So, who doesn't drink?

[Anonymous]

I don't drink more than 8-10 times a year, mostly socially and occasionally if we fix a fancy dinner at home we'll pop open a bottle of wine. Grew up in Europe, so drinking with meals was not a big deal and my parents let me have a sip of wine or beer or whatever fairly early on. I never thought alcolol was a big deal and I think I only got drunk twice my whole life. My drinking habits are pretty much a mirror of my parents'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you teetotalers, how do you relax? I run alot, but sometimes a glass or two of wine provides relaxation that exercise, yoga or even sex just don't. Don't flame me - I don't drink at all during the week, and not to excess on the weekends, I'm just curious.

I'm one of the non-drinkers...I don't find I need to "do" anything to relax. I don't have a high-stress job, my family is (thankfully) relatively healthy, and if I have some time free in the evenings after kids go to bed, I read a book or watch some tv. I do like to work out, don't do it as often as I'd like, but that helps too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you teetotalers, how do you relax? I run alot, but sometimes a glass or two of wine provides relaxation that exercise, yoga or even sex just don't. Don't flame me - I don't drink at all during the week, and not to excess on the weekends, I'm just curious.

I'm an exerciser too, that definitly relaxes me. I'm a working mom and quite honestly, coming home from work and playing with my kids melts the world around me away. I guess the beauty of being a working mom is that being home is such a treat that I wait for all day. What really gets me down, is when I get home late because I have to do an errand or stay late at work and the kids are already asleep, that makes me feel horrible.

For relaxing, I like to eat a good meal, get in my sweats, and watch someting mind numbing on TV or read a book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't drink, saw a lot of friends get messed up, some died, some became drunks, some are perfectly fine, I have in the past but just don't.

I like the reaction I get when people ask and I say oh it was a result of when I killed a family in a car wreck when I was drunk, their reaction is priceless then I just say because I don’t want to. I usually follow it up by saying “Let me ask you a question now, and ask them something as stupid as the question they asked me like when was the last time they had sex? They usually get the message that they shouldn’t pry into people’s reasons for doing things. Sometimes I don’t tell them that the car wreck was a joke just to watch them squirm more.

Wow, you must be a lot of fun to be around. Assuming that everyone who has a drink in a social setting is going to 1), drink to the point of intoxication, and 2) irresponsibly put themselves behind the wheel of a car.

I have met many people who don't drink and agree that it is rude to question someone's decision and that the mere statement of 'i don't drink' should be left alone. However, it has come up in conversation with close friends and I would be extremely offended if their response was like yours, because in that circumstance, we are usually getting to know each other better. Only a nasty interrogation deserves a nasty response. But not in the context of a normal, civil conversation.

I am really fun and even if I wanted to get to know you, would you mind if i asked did you have an abortion? Did your uncle try to kiss you? Somethings don't matter when getting to know a person. btw relax you are wayyyyyyy too uptight

[Anonymous]

I don't, I don't like the taste of most alcohol. My mother didn't drink much, but my grandparents were drunks. It led to my grandfather dying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't drink, saw a lot of friends get messed up, some died, some became drunks, some are perfectly fine, I have in the past but just don't.

I like the reaction I get when people ask and I say oh it was a result of when I killed a family in a car wreck when I was drunk, their reaction is priceless then I just say because I don’t want to. I usually follow it up by saying “Let me ask you a question now, and ask them something as stupid as the question they asked me like when was the last time they had sex? They usually get the message that they shouldn’t pry into people’s reasons for doing things. Sometimes I don’t tell them that the car wreck was a joke just to watch them squirm more.

Wow, you must be a lot of fun to be around. Assuming that everyone who has a drink in a social setting is going to 1), drink to the point of intoxication, and 2) irresponsibly put themselves behind the wheel of a car.

I have met many people who don't drink and agree that it is rude to question someone's decision and that the mere statement of 'i don't drink' should be left alone. However, it has come up in conversation with close friends and I would be extremely offended if their response was like yours, because in that circumstance, we are usually getting to know each other better. Only a nasty interrogation deserves a nasty response. But not in the context of a normal, civil conversation.

I am really fun and even if I wanted to get to know you, would you mind if i asked did you have an abortion? Did your uncle try to kiss you? Somethings don't matter when getting to know a person. btw relax you are wayyyyyyy too uptight

YOU are calling HER uptight? Umkay!

[Anonymous]

Family full of addicts so I decided drinking was not a good idea for me.

[Anonymous]

My grandfather was an alcoholic (as was his father, probably, and perhaps even further back). As a result, my parents were very careful, conscious drinkers (cutting back when they started drinking wine every night with dinner, etc.) I drink very rarely, no doubt a result of this family history, but also because I dislike the taste of beer and only tolerate most wines.

[Anonymous]

I use to drink a lot in college but in the past few years since I had kids, I cant handle it anymore. I am in the same boat as most posters here.....I am a total lightweight and get a hangover after 2 drinks. Not fun with 2 toddlers.
I do enjoy wine very much and drink it socially only - when we are out to a nice restaurant or having dinner with friends, but never during the week or at a family restaurant. I would say I have 1-2 glasses a week maximum and it has to be a good bottle of wine otherwise it is not worth it to me. I dont drink any other type of alcohol except maybe a mojito once a year at the beach.
My parents did not drink at all.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Wow, I did not expect all these responses...but thank you! I too used to drink in college and my early twenties, but only when going out with my friends or partying.

I have found working out, being creative, playing with my son and watching mind numbing reality t.v. help me to relax.

My Mom was not a drinker. A glass of wine here or there, but that was about it.

Thanks everyone, I would still like to hear more!

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of alcohol abuse in my extended family. My father is an alcoholic and drank himself into a coma a few years ago. Just watching him miraculously recover from that scared the shit out of me. It is not an easy detox to witness.

Aside from that, I've never really had a taste for anything alcoholic. I probably have 0-5 drinks per year.

As far as relaxing, I have never had a difficult time unwinding. TV, books, whatever.

I do find it extremely awkward when people ask why I don't drink when I'm out and about professionally. I usually tell them I don't like wine (which is usually what's being served) but in my head I'm thinking geesh, do you really want me to tell you about growing up with an alcoholic while at a work function because that seems unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

I drink beer and wine (rarely liquor), but I've dated two guys who didn't drink. One just didn't like the taste of alcohol. One was terrified to even taste alcohol (had never had so much as a drop) because he had a father and 2 brothers who were serious alcoholics. Some of my friends don't drink; they go to bars/clubs and don't drink. (I went to bars when I was pregnant and had a great time sober.) People should do what works for them. If "not drinking" is that, cool. Probably saves a ton of money!

[Anonymous]

I don't drink at all. I grew up in a home with little to no alcohol, and I never saw my parents drink at all. There was alcohol mostly for cooking, and we were allowed a sip to taste, but that was it.
I have no taste for it, and I don't even know what drinks are out there.
It took me a while to be comfortable with myself, and simply refuse a glass of wine instead of putting it to my lips and pretending to drink. I am also no longer embarrassed because I don't know what a bloody mary is.
I might have had a total of 5 ounces of alcohol in my life (including rum cakes), and think that I will drink no more than that for the rest of my life. No religion too.

[Anonymous]

You know, now that I think about it, it is odd that people are like " you don't drink? Why don't you drink?" I used to smoke pot, but would never ask someone why they don't smoke pot. I used to smoke cigarettes, but never thought to ask someone why they didn't. Though, my cousin who is a vegetarian gets "You don't eat meat? Why don't you eat meat?" A lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't drink, saw a lot of friends get messed up, some died, some became drunks, some are perfectly fine, I have in the past but just don't.

I like the reaction I get when people ask and I say oh it was a result of when I killed a family in a car wreck when I was drunk, their reaction is priceless then I just say because I don’t want to. I usually follow it up by saying “Let me ask you a question now, and ask them something as stupid as the question they asked me like when was the last time they had sex? They usually get the message that they shouldn’t pry into people’s reasons for doing things. Sometimes I don’t tell them that the car wreck was a joke just to watch them squirm more.

You sound lovely.