Reasons for drinking/not drinking alcohol

[wyrdwyrm]

alcohol just makes me ill. :( my whole body reacts as if it's a poison, like trying to drink a bottle of bleach.

[Ortac]

There is an option missing from the poll – I have never drunk at all. I can honestly say that I have never so much as ingested a single drop of alcohol, not even a sip.

I am proud of the fact that my body remains pure and totally untainted! Sometimes, people point out to me that a small amount of alcohol occurs naturally in the body anyway. My response to that is that yes, there is also a certain amount of radiation that occurs naturally in the atmosphere all around us – but that doesn’t mean that we would be willing to deliberately expose ourselves to more of it!

Alcohol is a toxin, it is a depressant, it is a drug – why would I want to put that in my body? I have seen people behave like complete idiots whilst under the influence of alcohol, and I had a relative who drank too much and died of liver poisoning at a young age.

I sometimes get a fed up with taking flak from people who think I am weird and try to get me to try a bit. I think abstaining is a perfectly rational, sensible and logical lifestyle choice. I don’t like the idea that it might alter my mind and behavior in a negative way. I have to drive quite a lot, and never touching the stuff means that there is no chance of ever making a stupid misjudgement and making a potentially fatal mistake.

So it is like sex. It is there, I accept that other people like it, but I have no interest in it myself.

[Guest]

my whole body reacts as if it's a poison

Well, that's because it is. Alcohol is a very fast acting nerve poison, even in small doses. It's just not one with a terribly high degree of lethality, unless the dose is high and/or concentrated (but stomachs are big enough that if you actually intend to do so, you sure can kill yourself with high-proof stuff like vodka etc. in one day.)

[Blinkin]

I enjoy a glass of wine for the taste and the inner warmth, but I drink it occasionally. I drink it when I feel that I want it. Most of the times with a specific dish of food. I never drink to be social because it doesn't make you social, period. I know people who say that they need to drink alcoholics so that they can have a good night. They think I'm weird for not needing alcoholics to have a good night and I don't understand their logic. Humor and fun is located in your head not in your glass.

But yeah, I do enjoy the taste of wine and after a long hot day of working I might drink some beer. But most of the time I drink wine (which still is occasionally).

[iff]

i gave up alcohol in 2004 because:

- didn't like the taste

- didn't like the effect of alcohol

- didn't see the need

there also, now don't be surprised at this people ;), a culture of drinking in my country which i don't think is good for the country. we bring world leaders to pubs and get them to pose with pints of guinness and any criticism of guinness is considered by some to be treasonous.

[Literary X]

My main reason for not drinking is that I'm highly emetophobic.

[Exanimis]

i gave up alcohol in 2004 because:

- didn't like the taste

- didn't like the effect of alcohol

- didn't see the need

there also, now don't be surprised at this people ;), a culture of drinking in my country which i don't think is good for the country. we bring world leaders to pubs and get them to pose with pints of guinness and any criticism of guinness is considered by some to be treasonous.

At least Guinness is ok.

The kind of beer we have around here is, I will try to pick the least offensive word, abject. It is chemical wash, if it comes out as a result of mixing Nuclear Reactor cooling water and Chem Plant pollutants I wouldn't be surprised.

Don't get me wrong here, my favorite wine is beer.

But when I drink those ... things, I do get sick, and there is literally a culture surrounding those specific brands. It is an outrage against the art that is brewing a decent ale!

I refuse to accept some kinds of brews as drinkable products! Some of them should be next to bleach in the supermarket.

They are probably made by companies in the sanitary products industry.

So people, if you want to go for drinks please go for good drinks.

Otherwise it is not a drink, it is just a legalised poison with a label at the local store.

And if you drink, don't drive too. Important.

[Mycroft is Yourcroft]

I like getting tipsy with friends I trust, though not often. I'll only get drunk if it's a really big celebration (maybe happens 6 times a year).

I'm going out for a few drinks with a friend tonight to celebrate me earning my driving license! :D

EDIT: OooOoOh I like wine (red in particular) and good scotch whiskies, beer and cider aren't bad sometimes and other spirits I only have occasionally :P

[Exosk]

My main and most common behavior is "I only drink occasionally" (Many times I don't desire more than a sip). There may be one or two months out of the year (3-4 weeks total) that I'll drink moderately instead of occasionally. I answered for multiple (sorry if this skews what you were looking for):

(Often when) I have never drunk more than a sip or two (is) BECAUSE
-I don't like the taste
-I see no need to
-Medical reasons (if I have been sick or taking medicine for any reason, I won't drink)
-I simply don't have time

-If I am driving (...or operating heavy machinery...)

I used to drink, but I don't any more BECAUSE
-N/A

I only drink occasionally BECAUSE
-I don't really like the taste (of most)
-I enjoy it (I like that it is a somewhat controllable change, yet still unpredictable)
-*It is expensive!

I drink fairly often, but not heavily BECAUSE
-For social reasons (in the sense that it can be something nice to do with the right company)
-It *can be* pleasant
-I don't want a hangover

I occasionally get drunk BECAUSE
-I didn't eat enough beforehand and/or properly judge the strength

I am often drunk BECAUSE
-N/A

I am drunk more often than I am sober BECAUSE
-N/A

[Skycaptain]

Let me be a warning to people, because I learnt the hard way. I am suspected of having XXY chromosomes, or Klinefelter syndrome. This caused adolescence to stall halfway through, leaving me with poorly developed musculature and not much down below. At the time I was too frightened, and ashamed to tell anyone, least of all my family or a medical professional. I wanted to be more like a "real man" so from the age of 18 I tried to do what "real men" do. All the men I knew went down the pub and drank, so I did. To show that I was as male as them I drank more than they did. At the time this had three effects. Firstly I put on weight, all fat, which had the effect of hiding my unnaturally skeletal shape. Secondly it enabled me to overcome my shyness and be one of the lads. Thirdly, by hiding in a cloud of 40-proof I never had to fa, alcohol dependency, alcoholism, tachycardiace reality, and how deeply unhappy I was with who I was. For years I was able to keep this up, because I had a bizarre tolerance to alcohol. I could process it out of my system very quickly, and go from paralytic drunk to functional in about 4 hours. I am deeply ashamed to admit this, but there were times when I could be down the pub from 1900hr to 0500hr, go home have 1 hours sleep and DRIVE to work at 0600. How I didn't get caught I'll never know, but I managed. I could then work a full day with no problem and do the same the next day. This went on until I was 41. I was diagnosed with diabetes, and gave up everything but the drink. In January this year I had a total head-crash, and ended up crying my eyes out on the floor of my doctor's saying I couldn't cope. I still carried on drinking. Then in April I was receiving counselling after the breakdown. Finally someone stood in front of me and stated phrases like "alcohol abuse, alcohol dependency, alcoholism, tachycardia". The truth hurt, especially when this saint said that if I didn't try and stop they would not help me. That day 01.05.14 I just stopped, and have had zero alcohol since. I was drinking 8-10 UK pints of beer or more, and spirits on top 7 nights a week for 24 years. Now, what has it done to me. I have no friends, those who said they were friends in the pub just deserted me. I have retinal problems due to high blood pressure. I am deeply psychiatrically damaged, and still discovering how deep the harm is. I am diabetic, and whilst under diet only control this is a Damoclean sword hanging over me for life. I have probably spent over £100K on alcohol, along with more where I have wasted money when so drunk I was not in control of my actions. I have a job which is nowhere near my level of intellect.

I was a crafty drunk as well. I'd only visit a particular establishment on one or two nights a week, and often leave after 3-4 pints. They didn't know I went home and doubled that. At times I altered my life to make sure I could be somewhere I could get a drink.

Now, I have been dry for nearly 5 months, and am tackling all the demons I have hidden all these years. Literally the person I was is dead, I have been reborn, more like how I was as a child, but, as to what the long-term damage is..... :evil:

[DerkhanBlue]

I like to get tipsy occasionally, like about every few months or so. I do have a definite limit, though, and I hate being drunk (been drunk twice in my life, and while none of those times were anything I'm ashamed of, they weren't anything to write home about either) and so I stop before that happens. I do drink alcohol from time to time when out with people or on special occasions, but that's not enough to even get tipsy. I just see it as just another kind of food/drink you consume once in a while, and I like good wine, cider, long drinks, etc. Absolutely can't stand beer, though.

I like to think of my alcohol intake as responsible, though, since I can do well without (I can go a year without, it's happened), and considering I prefer the not-too-cheap variety it'd be a waste of perfectly good money to get drunk on that, anyway (though, once, I downed a bottle of wine worth 20€/bottle with the expressed aim of getting drunk and I don't regret it one bit; sometimes, drastic measures are in order).

I used to not drink at all, though. Because I hated (and still hate, mostly) how people behave when drunk. I hate having no control over what I do. Also, my father's got an alcohol problem, and a friend's mother was an alcoholic and died from that. So there are examples of how NOT to do it. I would not touch alcohol if it was to forget reality. I look at it like fast food: tastes nice, can be fun on some occasions, but bad for you in excess on a day-to-day basis.

[iff]

i gave up alcohol in 2004 because:

- didn't like the taste

- didn't like the effect of alcohol

- didn't see the need

there also, now don't be surprised at this people ;), a culture of drinking in my country which i don't think is good for the country. we bring world leaders to pubs and get them to pose with pints of guinness and any criticism of guinness is considered by some to be treasonous.

At least Guinness is ok.

our politicians thrust a pint of guinness into queen elizabeth and prince philips hands on their state visit :no: :no: :no:

same with mr. obama

i had a conversation with a friend when we were walking from college to the bus depot in 2005 (haven't seen the friend in a while :()

anyway he asked me "if i ever drank guinness" i replied "no" to which he decides to try to describe the taste of guinness starting with "have you ever drank an ashtray"

[ThaHoward]

Guiness isn't that good no. It is just the cream on the top that is nice :p The beer it self is really watery. However it is much better drafted :) But it is many other dark and black beers which is way better and stronger :)

[Deathraven]

I drink as often as I can afford it, and I do enjoy being drunk, but never drunk enough to lose control. It does make life easier, because it makes moments easier and life is often nothing but repetitive moments. It dulls a lot of pain, too. Can't complain.

[eeriesilence]

This was an interesting one!

I get drunk occasionally. I'll have a drink every other day or so, sometimes everyday. A spot of bailey's in my coffee, or maybe a glass of wine with my dinner. I drink heavily maybe once a month? Sometimes more. I drink because I like the taste. I get drunk.... Because I like the taste, and I set aside enough calories to drink to my heart's content. /is a calorie counter, woooooops

The mental and emotional freedom is kinda cool too, and it seconds as awesome social lubrication, but I don't like drinking in situations which I'm not comfortable in so~

[Exanimis]

Stout beers tend to be strong really.

But Guinness has a good taste in the end. All the stout and bochs here are from small breweries so, they are of very strong taste and pretty high on alcohol.

Ashtrail xD

It is burnt barley! Of course it has a strange taste of roasted bean.

But I think all the big brands are becoming watery, Heineken and Stella Artoir per example had a good flavour, but now they are tasting a little bit watery.

Companies! Oh my gosh, capitalism . . .

[AceM]

I've tried practically every kind of alchohol I've come across, but my fussiness apparently stretches to alchohol, because I've never liked any of it! Hence why I don't drink, I've never understood the logic of drinkig until you like the taste, people don't do that with other things!

I am definitely one of those people who gets drunk from the atmosphere, which is maybe why I don't feel the need to drink. I go out dancing all night, have a brilliant time, usually spend less than a tenner and don't wake up with a hangover, it's the best of both worlds!

In fact it's been said before that I'm excitable enough without adding alchohol into the mix!

[Fire & Rain]

I don't drink because

- I don't like the taste.

- I don't like the feeling of getting drunk.

- I don't see the point of it.

- Coffee and tea is better :D

[jebadesu]

Beer/radler for when I'm watching a football game. But other than that I go out for cocktails every now and then.. and that's about it. ^_^

[Excandesco]

I drink fairly regularly.

For one thing, it is the only thing that helps my pain. I like the taste and the effects. Vodka, whisky, beer, cider even wine. Sometimes I will get really drunk, well kinda, I drink a lot but I never lose control and I don't really get hangovers which is nice.

I also do my best thinking after a couple of drinks. ^^

[Calcifer]

I drink just few sips of beer occasionally. I can't drink more because of medical reasons: I suffer from gastritis and alcohol kinda kills my stomach.

[Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion]

Let me be a warning to people, because I learnt the hard way. I am suspected of having XXY chromosomes, or Klinefelter syndrome. This caused adolescence to stall halfway through, leaving me with poorly developed musculature and not much down below. At the time I was too frightened, and ashamed to tell anyone, least of all my family or a medical professional. I wanted to be more like a "real man" so from the age of 18 I tried to do what "real men" do. All the men I knew went down the pub and drank, so I did. To show that I was as male as them I drank more than they did. At the time this had three effects. Firstly I put on weight, all fat, which had the effect of hiding my unnaturally skeletal shape. Secondly it enabled me to overcome my shyness and be one of the lads. Thirdly, by hiding in a cloud of 40-proof I never had to fa, alcohol dependency, alcoholism, tachycardiace reality, and how deeply unhappy I was with who I was. For years I was able to keep this up, because I had a bizarre tolerance to alcohol. I could process it out of my system very quickly, and go from paralytic drunk to functional in about 4 hours. I am deeply ashamed to admit this, but there were times when I could be down the pub from 1900hr to 0500hr, go home have 1 hours sleep and DRIVE to work at 0600. How I didn't get caught I'll never know, but I managed. I could then work a full day with no problem and do the same the next day. This went on until I was 41. I was diagnosed with diabetes, and gave up everything but the drink. In January this year I had a total head-crash, and ended up crying my eyes out on the floor of my doctor's saying I couldn't cope. I still carried on drinking. Then in April I was receiving counselling after the breakdown. Finally someone stood in front of me and stated phrases like "alcohol abuse, alcohol dependency, alcoholism, tachycardia". The truth hurt, especially when this saint said that if I didn't try and stop they would not help me. That day 01.05.14 I just stopped, and have had zero alcohol since. I was drinking 8-10 UK pints of beer or more, and spirits on top 7 nights a week for 24 years. Now, what has it done to me. I have no friends, those who said they were friends in the pub just deserted me. I have retinal problems due to high blood pressure. I am deeply psychiatrically damaged, and still discovering how deep the harm is. I am diabetic, and whilst under diet only control this is a Damoclean sword hanging over me for life. I have probably spent over £100K on alcohol, along with more where I have wasted money when so drunk I was not in control of my actions. I have a job which is nowhere near my level of intellect.

I was a crafty drunk as well. I'd only visit a particular establishment on one or two nights a week, and often leave after 3-4 pints. They didn't know I went home and doubled that. At times I altered my life to make sure I could be somewhere I could get a drink.

Now, I have been dry for nearly 5 months, and am tackling all the demons I have hidden all these years. Literally the person I was is dead, I have been reborn, more like how I was as a child, but, as to what the long-term damage is..... :evil:

Thank you so much for sharing your story, I really appreciate how brave that was. CONGRATULATIONS on five months dry! That is something to be very proud of from where you have been! I wish you all the luck as you continue to find yourself. I hope things get better and easier.

[Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion]

I don't drink. I have tasted it, wine is horrible, beer is worse, Baileys is okay with lemonade (like a tablespoon of Baileys to a glass of lemonade, I was a kid at the time haha)

Reasons I don't drink? Well, some of the smaller ones are: It's blinkin expensive and I am quite poor (living on welfare of about 1/2 the minimum wage). I don't much like the taste. I see no reason too. I can get tipsy on the atmosphere of others, often everyone else will have one drink, I will have none and be more 'intoxicated

than anyone else. I hate the 'let's get trollied and wake up in A&E drinking culture we have in this country, young people are EXPECTED to get drunk on a regular basis, and if you don't you are a miserable prude. It is a drug, I don't do drugs. Fast food and refined sugar are better tasting poisons :D

Here are the big ones, motivated by fear:
I DON'T WANT TO LOSE CONTROL. I have mental illnesses, I fear anything that diminishes my control on my own brain, from hypnotherapy to alcohol to antidepressants (I take them, but hate them for this reason)
I am in danger of using it as an escape from said mental illnesses, self medicating in a harmful way.

I have a self diagnosed addictive personality. I am hooked on sugar, I am eating my way to diabetes and an early grave and I can't stop, I don't need an alcohol addiction aswell.

[Amber5886]

I used to be a really bad drunk. Now I only drink on rare occasions. It's just not my thing anymore. I guess I grew out of it, I party a lot though. A LOT! I just don't need to be drunk to have a good time

[Xavy]

I can go for months without touching alcohol, and I never really drink to get drunk. Lately, I have been having a glass a wine quite often.

[Skycaptain]

Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion. Thanks for your support. I also drank and ate myself to diabetes. Try and find a sugar-free soft drink as a starter. Also remember that, so long as you can eat them, brown rice, pasta, and bread are better for you. They take a relatively long time to digest, hopefully leaving you feeling sated and reducing cravings for comfort food. I had to wean myself off MSG as well as alcohol, after realising that eating a whole box (52 packets) of crisps in one go wasn't very healthy. It will not be easy, but with determination YOU WILL be able to battle sugar addiction. Low fat sugar free :cake:

[Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion]

Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion. Thanks for your support. I also drank and ate myself to diabetes. Try and find a sugar-free soft drink as a starter. Also remember that, so long as you can eat them, brown rice, pasta, and bread are better for you. They take a relatively long time to digest, hopefully leaving you feeling sated and reducing cravings for comfort food. I had to wean myself off MSG as well as alcohol, after realising that eating a whole box (52 packets) of crisps in one go wasn't very healthy. It will not be easy, but with determination YOU WILL be able to battle sugar addiction. Low fat sugar free :cake:

Thanks for your support too Skycaptain, I hope one day I'll be successful too. I am not in a good place, eating up to half a kilo of sweets, chocolate and cakes a day, plus fruit and carbs is not good. I am trying to find help at the moment, but getting a medical proffesional, councilor or anyone like that who will admit that I am addicted, not just lazy and greedy, is very hard. I have also been putting on more weight since I went on antidepressants (But hey, so far as the medical world is concerned, I'm not suicidal any more, the fact I'm eating myself to death has nothing to do with it :( ) Thank you too for the advice :) I just feel this feeling, it is like thirst or almost an ache, and only eating sugar takes it away, carbs alone don't help, though I am sure they will if I ever manage to break this damn addiction.

I managed to break away from crisps a while back, but I know the pull they have :(

Again I take my hat off to you for managing these addictions

[Lady Valacri]

Liquor is a poison that ruined my life. I guess everything is good in small doses.

[Skycaptain]

Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion. You WILL succeed :). The situation that you are experiencing is that a hit of sugar is releasing feel-good chemicals in your brain, I think Serotonin, but I may be wrong. The end result is that high-calorie food is making you feel good, possibly amplified by the antidepressants. Perhaps the easiest way to start is to simply ensure that you are getting sufficient healthy food as well as the treats. Possibly boredom or dissatisfaction in life may not be helping, If you find yourself stuck indoors with nothing to do, and no-one to talk to it is far too easy to succumb to temptation. :evil: Try crunching on a ryecrisp or oatcake, something like that, which are lower in calories. If all else fails a glass of water sates the appetite. Also raw celery actually takes more calories to digest than you gain from eating it, along with a nice crunching sensation when you eat it.

[Aisntllecxtual]

I haven't had anything to drink for nearly 20 years. Before becoming a teetotaler, I would drink about a glass of wine a year (for holiday celebration). The reason I decided to abstain completely was the experience I had with an employer - owner of an English language school in Slovenia. My interview for the job consisted of sitting in a bar whereby he ordered round after round of beer, insisting that you drink along with him. Suffice to say, most of the beer ordered for me went down the drain, despite his solicitations, while he drank up with gusto. This excruciatingly intolerable drinking spree (initiation) went on from the morning of one day to 2AM the next morning (~16 hours). The only reason it stopped is the bar closed dowm. At first, this would-be employer refused to leave the bar - being drunk out of his mind. The owner of the bar threatened to call the police. His friends convinced him to go before it became a matter of legal imposition. Against my good judgment, I took the job out of desperation. Not surprisingly, it lasted only a couple of months. He insisted on using us teachers as his enablers. He would wake up drunk and send us teachers out to teach for him and have us lie to his students as to why he couldn't make it. The aforementioned experience was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was already leaning heavily to eliminate the negligible token of alcohol I did drink. I had jobs in the social service, counseling field prior where the devastating effect of alcohol/drugs was splashed into my face day in and day out. I don't drink out of principle, out of the keen knowledge of the ill social effect that alcohol can have on the individuals involved, and the deleterious ravaging impact it can have on the social fabric generally. It has proven its capacity to destroy, to poison, and that, simply, I can't find any rational reason for partaking. I felt I had to take a personal stand, and the best way I figured was to abstain myself.