Has anyone given up the demon drink?

Littlejimmy

Littlejimmy

Well-known member
Sorry for bringing up such a subject but...

If so, how was it? Did you feel like a social leper or not? Did people give you looks and ask awkward questions? What do you drink instead when at a social event?

I'm starting to think I am going to have to do it and go tee-total. I've reduced it quite a bit but it still plays havoc with me when I have even a few drinks. I think for the sake of my health I just need to give it up. There seems to be quite a big market for alcohol-free beer, wine and spirits these days... I will miss single malt whisky most of all.
 
i mainly drink water if i go out . I try not to stay out too late these days. I've never had an issue with alcohol, but i much prefer being level headed at the moment. I probably will drink alcohol about 5-8 times during the year.
 
I haven't given up but for a number of years I have been drinking for taste and enjoyment rather than effect. Instead of getting slaughtered and binge drinking beer I enjoy trying different wines, gins and whisky in particular.

I would liken it to giving up chain smoking cigarettes to be a discerning irregular cigar smoker instead.
 
I have to all intents and purposes. It wasn't a deliberate effort as such, I just stopped if you know what I mean.
Thankfully it's never been a habit for me so it was really easy to do as I never had any cravings. This is probably not a very helpful response as I could sit down and have a drink now and not worry about it becoming a habit.
 
I did. Not from any conscious thought or worry. I was going to meet some friends in a Wetherspoons about 10 minutes walk from where I live. As I put my shoes on I was quite looking forward to a pint. By the time I reached the pub I had somehow lost the taste for beer and it hasn't returned. In two years I have had three pints. Once raising a glass to commemorate a friend who'd died and two in the Eston and Normanby club as I was passing back through. I can't say I've missed it in the slightest, and also can't say I've stopped for good. Who knows if the taste might return.
 
I've not drunk heavily for a few years.

The fear 2 or 3 days after wasn't worth it.

Doesn't stop me having a couple of pints, or the odd nip of something stronger from time to time. There are indeed some decent alcohol free ales out there these days.

Generally happier and lighter for it.

Socially, a fair few of my friends are of the same mindset.
 
I am a very light drinker these days. The odd rum on a Friday Saturday night and I can and do go weeks or months between alcohol passing my lips.

There is a strange attitude to drinking in England (probably UK but I wouldn't like to speculate) that if you choose not to have a drink you are not really "enjoying yourself". I will often go to a gig and I'm quite happy to drive, I will enjoy the music and have a couple of diet cokes. But some of my mates seem puzzled that I am happy to do this. It is the concept that to truly "enjoy yourself" you have to be slightly inebriated that is the problem.

Not drinking shouldn't be an oddity but sometimes it feels like it is.
 
I tried and failed. But probably drink less than 10 % of what I did. I never bothered with shorts and do not like wine, red or white
 
I rarely drink these days, even for the last 5 or so years I'll only drink a few times per year, it was usually a blowout when I did but recently I don't even do that anymore. I'll have a pint if I fancy it but usually I don't feel like it.

Must admit it does get a bit annoying/boring when you don't have a drink and everyone looks at you and says "why not?", "are you being good?", "just have one", "it won't hurt you", "go onnnn" etc etc. No I'm not being good, I just simply don't fancy a drink. Then next time you're around the same people you have to answer the same questions all over again so quite often I won't go because I can't be bothered with the hassle. Similar to what @Muttley was talking about, it's like you HAVE to drink or you're seen as strange.
 
Thanks for all the answers. Interesting. Most seem to be able to moderate it but I struggle with that aspect. If I have one or two, I find I want more...and I usually end up wanting to eat crap as well. Probably just as well to stop altogether in that case. It can only do me good.
 
Haven't had a drink for six years. Used to far too much, social drinker, work/drink/work/drink ... got too much. I do miss a good pale blonde ale in a nice country pub out the way though.

Shame how much it seems to have changed my social life, where I live it's all anyone does. Can't stand being stood in a busy pub sober ... find other things to do now instead.

I did have six pints of Birra about two years ago when meeting up with an old friend, however. Can't even remember getting home :ROFLMAO: ... just can't seem to have a pint without not enjoying it anymore, never refreshing. Just makes me feel sluggish and awful.

Ah well. Maybe I'll get back on the demon one day but certainly not anytime soon :ROFLMAO:
 
Was never a heavy drinker, but gave it up completely after my daughter was born in 2015. As she's on the spectrum, it wasn't worth the risk to even be slightly tipsy if she needed me for anything. Since then, I pretty much drink water and tea. I can't even be doing with soft drinks now, find them too sweet.

Don't feel like an outcast for it, if people want to judge, thats on them them, I don't really give a monkey's.
 
I gave up More than a year ago.

I'd never done it before so wasn't sure howit was going to go but it was fine and I haven't touched a drop since.
Being in lockdown was my prompt to do it. I had a bit more time on my hands and I'd taken up cycling and the pubs were closed. It seemed like a good time to try.

Generally I feel a lot healthier, especially in the gastric dept. I do miss a glass of wine with a meal but certainly don't miss the guilt of 1 glass turning into a bottle a night, just to take the edge off my work (stress relief).
 
Stopped 15 years ago after many attempts. Find I now go for a meal more regularly with friends (so alcohol isn't an issue) and less just out for a drink, on drink occasions switch between fizzy water and fruit juice.
As above 'Don't feel like an outcast for it, if people want to judge, thats on them, however, over the years have found they now accept it as normal for me and often get people saying they wish the could do the same.
 
Chappy112 said:
I rarely drink these days, even for the last 5 or so years I'll only drink a few times per year, it was usually a blowout when I did but recently I don't even do that anymore. I'll have a pint if I fancy it but usually I don't feel like it.

Must admit it does get a bit annoying/boring when you don't have a drink and everyone looks at you and says "why not?", "are you being good?", "just have one", "it won't hurt you", "go onnnn" etc etc. No I'm not being good, I just simply don't fancy a drink. Then next time you're around the same people you have to answer the same questions all over again so quite often I won't go because I can't be bothered with the hassle. Similar to what @Muttley was talking about, it's like you HAVE to drink or you're seen as strange.
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It’s human response when they feel threatened. This country has a big drink problem, and someone not drinking makes them feel threatened.

similar responses to vegans too
 
Littlejimmy said:
Sorry for bringing up such a subject but...

If so, how was it? Did you feel like a social leper or not? Did people give you looks and ask awkward questions? What do you drink instead when at a social event?

I'm starting to think I am going to have to do it and go tee-total. I've reduced it quite a bit but it still plays havoc with me when I have even a few drinks. I think for the sake of my health I just need to give it up. There seems to be quite a big market for alcohol-free beer, wine and spirits these days... I will miss single malt whisky most of all.
Click to expand...
I haven't given it up but it's certainly something I've thought about. Not a massive drinker but on the odd occasion when I drink too much, I feel on a bit of a downer for days after. The older I get the more I realise it's probably not worth it.
 
Never thought about it TBH, though I've never been a big drinker

Go out with a very good mate of mine about 4 times a year & enjoy it

Rarely drink at home, even @WeeGord with his Friday beer threads won't get me drinking too much
 
Littlejimmy said:
Thanks for all the answers. Interesting. Most seem to be able to moderate it but I struggle with that aspect. If I have one or two, I find I want more...and I usually end up wanting to eat crap as well. Probably just as well to stop altogether in that case. It can only do me good.
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I was similar in that I would struggle to have just one or two, if I was drinking I was doing so to get hammered.
Lockdown and a pregnant girlfriend meant I stopped drinking at all, there’s nothing worse than drinking with someone who can’t drink. I hadn’t really missed it.
I went on a stag do and ended up drinking quite heavily about a month or so ago, and the awful feeling for days afterwards has put me off drinking again since. I’m not the total but the longer i go without drinking, and the harder I find it to want to drink.
 
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