this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
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[–] BruceTwarzen@kbin.social 35 points 9 months ago (6 children)

I think it's only possible to understand how weird drinking is when you don't drink. I quit drinking about 10 years ago and it has just become bormal for me to not drink, think about drinking or miss drinking. But people are so weird about it. "You don't drink? Like never?" "Just a glass?" "But it's really good" "just try it." "You can drink a glass and still drive, you know" "woah, i can't even IMAGINE not to drink."
Also you start to see how drinking is just the norm. On tinder for example: "beer or wine?" "Let's meet on a glas of wine or two." Women who basically brag that they drink wine every day. Women who tell you how important it is to meet on a drink, or drink and talk, ask you about your favourite wine and it goes on and on. I would go as far as the women i see on tinder who have a profile text, about 3/4 mention their alcohol habits or how they are probably drunk right now.

[–] gapbetweenus@feddit.de 24 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

I don't understand why people have problems with other drinking or taking any drugs for that matter. I rarely drink, since I learned to get the effect I desire from alcohol on my own - but others have clearly fun drinking, so why bother?

“You don’t drink? Like never?” “Just a glass?” “But it’s really good” “just try it.” “You can drink a glass and still drive, you know” “woah, i can’t even IMAGINE not to drink.”

You need to change your social circle or so - I can't really remember last time someone tried to pressure me into drinking.

[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Work events are always like that in my experience, I haven’t drank since I had a health issue a couple years ago where the doctor was clear that alcohol must not be taken or the tests will be unable to help me.

Since then all work social events have been hell from people either thinking I’m a recovering alcoholic or terminally ill.

[–] gapbetweenus@feddit.de 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

In my opinion all work social events (or forced social event as a whole) are hell. To be fair I'm freelancer.

[–] rab@lemmy.ca 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's a misery loves company thing, someone being able to refuse alcohol makes them uncomfortable and realize their habit

[–] gapbetweenus@feddit.de 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] rab@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Those people who pressure others to drink just want to bring others down with them

[–] gapbetweenus@feddit.de 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sure, I would just avoid those people in general, since they don't respect me - and it's has nothing to do with alcohol. But than again I don't have any troubles saying no to alcohol.

[–] rab@lemmy.ca 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I have a problem with alcohol but I would never force someone else to drink. I also don't know anyone who pressures me to drink when I don't want to because I don't hang out with shitty people

That's why social drinkers have such a hard time quitting, cuz they have a bunch of friends that are only their friends cuz of drinking. In a way I feel blessed that I prefer to drink alone

[–] taladar@feddit.de 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think it’s only possible to understand how weird drinking is when you don’t drink.

This German satire video substituting heroin for alcohol might make it a bit easier to understand for those immersed in alcohol culture. Unfortunately it only has auto-translated subtitles for other languages.

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 1 points 9 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

This German satire video

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[–] sqgl@beehaw.org 4 points 9 months ago

Look at middle-aged discussion groups on meetup. The ones which involve drinking have the most women (sometimes even a majority) while the others are about 4:1 men.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm a bit different. I absolutely love the taste of (most) beer and (many) cocktails, but I don't like being intoxicated and I absolutely hate being drunk. I like my brain working the way it's supposed to, and let's not even mention hangovers.

This is even weirder than not drinking, because everyone "knows" I do drink alcohol.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

I'd say we are well aligned...I enjoy the feeling of say, 2 drinks but any more than that and I actively shun the feeling... Drinking water and eating food to make it go away. Hangovers are such a waste of a very short life

[–] moitoi@feddit.de 1 points 9 months ago

I was alcoholic and was drunk 4 days a week. I quit 8 years ago and it's my best decision. My health improved a lot and my cognitive capacities too.

I can't remember why I drunk and I now think it was stupid. I just can understand. I'm at the point I can't even eat a chocolate with alcohol. It's like vomiting.

The sensation when you're drunk isn't plaisant. It's seriously bad when I think about it.

The drinking culture is here. People are still surprised when you don't drink. The sometimes don't understand why. I guess it's too deep in the cultural conformism.

[–] CoconutKnight@feddit.de 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I quit drinking alcohol as well and looking back on parties and major celebrations I started asking myself if some of the guests were unable to control their alcohol consuption/ were addicted. A few candidates come to mind.

So wouldn't it be sensible to rule out alcohol at all* to protect those who can't protect themselves, without confronting them with the very uncomfortable and intimate questions?

*not legally, but I wouldn't want it on my parties