Just wondered if so, why?

I just don't like the taste and I am no longer a 'social animal'..

not yet but thinking of having a go at it to aid my weight loss as beer is my achilles heel.

work functions/occasional bike rides, aside I think for me it would be quite easy to do so why not!

I'll be a part teetotaler for 2010

Could never see much point in taking drugs

I was unpredictable, couldn't moderate at the time, all or nothing, lack of hangovers probably didn't help, just lost chunks of time and was banned from quite a few places from time to time when I wasn't in such a good mood – about 7 years without now I think and a great improvement in the quality of girls I woke up next to.

have thought about drinking again, but too indecisive as to what to start drinking

Only because i've got a bladder infection! 😥

Could never see much point in taking drugs

I thought you said that you very occasionally have a drink – no ?

v. similar to Timber – the mechanism that was supposed to say 'that's enough' went wrong over time and I was an all or nothing drunk and I hated myself when I was. For me it wasn't who i woke up to because that was the wife, but I'd know that I'd have treated her dreadfully the night before. I twice woke up in a bed full of cold vomit, and once slept rough in a subway by Waterloo being moved on by the police and the lot.

So I packed in 7 years ago for best part of 4 years, and while I have now relapsed to be able to enjoy the odd drink every now and then the valve is back functioning and I can spot when I'm starting to become unpleasant or likely to be and call a halt then. eg: count this Christmas so far is a large G&T on Christmas Eve while wrapping presents and then a glass of wine on Christmas Day and another on Boxing Day, both with family lunches.

aye,never drink.

I thought you said that you very occasionally have a drink

yeah, an occasional glass of wine, for the taste, hardly enough to have any effect – though I wouldn't attempt to drive afterwards (or any other time, if avoidable)

for the taste

thats why alot of people drink, right? then the other half like being drunk. nowt wrong with either.

an occasional glass of wine

……..so not a teetotaller then ? Teetotaller = total abstention.

I very rarely drink btw – maybe 2 or 3 times in one year, maybe not at all. Sometimes enough for it to have an effect, but mostly not.

"I wouldn't attempt to drive afterwards"

I thought you didn't have a car or ever drove ? 😕

…… now you're going to tell me that you occasionally drive, but "hardly enough to have any effect" 😀

I have been virtually tee-total for the last 10 years. Have a beer or glass of wine perhaps 2 or 3 times a year, but often go months on end or sometimes over a year without a drink.

Whole host of reasons, age, lifestyle, health etc.

Can't say I miss it in the slightest and was probably one of the easiest things to give up.

I thought you didn't have a car or ever drove ?

I don't but sometimes I'm forced by circumstances to drive

Not a drop in more than 11 years (since my 18th Birthday in fact), and even prior to that I didn't drink much…

Why? Various reasons… Mainly I can't stand the taste of Alcohol! And no matter what anyone says, you can taste the alcohol itself in ANY alcoholic drink! Really don't like it…

Also don't like the way it makes me feel… Not a control freak or anything, but I like to be in control of my own body if you get me.

I like remembering things!

I like going out with £10 in my pocket and coming home with change!

I like the fact any girls I meet are definitely girls I want to meet again…

I think the turning point was when I was 16 (anything I drunk after this was purely to please my mates in a peer pressure situation), I had been out drinking with mates several Saturday nights in a row, and couldn't recall much that had happened on any of them. I wasn't feeling too special, was a bit broke, didn't like the taste anyway so decided just to drink coke or water that night… And I had the best night in ages!

If you drink fair enough… Whether you like the taste, like the way it makes you feel, like the fact it gives you confidence or whatever… No problems with it whatsoever! Drinking (or not) is a choice, I just choose not to…

Oh, and before anyone asks, no drugs either… Bikes, Music and cars are my vices… And women… Though they're too unpredictable of course 😉

Broke my neck a few years ago but didn't realise. Went to the docs to see why I was getting hangovers from hell, that's when they discovered the neck 😉

The injury really didn't mix well with drink so I gave up … never looked back.

Teetotal for over 20 years, a few reasons why I gave up, as said above didn't like the taste, hate the feeling of being drunk, the nausea, dizzyness. I also had no compunction about smacking someone who I thought needed smacking, this is not a good thing. I would also do reckless things that endangered myself and my friends. This was exclusively down to the fact that I had to climb things or balance on stuff. God knows why but had some very close calls. I also suffered with hangovers from hell. So decided to stop. The only alcohol I will consume again in my life is to celeberate when Thatcher dies, 1 pint of cider.

Lol at Pigface. 1 pint when Thatcher dies. I'm waiting for WInehouse to croak. That'll be a heavy night.

The thing about teetotallers is that you're never in doubt as to their reasons. Mostly, they're just dying to tell you. Interested to hear that sfb isn't teetotal though. That's news.

Haven't drunk for 4 years.

Used to like it a little bit too much and a little bit too often.

Like the OP, I'm not fussed about the taste. Certainly don't like beer. I'm not teetotal as I had a little Bailey's or two at Christmas but I'm really not fussed. I don't have many inhibitions so I don't need to be half cut to lose them!

Dont get that one Darcy, mostly I get "go on you big poof have a drink, whats wrong with you?"

or the classic "Oh God what did I do last night, wish I didn't drink like you"

Never had a drink in my life. Nothing about it appeals. I get my vicarious jollies hanging out with friends in the pub from watching them, without the after effects and I've never had to buy a round on account of my drink* being mostly less than £1. Cheapskate I am.

* I call it 'night of passion' – orange, blackcurrant, lime and soda with a wedge of lime. Tell your friends about it. Cordial by the way.

I get "go on you big poof have a drink, whats wrong with you?"

But you have to ask yourself, do they think you're a big poof because you don't drink or do they just…well…you know…I don't want to say…

Oh God what did I do last night, wish I didn't drink like you

Being fair, if one is having a few too many of these mornings, it's time to give it up. I'm a bit suspicious of people who get violent after a few too many. In general, I've been a happy drunk all my life. Or should I say happy when drunk rather than being happily drunk all my life. Occasionally an irreverent irrepressible one, nearly always the greatest dancing one but never a violent one.

In vino veritas

I'm not totally tea-total but I do have to be very careful. For darcy's benefit [ 😉 ] the reason for me is health ~ I have had bits removed leaving other bits that are apparantly 'cute' which can leave me rather uncomfortable, sometimes for several weeks if I over imbibe.

there's a very good chance i'd have died before now if i hadn't quit boozing over 20 years ago. i just don't like the taste of most* alcoholic drinks and i only used to drink to get absolutely wasted. stupid really.

*recently i have discovered that non-alcoholic beers can actually taste quite nice, especially wheat beers. i'm still not interested in the alcoholic versions though; i don't relish the prospect of having my head feel all weird again.
i say to each their own though; i agree with pigface in that it's always other people that make it into a big deal.

The longest I've been without a drink in the last twenty years is about two weeks, and that was only because I was at a lodge miles into the Amazon rainforest and there wasn't any alcohol available. Seriously going to try and stay booze free from next week and see how long it lasts ! The thing is my social life revolves around it, I'm single, my friends gather in pubs, work socialises in pubs, can't get away from the stuff.

Kev

Darcy you may have been a happy drunk doesn't mean that people around you didnt find you a pain in the a r s e.

If I was a big poof then….. oh hang on they may have been onto something :wink:ng

I still enjoy alchoholic drinks but have lost all interest in getting drunk. Normally in a week I have 1-1.5 pints on an Friday in the pub with friends, and sometimes 1-2 malt whiskies at home – about 5 units in total. Drinking a little bit more ATM because it's Christmas: port and wine instead.

I could manage teetotal if circumstances meant I had to. But it would be a shame not to enjoy fine beers, wines and whiskies.

been on the wagon for nearly 2 years. The reason why I gave up was due to getting older & it taking a lot longer to recover the next day. Biking is my passion (after Mrs C B) & loosing a day off the bike with a raging hangover was not my idea of fun.

I have found that once people realise that I don't drink they respect this & don't try to pressure me into taking part, they even get in non-alcoholic drinks just for me – sweet. Conversely I respect their wish to drink & I don't try to push my teetotal status on them.

One thing that I always find hugely amusing is watching what drunk people, especially those who are normally quite straightlaced, get up to & what they say or try to say – absolutely hillarious – even better when you tell them about it the next day & they can't remember a thing – Lol.

an unidentified kidney problem means every drink feels like a kick in the back (I had 2 bottles of beer 2 days ago and i'm still in agony) as a result I'm starting 2010 as a teetotaler. I guess it'll be good for my health and stop me acting like a ****, but I do like good rum/ red wine 🙁

I just wish our son would turn his back on it for good .We had some rough situations with him in the past .Enough to make him leave home with our help .Not a good situation and even now i can't relax about it .

Im not totally teetotal, But close to it.
I stopped drinking because alcohol seemed to affect a medical condition I have.
And to be honest I feel so much better for not drinking.
I guess you dont realize what a difference it makes untill you start to get older.
Socially, I did occasionally miss not getting bladdered with friends. Though its surprising how many people do not drink, or drink very little nowadays.

I will have a glass of scotch tonight with my son, its his 18th birthday. But I dont see myself having a drink again untill maybe next christmas.

deadlydarcy – Member

The thing about teetotallers is that you're never in doubt as to their reasons.

And up pops the voice of reason once more! Oh God, is there anything you've ever not got a (totally unjustified and totally wrong) opinion on?

As others have stated, it's the total opposite actually. I'd rather just blend into the background in social situations regarding my drinking habits. I would NEVER EVER go out of my way to let people know I don't drink. And if or when people do find out, I always play it down. It's my choice not to drink, I don't "not drink" cos I think I'm better than people who do drink or anything! Alcohol just isn't for me (and God knows I tried it enough when I was younger).

And FWIW I find these days when people do find out, a lot of them are outwardly quite admiring for one reason or another! Usually along the lines of wishing they didn't get hangovers, or because they only drink cos otherwise they can't relax in social situations at all. As I've got older too, more and more of my mates drink less and less, so much so that often on a night out, I'm usually not the only one stone cold sober any more! The biggest I've found strangely, is telling girls that you don't drink… I've found they go 2 ways… Either they think you're the best person on the planet cos you don't need to drink to have fun, or they think you're some kind of dirty pervert staying sober to prey on drunk girls every night (I can assure you, that I am NEITHER of these). Currently seeing a 22 year old student that I met 2 weeks ago, wouldn't say she's a party animal but she does like a drink or 2… Not told her I don't drink yet, so waiting to see what the outcome of that is gonna be!

ctznsmith – Premier Member

Haven't drunk for 4 years.

Hahaha. Was gonna email you back saying as you won't know anyone round here when you move down, I'd take you out for a couple of pints if you fancied it… Diet Cokes it is instead then! 😉

i am ok can take it or leave it only problem comes when i see a bottle of grey goose vodka then all reason is thrown out the window

having spent years being a total animal in the drink, drugs and rocknroll style I now very rarely drink. On average about 10 units a year. No special reasons other than the fact that I value my weekends and would rather be riding hard and spending time with my family rather than trying to find my liver and kidneys (last seen hiding in bottom of an absinthe bottle gently crying to themselves)

Sets off my Cluster Headaches and just not worth it

gave up drinking and smoking 5 years ago,as i was drinking/smoking myself into an early grave.i didn't have any control of the booze,so it was a constant downward spiral.was one of the best decisions i have ever made.i also wish the best of luck to anyone else who is trying to quit,whatever it may be.

ive cut down loads in the last 2 years, dont drink in the week anymore, if we dont go out for a meal or round friends houses on the weekend i dont drink.

35 now and the hangovers are just not worth it, i hate wasting the day walking round like a zombie.

baby on the way aswell so want to be in tip top form

You know it is possible to enjoy a drink or two without getting drunk 🙂 Alot of the on-the-wagon stories above seem to imply that it's either zero alcohol or completely wrecked with monster next-day hangover. There is a third way 😛

ah well, i'm perfectly happy with my choice so it's all good!