka for life! Real ale for me every time now...

 

[Butts]

I am not a great drinker - I don't generally keep alcohol in the house. However I do enjoy a glass of wine with a meal, or a cider on a nice day. On my East Coast "Day Trips" I do enjoy the odd whisky free of charge

I have nothing against people being teetotal, indeed my biggest vice is not Alcohol but Tobacco.

 

[theblackwatch]

It doesn't bother me if people drink or not - I enjoy a sociable drink or two (nothing to excess normally) but some people I regularly go out with never touch a drop of alcohol or have very little. We've even had a couple of forum pub crawls where people who don't drink alcohol have come along.

 

[Heinz57]

I've been teetotal all my life. I think in the past year I've literaly had just one drink. Which was a bottle of beer on holiday.

My friends respect my desision to be this way, and have never tried to force alcohol upon me. During uni I went out several times with them and still enjoyed the night whilst drinking diet coke. Not being a drinker actualy worked well on one such occasion when we went out for my mates birthday, the following day at uni he literaly couldn't remember a thing. So I took great joy in reminding him of his drunken antics the night before!

All my work colleagues were quite surprised when they found out I don't drink, well who could blame them? A 22 year old whos just done four years of uni without drinking? How did that happen?! But anyway, like my friends they respect the desision.

So the moral of my post? You don't need to feel like an outcast, you can still have a good time without alcohol.

My reason for not drinking? It's just never been my thing.

 

[Ivo]

I've been teetotal all my life. I think in the past year I've literaly had just one drink. Which was a bottle of beer on holiday.

Forgive the pedantry, but to me that doesn't count as being teetotal!

 

[Cruithne3753]

Only thing that bugs me about teetotallers is they often seem to think that drinking alcohol involves getting completely smashed out of your head EVERY time.

There is such a thing as moderation - I for one enjoy a couple of real ales at the weekend, but nothing excessive.

 

[Yew]

Indeed, One of my friends has recently moved out of the city and drives in for nights out. A slow pint and then coke for the rest of the night. He definately seems to advocate it.

Being teetotal seems to becoming more common, although I'm not sure if its because people are becoming more accepting of others choices, or the supposed problem of 'binge drinking.'

To those who are teetotal, Is it something you actively do, or do you just not 'feel like' a beer?