Non drinkers and reasons behind it

[blackdog]

I guess NZ does have a culture where we just have to drink until we are written off and suffering the next day. I am an occasional drinker with a VERY occasional binge. ANZAC day is one of those where I have more than my share and thankfully I woke up on the 26th feeling great, not normal after a big night. Other than that I very rarely drink although last Christmas I found I was drinking a couple of RTDs every night for no reason at all.

If you are concerned about drinking and think you may have a problem, GPs are a good start for advice(as in General Practitioner not something to do with speed!!!!)and I believe that AA do a good job if you reallly want to change.

A work colleague has not had a drink for 30 years, still calls himself an Alcoholic and says that even now, if he had a drink it would be the start of aa downward spiral. Alcoholism is not a weakness, it is an illness.

Agree fully with stopping drinking with the help of a doctor. Alcohol detox is not nice, and can be extremely dangerous depending on the extent of the abuse.

[wysper]

I guess I am pretty lucky on this front.

Course I did the stupid drink too much as a teenager, but we always did it away from town so there was no driving later.

Plus I don't like beer or wine and didn't give a shit if people thought I was soft because of it. So I never had a problem saying no to drinking.
I had good mates too, they never pushed the issue.

In my late teens I decided drinking was a waste of money and I wanted to spend my money on other things.... so I did.

Now I have the very occasional burbon or whiskey and leave it at that. I am now 40 and have never missed drinking. Or being drunk.

As I said. I was/am lucky in this respect.

[Road kill]

I don't drink alcohol,,I don't have any particular reasons why.

I used to, but stopped due to a lack of interest more than any thing else I guess.

[The Singing Chef]

Cut down my drinking a lot from a few years back. At 15 I was getting started on hard spirits which inevitably put me into hospital with Alc poisoning and Hypothermia which nearly killed me, then there was waking up with scars down my body and pictures from the night before. Stopped for a little while after that and then got back into it with a big box of Speights every weekend and lots of shots.

Figured it was a waste of time and I am sick of throwing up so just didn't drink much after that, I have a few now, more when I go out to town (Mmm tequila.)

Never been a huge addiction/problem for me though, now smoking on the other hand.

[avgas]

I am reading this at work, with Corona in hand.

But on the upside I have created a lovely 19" Rack for the sales guys to take to a show on Monday. Isn't it sexy - best thing is it actually works and does what its supposed to.

But I have to admit I have cut down my drinking quite substantially. Primary reason is I no longer have friends to drink with. Back when I was managing a team of service tech seemed to be the norm to have 4-5 beers a night. Now I have that in a month.

[unstuck]

Still have not found my clothes from a drinking session at the brownsy one night many moons ago, I woke up stark naked lying face down in the middle of the bowling green across the road. Not much fun running home at morning rush hour draped in their flag.

[blackdog]

Another thing to bear in mind is that if you have been dependant and cease your alcohol intake those calories are going to have to be replaced to sustain your body.

Prepare for an appetite with a vengeance after the initial withdrawals have subsided.

[MadDuck]

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 7 years ago. My response was "stuff it...it wont kill me". I think it was abit of denial as this only happens to really fat people. Seems that is not the case at all.

About 18 months ago I got a call from the doctor which sent me into a spin so things had to change. That day I gave up smoking and all alcohol. I changed my diet and started all over again. Hell I lost 20kgs. I went to a mates 40th last month and I think it took two glasses of wine and it was all over...lol

I do not miss the drinking at all. I have just adapted my life to be without it and the result has been having my diabetes well under control.

[**R1**]

I don't drink, i hate the feeling and watching other people drunk reminds me why i stopped,

alcohol is such a nasty drug

if you ask around there is way better highs out there

[Scuba_Steve]

I'll start by saying I drink, I enjoy it. But I enjoy vehicles more...
So when I don't want to drink cause I wants to drive, I don't take money to buy (if going pub) or I don't take drink (if private) works well. If you don't have drink or the means to get drink you won't be drinking

Vodka!!!

[Oakie]

I drink a little but haven't been anywhere near drunk since a wet day in a tent at Hanmer Springs with Mrs Oakie a couple of months ago.

The day before that I invited a lone biker over to our site for a beer and a yack. He said he stopped drinking years ago because it made him make bad decisions. Fair enough. We brewed him a coffee instead and still had a yack.

I don't like the time wasted suffering a hangover so usually stop well before that point.

[Geeen]

I'm not exactly a tea totaler but I'm close. I'll have the odd decent whiskey every now and then (6 - 8+ months between drinks). The main reason is I have no desire to drink, I don't see alcoholic drinks as anything special. Would much rather have OJ or this Lemon tea I drink. As others have said it gives you more $$ for the important things like my bike and Wife.

[Usarka]

Fuck this I'm pissed as a cunt's ingrown hair flap.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Agree fully with stopping drinking with the help of a doctor. Alcohol detox is not nice, and can be extremely dangerous depending on the extent of the abuse.

It killed Amy Winehouse.

[caspernz]

Alcohol is something I can take or leave, can go weeks without anything. On occasion will down a couple, but I've gotten past enjoying hangovers, so that's enough for me.

Same goes for coffee and diet in general. What you described Ginger...sounds kinda diabolical, but you'll know that already. Plenty of good advice posted already, and it's valid. Coffee and any kind of caffeinated drinks keep you buzzing, and this will bugger your sleep. Personally I stay away from them in the last 3 or so hours before bedtime.

Some of the guys I work with laugh at my daily routine, the stuff I eat and the distilled water with Ribena that I drink by the gallon. Used to be the same when I stopped drinking lots at social gatherings, guys n gals used to give me grief and called me all manner of things. Boohoo, I had a thick skin already, it just got thicker.

You'll need to decide what works for you, I'm sure you'll do the right thing....