To Drink or Not To Drink--that is the question - Writers Forum

smilinghelps · 06-02-2008, 08:22 AM

Over the past few months I've noticed a lot of people mention, "I don't drink at all anymore", quite often. Some of you are fairly young too.

It's not something you see everyday as a rule. Most people of drinking age do drink, even if not too often. Of all of my friends and acquaintances, I have two friends who don't drink. One is a recovering alcoholic, the other just had one too many bad experiences as a young drinker but will have the occasional margarita during the summer, althought that is quite rare.

I find it interesting that in a group of artists there are so many here who don't indulge (which is a good thing, don't get me wrong).

So my question is: Are you a drinker?

If yes, is it a big part of your life?

If no, is there a specific reason for your abstinence? And now that you're a non-indulger how do you feel about those who do?

I will answer this myself, since I feel like it's rude to expect others to reveal something that I wouldn't.

Yes, I am a drinker. It is not a big part of my life, but I do enjoy certain beverages when I'm out or during a quiet evening in. I love red wine but will only drink it in cool weather. In the summertime I like fruity, light beverages or those hard teas, which don't taste like alcohol. I don't like to get drunk, although a light buzz is fun when I'm not driving. I'm the daughter of a recovered alcoholic and am divorcing an alcoholic, so I feel it's important for me to be responsible about my consumption and teach my daughter the difference.

Writ-with-Hand · 06-02-2008, 08:56 AM

I don't drink to often but I'm going to at least try fasting from it for a while. This last semester I drank more often than I usually have in many years. Instead of maybe a little once every 2 months I was drinking usually once every week.

I don't like some of the things that were happening. I'm not going into most of that though.

I got into a fist fight a little over a week ago while intoxicated. At first I thought I might have gotten my arm broke as a I blocked a brick thrown at me, with the bone of my forearm up towards my elbow. (kind of in the fashion one throws one of the Muay Thai style elbow strikes)

LadyWolf · 06-02-2008, 09:06 AM

I used to be heavily into booze, but I abandoned the practice nearly twenty-four years ago. It was that, or die. Happily, I made the decision to live, and it's all good.

If people choose to drink, that's fine with me, as long as they don't then run over small children or drive their cars into my living room. Seems little enough to ask, no?

~ L ~

HarryG · 06-02-2008, 09:27 AM

Didn't Dean Martin say, “I'd hate to be sober, when you wake up in the morning, that's as good as you're going to feel all day,” or something close to that.

There's a vast difference between people drinking moderately in good company, and the alcoholics lining our city gutters. There's a vast difference between those young British binge drinkers spewing and fighting and turning our town centres into war zones every weekend, and the pensioner strolling into his club in the evening for a couple of pints if Guinness.

After a hard day's work, especially at weekends, I like to reward myself with a JD, or three. During an earlier, stress-filled career, it used to be a lot more. When I was younger, and in training, I didn't drink at all.

Horses for courses, and isn't it nice to still have some freedom of choice?

edropus · 06-02-2008, 09:27 AM

I drink, pretty much anything you put in front of me. Mostly hard liquor. About every other weekend or so. I'll also just drink beer with meals or on a hot day.

Mmmmmm.

PageOfCups · 06-02-2008, 09:39 AM

I don't drink at all, though if I get sick of one of my friends pestering me about it I will try what ever they're drinking but a sip is the most I've ever had.

There are a few reasons I don't drink. The first is that I have an alcoholic uncle and my family tends to get unpleasant if they drink too much, not violent or anything, but they say things they wouldn't usually say, so I haven't been given much of a good impression of alcohols effects. Then being the only sober one among my friends (it's only happened once) just showed me how idiotic people acted without realising it.

Pluss the the idea of being drunk just doesn't apleal to me at all and the only alcoholic drink I've tried that didn't taste disgusting just tasted like leomonade but cost £2.50. Why not just buy the lemonade?

As for my opinion of people that drink, it doesn't tend to bother me because for the most part I don't like the environment where people get drunk (night clubs, the music is rubbish for the most part and I don't like being surounded by that many people anyway) so I aviod it unless there's a rock/metal night on or I'm with another one of my friends that doesn't drink.

DarkHorse220 · 06-02-2008, 09:45 AM

I still drink. Usually once, maybe twice any given week, my wife and I will walk down to one of the bars and have a few beers. That's about the extent of it these days.

In my early 20s I was a typical dumbass party-drinker. That lasted up until I was 25 or so, at which point I just kinda stopped. No real reason, just got tired of it and dropped it back to what I do now.

smilinghelps · 06-02-2008, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryG

Didn't Dean Martin say, “I'd hate to be sober, when you wake up in the morning, that's as good as you're going to feel all day,” or something close to that.

There's a vast difference between people drinking moderately in good company, and the alcoholics lining our city gutters. There's a vast difference between those young British binge drinkers spewing and fighting and turning our town centres into war zones every weekend, and the pensioner strolling into his club in the evening for a couple of pints if Guinness.

Horses for courses, and isn't it nice to still have some freedom of choice?

Yes, it certainly is.

And you're absolutely right there is a HUGE difference between an alcoholic and a social drinker, part of why I make it a point to show my daughter the difference (in my actions, not so much in words). Although not all drunks are littering the gutters (I know you didn't mean it that way solely).

My ex is an alcoholic and was quite good at it too. He held a job 60+ hours per week and worked endlessly on our home. But he drank only four things--coffee, occasional water, beer and vodka. At work it was coffee and water. At home it was coffee, beer and vodka--and wine on a special occasion. He was a high functioning alcoholic, if there is such a thing. My mother was very similar but she hid her alcohol in her coffee and iced tea. Throughout my childhood, we didn't know that she drank--but she was wasted nearly everday. We just thought she was like Cybil, with multiple personalities. Each liquor effected her differently and brought out a different persona.

Because of those experiences, you'd think that I would see alcohol as taboo and perhaps I do. I just think it's all that much more important to be open and responsible about. My parents frown on us adult children who drink--expecting to find those traits that my mother possessed, my one sister has the same problem my mother had, the rest of us so far, free and clear. But we're hypersensitive, maybe that's a good thing.

Malone · 06-02-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

the only alcoholic drink I've tried that didn't taste disgusting just tasted like leomonade but cost £2.50. Why not just buy the lemonade?

Because the lemonade with alcohol in it gets you drunk. I think you missed the point of the drink.

PageOfCups · 06-02-2008, 10:05 AM

I don't see the apeal in getting drunk, so of course I'd miss it. Most of my friends know it's a waste of time getting me to try drinks now anyway.

Ungood · 06-02-2008, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smilinghelps

Over the past few months I've noticed a lot of people mention, "I don't drink at all anymore", quite often. Some of you are fairly young too.

It's not something you see everyday as a rule. Most people of drinking age do drink, even if not too often. Of all of my friends and acquaintances, I have two friends who don't drink. One is a recovering alcoholic, the other just had one too many bad experiences as a young drinker but will have the occasional margarita during the summer, althought that is quite rare.

I find it interesting that in a group of artists there are so many here who don't indulge (which is a good thing, don't get me wrong).

So my question is: Are you a drinker?

Nope.

Quote:

If no, is there a specific reason for your abstinence? And now that you're a non-indulger how do you feel about those who do?

I don't like the flavor of liquor, but if we get a chance to meet, I'll bring the booze if you bring the burgers.

Ungood.

smilinghelps · 06-02-2008, 11:41 AM

Sounds great, I love a good bbq.

alanmt · 06-02-2008, 11:49 AM

I am a social drinker. It's not a big part of my life, but I enjoy beer and wine and the occasional mixed drink. I rarely drink at home.

seigfried007 · 06-02-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote:

So my question is: Are you a drinker?

If yes, is it a big part of your life?

If no, is there a specific reason for your abstinence? And now that you're a non-indulger how do you feel about those who do?

Nope, I don't drink.

I have plenty of negative experiences to back it up but also write characters and have met several peope who drink and are great people. Some alcoholics are perfectly sane and functional people (as well as they can be), hide their addiction well or function well enough regardless. So long as they don't drive plastered or do something idiotic and dangerous, I've got no beef with them.

However, I've had all of three alcoholic beverages (one night) and what I learned was that alcohol apparently makes me irritable and I don't get any of the pleasant side effects (but coming down from the mirthless buzz gives me a wretched headache).

I don't really see what's to like about it for myself--it's expensive, I don't care for the taste and it might make more more nasty to be around and I'd much rather have a firm grip on my tongue in the presense of other living creatures. I don't want to find out that I'm a mad drunk.

RomanticRose · 06-02-2008, 12:17 PM

I stopped drinking completely. Mostly because every time I drank I woke up in jail or with a new tattoo or (on one occasion) both.

Apparently, alcohol doesn't agree with me, or it agrees with me a little too well.