Does anyone on here not drink?

[ndj101982]

I was wondering if there are any other members on here who do not drink alcohol? I have been a drinker off and on in the past. I went from 25 (1/2) to 27 (1/2) without ever drinking at all. However, I found that time period to be pretty lonely for me because of the lack of social interaction. Everyone of my friends practically live at the bar if they aren't working, so trying to avoid situations where I knew I'd drink meant avoid bars, and ultimately not being with that group of friends. I returned to drinking for a 6 month spand recently, and after blowing a shit-ton of money that could've gone to better use, as well as falling and breaking my ankle because I was drunk and trying to run on an icy surface, I decided to call it quits again.

I have been the past 6 weeks without drinking and it has once again become a pretty isolated lifestyle for myself. I know many people on here will suggest "go to a bar and just don't drink." That is not gonna happen for me. If I'm around alcohol I will give definitely give in and drink. Others may suggest "drink in moderation." Also decent advice, but I know that I never drink in moderation so I think it is best to just flat out avoid any situations where I'd be tempted to drink.

I guess what I'm getting at is, how do you have a somewhat active social life if you don't want to drink? I mean, I feel like it's almost impossible to meet girls or even find people to hang out with on weekends unless you're willing to go to a bar. Does anyone else on here not drink or not hang out at bars, and if so, how is your social life?

 

[TropicThunder]

This is definitely not my area of expertise, because I have no social life, but I'll try.

The trick is to take what your interests are, like say exercise and staying in shape, which I know already is something that's important to you, and find events and social circles that lie within your interests. Join a running club, take a class, and meet people there.

I myself am limited because I can't go out and drink or be a social butterly because I am home with my son all the time, and I never see any of my friends, except for once every few weeks when we have a munch. So once the weather warms, I'm taking him to alot of family friendly events, where maybe I'll get lucky and meet other people who are in a similar situation and find someone to hang out with.

It's hard, it really is.

 

[Brock Samson]

I'm not much of a bar person. Places like Slick Willies, Fast Eddies, and Dave & Buster's are my normal hangouts when I do go out. I consider myself a drinker, in that I don't ever go 2 days without taking a drink. I don't have an extremely busy social life due to my occupation. I mean, when others are having fun, I'm usually the one working making sure their fun is legal.

 

[Mitchell]

I'm not what you would consider a "social butterfly", but, my close friends are not heavy drinkers. One has given up drinking completely, and another has a beer or glass of wine on occasion. I myself have not had a drink in many years, because if you've read my posts before, I have high BP, and am on meds, so the Dr does not want me to drink.

It was already said, but I'll echo it. The key is to try and find friends who share common interests that you have, other than drinking. Try to seek out people who aren't focused on it. For myself, when I look for new friends, or a gf in the future, I'm going to look for people who would, enjoy going to a movie, a baseball game, a mall, a political or meeting event, which does not involve drinking. I'm not saying that if I met people who wanted to have an occasional drink, that I would shun them completely, but.. I would not want to be focused on friends.. or date or fall in a love with a girl, where their focus was drinking, because I would have nothing in common with them.

I hope my advice helps. Good Luck to you.

Mitch

 

[tickledorange]

I don't drink, but it's because I can't stand the taste of alcohol. People keep telling me it's an acquired taste, but I just don't like it.

 

[c7_assassin]

Bookstores are a good place to meet women. Not much drinking going on there (except for us really good drinkers).

 

[ndj101982]

Bookstores are a good place to meet women. Not much drinking going on there (except for us really good drinkers).

I feel like the commercial media has brainwashed us into believing that alcohol is the ONLY way to enjoy life. I think it's hilarious how every beer commercial has an average guy surrounded by hot girls that are out of his league. They make it seem like drinking is the only possible way to socialize. What you don't see are the more likely signs of what happens with drinking. DUIs, fights, throwing up, making an asshole out of yourself, ect.

 

[c7_assassin]

I agree. I'm a drinking man, but I must admit that every single real relationship I've had has started without the aid of alcohol. Unless you're a complete asshat, you always come off better when you're sober.

 

[Tickleslave83]

I don't drink cause i never liked the taste of alcohol, have a family history of alcohol, poor self control, an addictive personality, personal issues that could lead me to drink etc. Also I have severe acid reflux disease so was advised not to drink. I don't really like bars or crowded places in general, I'm borderline agoraphobic. I also don't drive or have a job so that's a factor. I have a very limited social life and no sex life.

 

[asutickler]

I rarely drink. If I'm going to consume something bad for me, it's damn well going to be made out of chocolate.

 

[rosewood]

I don't, and I don't intend to, honestly. I didn't spend time with people who did that sort of thing in high school (too much of a dork ) and I find it...a little sad when people seem to think drinking is the only way to enjoy life. It can be fun on a very few occasions, but I don't need or want an escape from life.

 

[ndj101982]

Take your SPAM elsewhere troll!!!!!!

 

[dskodj]

well..viagra seems to be the answer to everything according to spammers, maybe i'll buy some

but back to the topic on hand...

i rarely drink now days, only on very special occasions. when i was in my teens and very early 20s though, i drank TONS, and did other shit too. now days in my aging years, im the most "square" guy anyone would ever meet, aside from smoking cigs (nasty habit i cant kick)

 

[rhiannon]

I usually don't drink alcohol. Sometimes to try how it tastes, but the truth is, most alcoholic beverages just don't taste good to me.

So I have absolutely no problem being the designated driver. I can go to a bar having non-alcoholic beverages all night without shedding tears over it.

I found that time period to be pretty lonely for me because of the lack of social interaction

This sentence scares the hell out of me!

 

[ndj101982]

I usually don't drink alcohol. Sometimes to try how it tastes, but the truth is, most alcoholic beverages just don't taste good to me.

So I have absolutely no problem being the designated driver. I can go to a bar having non-alcoholic beverages all night without shedding tears over it.



This sentence scares the hell out of me!

Why does that scare the hell out of you? It's sort of a sad reality. We live in a society persuaded by television. Every young and single adult seems to waste their time at bars, which means if you don't want to waste your time at bars you're probably not gonna have much else to do on the weekend.

 

[TropicThunder]

Hey you guys, I think we should all go out and drink and take some viagra.

just to shake things up.

 

[Soda Bobinski]

Hey you guys, I think we should all go out and drink and take some viagra.

If that's not a recipe for 'fun' , then I don't know what is.

 

[darkscar]

I don't drink, but it's because I can't stand the taste of alcohol. People keep telling me it's an acquired taste, but I just don't like it.

that's what i said about black coffee, now i love the stuff since i started working graveyard shifts!

I got a problem with social anxiety, I have a hard time getting myself talking to new people. Every time i think about going up to someone i don't know and (this is worse when its a girl). I start to panic and I can't think of what to say or do. Like last week in school it was 6:25pm and a few people in my class where waiting out side the hall for the instructor to come, any normal person would talk to fellow class mates Not Me, I get nervous, start look at the ground or around the area, avoiding eye contact and just shut down. If they come to me and start talking to me then I'm OK but if i got to go in and start talking i cant do it. Is like i don't know how to get a conversation going, or keep it going. Once I get to know someone better I do a lot better, but its that first time its a problem.

Me + Alcohol at a party different story the anxiety is gone and i feel like a million bucks. however i don't do it all the time once in a great long wile will i get drunk.

I can see myself having problems going to clubs, events, or places talking to new people because it is hard for me to meet and great on the spot. Like i can't walk in a bookstore and talk to people there, i freeze up, i go in buy what i need and get out. only person i talk to is workers there.

 

[Flatfoot]

I don't have much of a social life, either, but between work, school, and my family, I don't have much time for much else but sleep. To me, drinking doesn't seem as appealing as it once did, because I have to worry about whether or not I'll be functional at work the next day. I think it's a misconception that social life = night and at bars. Also, bars are EXPENSIVE. It's easier to get drunk buying beer from the store. For this reason, get-togethers at people's houses were always more fun than bars, to me, but the circles were smaller, meaning it's less likely you'll meet someone you haven't already met or known.

What I've noticed lately is that it's actually pretty easy meeting women and striking up conversations from simple small-talk in almost any situation (working, shopping, asking female employees for help in a store, stupid questions about the weather in an elevator, etc.). However, this doesn't really benefit me, since I'm married! My wife and I go out with friends to paint pottery at a place not far from where I live. The activity may sound kinda lame to some, but I've noticed the fact that there are a lot of women who go there, and many are very friendly in that type of environment. Many would compliment me on what I was making, or ask questions that would open up avenues for other conversation. Thinking back, I remembered the same thing when I would go to my stained glass classes in North Carolina. It seems like it would be so easy to get dates, now. Of course, I'm approaching 30 next month, so this could be a mid-life crisis talking.

As a guy, it's difficult to voluntarily get involved in these types of activities without female friends or significant others suggesting them, because we just don't think of them--especially when planning to do things with other guy friends. If you've got some sort of creative outlet, try going this route. Just find random activities and classes to get involved with. I know you just started college again, and if your college is anything like mine, I know there's bulletin boards around the school with different activities posted (You just have to keep in mind there's probably a lot of younger girls involved, which like me, you'd prefer them a little older, but there may be some in your preferred age category, ya just gotta check. ). I'm pretty sure the trick is to go into this without "the hunt" in mind, though, which is challenging when it's what you're thinkin' about a lot. Good luck!

 

[Ekdall98]

I think it's hilarious how every beer commercial has an average guy surrounded by hot girls that are out of his league.

The reason why the girls are always hot is because the guy has drank so much at that point he has beer googles lol

 

[me4o]

I drink weekly, every Friday and Saturday night, have no problems with it, no one does, so it's cool. Of course, I don't get drunk every time. I can just control myself, at least in most of the cases

 

[b0xr]

It seems that your drinking problem is directly impacted by your social life. I quit drinking in 1990. Not because I am an alchoholic, because I am a lousy drunk. It took many years and several embarassing incidents before I learned my lesson. I didn't wind up with a DUI. My wife didn't leave me. But, I just couldn't deal with what alchohol did to me anymore, so I quit. I thought it was going to be very hard at first. I also hung out in a bar where all my friends were. Pool league, dart league, softball league, tag football league. I thought I was going to miss all that, because I couldn't handle my liquor. I was wrong. Life got much better. I was able to go hang out with my friends in bars and not drink,and they were very supportive of me. I got along better with the wife and things started going my way for a change. I hope everything works out for you. If you can't go to bars than just stay away from them. Do it for yourself. Good luck

 

[ndj101982]

It seems that your drinking problem is directly impacted by your social life. I quit drinking in 1990. Not because I am an alchoholic, because I am a lousy drunk. It took many years and several embarassing incidents before I learned my lesson. I didn't wind up with a DUI. My wife didn't leave me. But, I just couldn't deal with what alchohol did to me anymore, so I quit. I thought it was going to be very hard at first. I also hung out in a bar where all my friends were. Pool league, dart league, softball league, tag football league. I thought I was going to miss all that, because I couldn't handle my liquor. I was wrong. Life got much better. I was able to go hang out with my friends in bars and not drink,and they were very supportive of me. I got along better with the wife and things started going my way for a change. I hope everything works out for you. If you can't go to bars than just stay away from them. Do it for yourself. Good luck

What you're saying sounds much like me, except for the friends thing. My friends have NOT been respective of me choosing not to drink when out with them in the past. They bust my balls and order me drinks even when I ask them not to. They also are NOT fun to be around if you are not going to drink because all they do is sit at a bar stool and drain beers and shots until they're extremely hammered. Basically, for me, it is a combination of my inability to handle alcohol when I do drink, along with the fact that the group I hang around with pretty much do nothing else but drink heavily in their spare time.

 

[b0xr]

What you're saying sounds much like me, except for the friends thing. My friends have NOT been respective of me choosing not to drink when out with them in the past. They bust my balls and order me drinks even when I ask them not to. They also are NOT fun to be around if you are not going to drink because all they do is sit at a bar stool and drain beers and shots until they're extremely hammered. Basically, for me, it is a combination of my inability to handle alcohol when I do drink, along with the fact that the group I hang around with pretty much do nothing else but drink heavily in their spare time.

Time to get yourself some new friends. I know that sounds difficult and that you know these guys all your life, but, you have to do whatever it takes to quit drinking for YOU. If your friends can't respect that after the way you've shown them how you are while drinking, then you will never get where you want to be or have what you deserve. Lose the booze and alot of your troubles will go away too. And tell your friends you won't be seeing them for a while.

 

[ndj101982]

Time to get yourself some new friends. I know that sounds difficult and that you know these guys all your life, but, you have to do whatever it takes to quit drinking for YOU. If your friends can't respect that after the way you've shown them how you are while drinking, then you will never get where you want to be or have what you deserve. Lose the booze and alot of your troubles will go away too. And tell your friends you won't be seeing them for a while.

Agreed. I believe that I abuse alcohol when I'm with them because they also abuse alcohol. I think that if I were in a group that didn't abuse drinking, maybe had a couple when they went out, I would also only have a couple because I wouldn't want to get hammered and out of control. I lost the booze for over 2 years and it was the most productive 2 years of my 20s. I got back with the old gang for 6 months and went back to living disastrously. I think finding a new circle to run in is probably the best way to move on with life.