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Anyone else dislike getting drunk?

Discussion in 'Family, Friends, and Relationships' started by Canterpiece, Dec 6, 2020.

  1. Canterpiece

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    I sometimes get called a bore for this, but I mainly just drink a little out of politeness / socially. Getting drunk doesn't appeal, especially when I'm out with friends (such as pre-covid) because I worry about it. Worries such as 1) if not me, who is going to ensure the safety of those I am with? 2) What if I say or do something I deeply regret? 3) What if someone records this and it reflects badly on me?

    Personally I don't know if this level of anxiousness is typical or not.
     
    #1 Canterpiece, Dec 6, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
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  2. Tightrope

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    I don't think you and all the non-drinkers are boring at all. It's often the drinkers who are boring - especially when they're blitzed and have turned 180 degrees from what you're used to. I applaud how you look at this and handle yourself.
     
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  3. HM03

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    Meeee. I find it just makes me more anxious [in the moment], and then extra anxiousness wondering what exactly I did previously.

    I like having a cup to hold and something to repeatedly sip on as something to do as an anxious reflex, which obviously isn't a good combo. People can really push it on you, but ultimately we know what works best for us :slight_smile:
     
  4. QuietPeace

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    I rarely drink outside of my home, bars etc are too expensive and the sensory issues of being in a loud crowded place is too much for me. When I drink it is because I like the taste of what I choose and I like how it can relax me but I do not get really drunk very often (usually in response to something going really wrong). Through my life I have varied from not drinking at all and ordering nonalcoholic drinks when out with others all the way to total chemical dependence to numb myself in situations.

    My life has demonstrated that only I can be trusted to even try to keep me safe, depending on others has always led to disaster.

    As a person with ASD I have this trouble stone cold sober.
     
  5. LostInDaydreams

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    I don’t drink alcohol at all and whilst I have tried it once or twice, I’ve never been somebody who drinks. Partly for the reasons that you’ve given in your OP, but also because I just don’t like the taste. The same with alcohol in food, I generally don’t like it.

    I’ve had a variety of reactions to not drinking - some people are almost offended and others are completely fine with it. Most people that I’ve encountered find it unusual and I think it’s not uncommon to get written-off as a boring person as a result, but those people usually make themselves known and are then easy to avoid. At university, I would get people pushing drinks on me or trying to encourage me to drink, but that’s not something I’ve experienced since.

    Just do what makes you feel most comfortable.
     
  6. Chip

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    Never had any reason to want to drink or otherwise alter consciousness. Nothing wrong with choosing not to do that, and anyone who attempts to shame/guilt/manipulate you into doing so is not really a friend.

    In the few times where people attempted to twist my arm, I'd just say "This is a choice I'm making, it is mine to make, and I'd appreciate it if you respect the boundary I'm setting. It's not up for discussion." That usually shuts people up.

    Generally, the reason people try to get others to do things (drink/smoke/use drugs/etc) is because they, themselves feel bad about their behavior, and they think that if they can get others to follow their lead, it will make them feel better about themselves. If you can remember that, it should make it easier to fend them off.
     
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  7. PatrickUK

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    I made a conscious decision to stop drinking this year after seeing my dad hospitalised (partly due to alcoholism). Sad to say, he's not the only member of my family with a serious drink problem and since there is some data to suggest that alcohol dependency runs in families I've made the decision to become teetotal.
     
  8. Ram90

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    While I used to hang out with friends and acquaintances growing up, in my late teens and early twenties, who would spend weekends literally boozing away, I never had a taste for it. Plus, I grew up in a teetotaler family, so drinking was taboo and forbidden. Hence the opportunities I got for drinking were seldom to begin with. I still think my parents knew when my sister and I came back from our birthday party and new year party out with friends tipsy, but since they occured roughly 6 months apart and we did this only twice a year, they let it slide. Ha ha.

    I still claim this as the reason for my lousy alcohol tolerance. Get 2 beers into me (650 ml/22 fl oz bottles) and I'm down babbling like a baby and doing acrobatics, spilling secrets like a drunk sailor. To avoid these situations I started volunteering as the designated driver every time, a position I still hold to this day. I sip my watered vodka breezers and mocktails while everyone else gets drunk and I get to take videos of all of them, carting them home. I've even gotten thank yous and treats from their parents and significant others over the years for making sure I got them home safe and sound, so I think I've earned some merit that way ha ha. Alcohol and me just don't mix.
     
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  9. RD Spencer

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    I didn’t start drinking until much later than my friends did but I think it actually helped me be a better person. Before I ever drank, I had high anxiety, was very insecure, uptight, close-minded and judgmental. I had walls up everywhere in my mind, didn’t like myself at all and was an asshole to everyone. One day my friends made a drink and handed it to me, I was like why bother holding out anymore.

    The thing I noticed was with drinking was a big drop in anxiety, I was able to relax, drop the walls in my mind and let go of a lot of the BS in my head. I was a much happier and nicer person. I made it a point to hold onto this frame of mind all the time, not just when drinking, so I didn’t need to rely on alcohol to feel better. I feel like it was a major turning point in feeling better about and accepting myself. My mind was in a dark place and I found a window to escape through.

    As for drinking, I enjoy a good buzz but getting out right drunk makes sick so I keep it under control. Don’t like pot because it causes massive anxiety. When it comes to people pushing drugs and alcohol though, pot smokers are by far the worst. Something about pot makes users very uncomfortable around sober people.
     
  10. That1Guy

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    After struggling with substances, any alteration of my mind via substances disturbs me. I never want to be in an altered state again.
     
    #10 That1Guy, Dec 11, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2020
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