I quit drinking entirely about 7 years ago, and tapered off majorly in the years leading up to that. I’m in my late 40s.

100% at it for health reasons. More and more studies coming out linking alcohol to many types of cancer, especially breast cancer - also majorly affects your sleep, and that was a huge driver for me as once I got in my late 30s I started really prioritizing sleep health.

I think the social stigma is lessening as more studies are coming out that no amount of alcohol is good for you. As I’ve gotten older, it’s just been less of a deal. Plenty of my social circle drink, but they don’t care that I’m not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I’ve noticed is that there are many alcoholics walking around who probably have no idea they’re alcoholics. They can’t even get through their child’s practice without a whole bottle of wine in their purse. My husband and I were shocked when the dad hopped out of his car at our kids’ 9 a.m. game with a beer in his hand. It’s truly disturbing. I stopped drinking back in 2005 and don’t miss it at all. I don't need it to socialize or have a good time and I definitely don't need it to relax.

The stereotype of the "addict" keeps a lot of people who really need it away from recovery. You don't have to destroy your whole life to recognize you have a problem. Rock bottom is simply the point where you stop digging.

And if you're bringing your own booze to a kids' game because you can't be sober for a couple hours, you really ought to stop digging.

ITA, but I will say that things like bringing booze to a kid's game, etc. really warps what normal is. I had a pretty bad drinking problem until I quit a couple of years ago and even I was kind of shocked when I realized that all the parents at Trunk or Treat were boozing it up. The kids got candy. They got a refill on their wine. Same with kids' birthday parties. I admit when my kids were really little and the party was really about the adults getting together that I served alcohol, but I stopped serving it when my kids were 4 and the parties became two hours of activities, food, and cake for the kids.

I hope your parties are drop off.. 2 hours of kid activities, gross pizza and cake isn't any parent's ideal way to spend their rare free time. Neither is doing small talk with people you barely see or don't know while sober.

Adults drink at these events (sports, bday parties, etc) because they have to socialize and because they allocate their time off work/chores to these events and not everyone really enjoys this. It's not a rocket science.

Socially-inept people drink to mask their inability to stay present through minor discomforts, like small talk with strangers (which, while occasionally awkward or even unpleasant, won't kill you). If you can't handle 2 hours of sober discomfort for your kid's sake, you suck as a parent and a person. How selfish do you have to be to make a child's party about your "ideal way to spend your rare free time", and what does it say about you that your ideal is being a public drunkard?

Your kid is only little once, and 2 hours of watching them have fun with their peers is a joy, not an ordeal. You need to check your mentality. Try sobering up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I’ve noticed is that there are many alcoholics walking around who probably have no idea they’re alcoholics. They can’t even get through their child’s practice without a whole bottle of wine in their purse. My husband and I were shocked when the dad hopped out of his car at our kids’ 9 a.m. game with a beer in his hand. It’s truly disturbing. I stopped drinking back in 2005 and don’t miss it at all. I don't need it to socialize or have a good time and I definitely don't need it to relax.

The stereotype of the "addict" keeps a lot of people who really need it away from recovery. You don't have to destroy your whole life to recognize you have a problem. Rock bottom is simply the point where you stop digging.

And if you're bringing your own booze to a kids' game because you can't be sober for a couple hours, you really ought to stop digging.

ITA, but I will say that things like bringing booze to a kid's game, etc. really warps what normal is. I had a pretty bad drinking problem until I quit a couple of years ago and even I was kind of shocked when I realized that all the parents at Trunk or Treat were boozing it up. The kids got candy. They got a refill on their wine. Same with kids' birthday parties. I admit when my kids were really little and the party was really about the adults getting together that I served alcohol, but I stopped serving it when my kids were 4 and the parties became two hours of activities, food, and cake for the kids.

I hope your parties are drop off.. 2 hours of kid activities, gross pizza and cake isn't any parent's ideal way to spend their rare free time. Neither is doing small talk with people you barely see or don't know while sober.

Adults drink at these events (sports, bday parties, etc) because they have to socialize and because they allocate their time off work/chores to these events and not everyone really enjoys this. It's not a rocket science.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I’ve noticed is that there are many alcoholics walking around who probably have no idea they’re alcoholics. They can’t even get through their child’s practice without a whole bottle of wine in their purse. My husband and I were shocked when the dad hopped out of his car at our kids’ 9 a.m. game with a beer in his hand. It’s truly disturbing. I stopped drinking back in 2005 and don’t miss it at all. I don't need it to socialize or have a good time and I definitely don't need it to relax.

The stereotype of the "addict" keeps a lot of people who really need it away from recovery. You don't have to destroy your whole life to recognize you have a problem. Rock bottom is simply the point where you stop digging.

And if you're bringing your own booze to a kids' game because you can't be sober for a couple hours, you really ought to stop digging.

ITA, but I will say that things like bringing booze to a kid's game, etc. really warps what normal is. I had a pretty bad drinking problem until I quit a couple of years ago and even I was kind of shocked when I realized that all the parents at Trunk or Treat were boozing it up. The kids got candy. They got a refill on their wine. Same with kids' birthday parties. I admit when my kids were really little and the party was really about the adults getting together that I served alcohol, but I stopped serving it when my kids were 4 and the parties became two hours of activities, food, and cake for the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the 20-30 a week person: do any of these people have health issues from alcohol? This seems like the way I drank in my 20s /early 30s.

Sigh. I wish alcohol wasn’t so bad for you. I enjoy drinking and can’t smoke pot (fed).

I am not sure it's really such a terrible poison if in moderation and for otherwise healthy people who don't also eat junk and have unhealthy lifestyle in other aspects. When some message starts getting around and becomes a new "lifestyle fad" without much nuance.. I am going to be suspicious. I feel the same about keto diets and "sugar is poison" messaging as well. It's not convincing enough for me to quit drinking as I enjoy it in social setting in moderation and also pairing with some foods. And some social events related to school, sports, jobs, etc where a lot of people gather who barely know each other or are strangers trying to strike small talk are absolutely unbearable without alcohol. Flame away, I don't care.

The good news is that you don’t have to trust DCUM. There is a ton of information/scientific study on the toxicity and addictive qualities of alcohol, including what it does to the human body. If you want to understand the nuance, you can. If you want to ignore that, do so at your own risk.

I ignored it for a long time too, no judgment here.

The good news is that I don't have to obsess over it unlike most of the posters in this thread.
But thanks for your veiled judgement "advice"

It’s pushed in every other song because the booze conglomerates literally own the music conglomerates and vice versa. Example:

Universal Music Group was acquired by Seagrams, an alcohol conglomerate. Seagrams was founded by the billionaire Bronfman family.

Anonymous wrote:What I’ve noticed is that there are many alcoholics walking around who probably have no idea they’re alcoholics. They can’t even get through their child’s practice without a whole bottle of wine in their purse. My husband and I were shocked when the dad hopped out of his car at our kids’ 9 a.m. game with a beer in his hand. It’s truly disturbing. I stopped drinking back in 2005 and don’t miss it at all. I don't need it to socialize or have a good time and I definitely don't need it to relax.

The real reason why all the mommy’s love Stanley cups is because half the time there’s a cocktail or wine in there.

I drink 5-10 times a year and I've never noticed that. I don't abstain from alcohol for any reason other than I don't want to drink most of the time, so it doesn't bother me if a server asks if I want a drink, I see a commercial, someone offers me a glass of wine at a dinner party. I just ignore or say no and move on. Maybe because you're working to avoid it you're noticing it more?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the 20-30 a week person: do any of these people have health issues from alcohol? This seems like the way I drank in my 20s /early 30s.

Sigh. I wish alcohol wasn’t so bad for you. I enjoy drinking and can’t smoke pot (fed).

I am not sure it's really such a terrible poison if in moderation and for otherwise healthy people who don't also eat junk and have unhealthy lifestyle in other aspects. When some message starts getting around and becomes a new "lifestyle fad" without much nuance.. I am going to be suspicious. I feel the same about keto diets and "sugar is poison" messaging as well. It's not convincing enough for me to quit drinking as I enjoy it in social setting in moderation and also pairing with some foods. And some social events related to school, sports, jobs, etc where a lot of people gather who barely know each other or are strangers trying to strike small talk are absolutely unbearable without alcohol. Flame away, I don't care.

The good news is that you don’t have to trust DCUM. There is a ton of information/scientific study on the toxicity and addictive qualities of alcohol, including what it does to the human body. If you want to understand the nuance, you can. If you want to ignore that, do so at your own risk.

I ignored it for a long time too, no judgment here.

Anonymous wrote:To the 20-30 a week person: do any of these people have health issues from alcohol? This seems like the way I drank in my 20s /early 30s.

Sigh. I wish alcohol wasn’t so bad for you. I enjoy drinking and can’t smoke pot (fed).

I am not sure it's really such a terrible poison if in moderation and for otherwise healthy people who don't also eat junk and have unhealthy lifestyle in other aspects. When some message starts getting around and becomes a new "lifestyle fad" without much nuance.. I am going to be suspicious. I feel the same about keto diets and "sugar is poison" messaging as well. It's not convincing enough for me to quit drinking as I enjoy it in social setting in moderation and also pairing with some foods. And some social events related to school, sports, jobs, etc where a lot of people gather who barely know each other or are strangers trying to strike small talk are absolutely unbearable without alcohol. Flame away, I don't care.

Anonymous wrote:What I’ve noticed is that there are many alcoholics walking around who probably have no idea they’re alcoholics. They can’t even get through their child’s practice without a whole bottle of wine in their purse. My husband and I were shocked when the dad hopped out of his car at our kids’ 9 a.m. game with a beer in his hand. It’s truly disturbing. I stopped drinking back in 2005 and don’t miss it at all. I don't need it to socialize or have a good time and I definitely don't need it to relax.

The stereotype of the "addict" keeps a lot of people who really need it away from recovery. You don't have to destroy your whole life to recognize you have a problem. Rock bottom is simply the point where you stop digging.

And if you're bringing your own booze to a kids' game because you can't be sober for a couple hours, you really ought to stop digging.

What I’ve noticed is that there are many alcoholics walking around who probably have no idea they’re alcoholics. They can’t even get through their child’s practice without a whole bottle of wine in their purse. My husband and I were shocked when the dad hopped out of his car at our kids’ 9 a.m. game with a beer in his hand. It’s truly disturbing. I stopped drinking back in 2005 and don’t miss it at all. I don't need it to socialize or have a good time and I definitely don't need it to relax.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Husband and I are currently temp abstaining from alcohol. We will certainly drink again at some point, so we are not looking at this as some alcohol is evil or we'll never touch it again or judge those who drink it. Anyways, is it just us or once you're sober for a few weeks you start to truly realize how booze and beer are thrown in your face CONSTANTLY by media, restaurants, and sporting events? Every show, every movie, every other song on the radio, every podcast, every other commercial, magazine and online ads. Even influencer moms on social media seem to be constantly boozing or pushing some "cute" cocktail. Celebrity and athlete endorsements. Alcohol is pushed on the masses from EVERY direction. It feels like a full on propaganda to coerce you to drink. It makes alcohol seem so... gross and sleazy?

I very rarely drink, but I actually don't notice this at all. It may be happening, but I don't notice. I wonder if this is part of your alcohol withdrawal experience, that it's on your mind as your brain tries to convince you to have a drink.

If you watch sports on TV and/or go to pro or college games it’s nuts how saturated the alcohol advertising is. Listen to country radio sometime, every other song has lyrics if not a chorus pushing booze. Next time you watch your favorite TV show or movie, note how every dinner has alcohol, every date, every night out, every social gathering. It’s subtly pushed on audiences from every direction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Husband and I are currently temp abstaining from alcohol. We will certainly drink again at some point, so we are not looking at this as some alcohol is evil or we'll never touch it again or judge those who drink it. Anyways, is it just us or once you're sober for a few weeks you start to truly realize how booze and beer are thrown in your face CONSTANTLY by media, restaurants, and sporting events? Every show, every movie, every other song on the radio, every podcast, every other commercial, magazine and online ads. Even influencer moms on social media seem to be constantly boozing or pushing some "cute" cocktail. Celebrity and athlete endorsements. Alcohol is pushed on the masses from EVERY direction. It feels like a full on propaganda to coerce you to drink. It makes alcohol seem so... gross and sleazy?

Yes. I quit two years ago and the marketing angle was really significant for me. I had a real problem and had tried to quit for years. There were a lot of reasons that I was finally successful, but one of them for me was the book "Quit Like a Woman." It finally hit home that this toxic, addictive substance had been marketed to me to make me want to use it and I was like, F that. And now I am very conscious of the everywhere, all the time marketing of alcohol.

To me, the ads make boozing seem so cringe and like that they’re preying on and targeting low I.Q. Americans. I don’t want to be associated with the caliber of people their ads are targeting.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know who "quit" drinking have simply switched to other stuff like pot.. It's been my observation, not suggesting this is your situation. But IMHO it's not really quitting..

I haven't quit drinking but I do drink pretty minimally now. I used to be on the sofa watching the bachelor with wine kind of person and if I went out would have 2-4 drinks. I don't think I had a problem because I had no problem scaling back/mostly quitting but I do think I replaced it with some mild (overall beneficial) orthorexia. I just decided to get healthier and started exercising/eating better and naturally realized that alcohol just makes me feel like sh*t. I have no moral/whatever problems with drinking but now I know that if I have even one too big glass of wine my sleep is going to suck, I'll eat more the next day and I won't want to exercise. That has made it so I just drink less and less because its so rarely worth it.

So for me it wasn't noticing the advertising it was noticing how dramatically it actually effected my body. It IS in fact legitimately a poison. I still will splurge occasionally and really wish there was another similar product. Pot does not work for me. But the calories/health impacts are just not worth it 90%+ of the time.