Going Dry

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

One of my uncles had lung cancer. He could walk for 5 minutes then would need to rest for 10 minutes. A shell of his former self (he was a dairy farmer).

awful stuff, isn't it? I've done 8 or so Cancer fundraisers since then in his memory. He was given 2 months to live and stretched it into 3 years.

[Eastern Girl]

I used to get drunk or go out drinking quite a bit with my friends, at parties or bars. I had a few instances where I embarrassed myself greatly and decided it wasn't worth it. I cut it out and now the only issue I have is when I go out to these same parties/bars, I am the lone sober person in a sea of drunks. It can be pretty lame. Never had a problem with explaining why I don't drink or being pressured or anything like that.

[Ozy_Flame]

I find the smoking thing is terrible in social situations, and if anyone else in the group is smoking. At work, I'm fine. At home, I'm generally OK. However, put a couple friends, some brews, and a good conversation in front of me and I puff away.

At times when I want to quit / don't want to smoke, I just think of how bad I'll smell to everyone around me. Elevators are a good de-motivator to smoke.

[ah123]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

One thing that really pisses me off is the social stigma that was mentioned earlier. It's been over 10 years for me, and I still have to explain to people why I don't want a beer, or why I'm only having a soda and lime.

Seriously, I just don't want a drink. It's that simple. Stop asking me why, and stop looking at me like I have the plague.

/rant

Yup - know exactly what you mean...at my current workplace, members of my team won't "invite" me for after work "drinks", because "since I don't drink, I am no fun"...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I quit drinking about 3 or 4 years ago fully, I occassionally, once or twice a year will have a social beer, but thats it.

Smoking has been a harder demon to slay, I'm using a PDA program to break the habit, and I'm down to 3 smokes a day from a pack a day last week.

I feel the need to get drunk and murder a puppy right now.

Pfft...and you want to go and have drinks with me...

I havent quit for an extended period of time really, I did it once for lent, but it was also tax season and the sauce is the only thing keeping me out of jail, so that didnt go well.

I'm at 3 days right now as I'm trying to get back into shape for the upcoming soccer season, but, I'm going to the Stamps game tonight so I'll have to start all over again next week.....

[fredr123]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but for those that have gone dry for extended periods: why not just cut back? Is it easier to get off the sauce entirely than it is to moderate your usage and ensure you don't enter the TU zone when consuming?

[worth]

I don't go dry for a period of time because I don't really feel like I have to. I feel as though I could not drink for the rest of my life if I so decided one day. I only drink on weekends with friends.

My friends sometimes set dates to not drink for a period of time. Like their trying to prove something to themselves.

I drink when I want to and don't drink when I don't want to. I wouldn't be suprised if when i'm out of my 20's I stop drinking all together. I really only drink now because that's what you do on a weekend with friends and it's fun. Once i'm past that stage, I don't really see a need for alcohol really.

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

One thing that really pisses me off is the social stigma that was mentioned earlier. It's been over 10 years for me, and I still have to explain to people why I don't want a beer, or why I'm only having a soda and lime.

Seriously, I just don't want a drink. It's that simple. Stop asking me why, and stop looking at me like I have the plague.

/rant

try having a medical condition and not drinking. Then people looking at you funny when you order a soda and they think you're a recovering alcoholic. They dont say it, but you can just see the wheels a turning.
I find myself constantly having to explain myself.
I agree with you..I dont want a drink, it really is that simple.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Sample00

try having a medical condition and not drinking. Then people looking at you funny when you order a soda and they think you're a recovering alcoholic. They dont say it, but you can just see the wheels a turning.
I find myself constantly having to explain myself.
I agree with you..I dont want a drink, it really is that simple.

Who gives you grief about it? The server or your friends?

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by Locke

Who gives you grief about it? The server or your friends?

neither actually, my friends know and the servers really dont give a rats ass.
but its new people or people that dont know about it.
In a way its funny to watch the reaction, in another way, it pisses me off, but meh, I live with it.
I just agree with the person above. sometimes you feel like you have the plague or something.

[Tron_fdc]

I love booze. It makes things fun.

That being said, there are times that I do something REALLY dumb, and consider quitting. I quit once for 8 weeks, and when it was done went to a Flames game, did the 2 beers a period, and then barfed nachos off my buddies deck. Good times. Hangovers also get worse as soon as you hit 30.

It's pretty tough to slow down sometimes with the friends I keep. Most are rugby or hockey players, some are single, and every weekend at least one wants to go out on Friday and get skewered. I have a soft spot for cold pints and a rubber arm if there are girls around, so usually end up at some bar every weekend.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Sample00

neither actually, my friends know and the servers really dont give a rats ass.
but its new people or people that dont know about it.
In a way its funny to watch the reaction, in another way, it pisses me off, but meh, I live with it.
I just agree with the person above. sometimes you feel like you have the plague or something.

Do you have the plague? Is that your medical condition? The Plague?

I dont care about people that order a soda or whatever, but when you see people order O'Doul's you know the jig is up. Slip them a mickey of something, sit back and watch the night take off....

[Buff]

I probably went 5 years without getting drunk or even close to it. However, I would only go several months without a drink. Every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas we have huge family dinners with my wife's family on her dads side where all her aunts, uncles and cousins get together. There is always wine at the tables, and I would usually have a glass.

Over the past few years I drank quite a bit more, but probably nothing compared to many of the posters in this thread. Although I do drink every day. I have a glass of red wine. It is supposed to be beneficial so I'm trying it out. I may miss a day every couple of weeks or so but I've been doing it since February.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Buff

I probably went 5 years without getting drunk or even close to it. However, I would only go several months without a drink. Every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas we have huge family dinners with my wife's family on her dads side where all her aunts, uncles and cousins get together. There is always wine at the tables, and I would usually have a glass.

Over the past few years I drank quite a bit more, but probably nothing compared to many of the posters in this thread. Although I do drink every day. I have a glass of red wine. It is supposed to be beneficial so I'm trying it out. I may miss a day every couple of weeks or so but I've been doing it since February.

You should come down to Petes on Sundays, troutman drinks a carafe of red wine while the rest of us are pounding back schooners....

[Slava]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Maybe this is a stupid question, but for those that have gone dry for extended periods: why not just cut back? Is it easier to get off the sauce entirely than it is to moderate your usage and ensure you don't enter the TU zone when consuming?

I quit entirely for over 7 years. It originally started one summer in University when I was poorer and thought that I should not spend my money stupidly until I had more. From there I just kind of thought that I would see how long I could go for....when I realised that was basically forever I just decided to drink again.

I think that it is way easier to not drink (and have been thinking recently of just not drinking anymore actually). For me I think that just saying that I'm going to moderate is a pretty fuzzy boundary...what does that really mean? Who knows though...I drink rarely as it is (a couple times of month I have a drink or two), so I suppose that is already less than average!

[Eastern Girl]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Maybe this is a stupid question, but for those that have gone dry for extended periods: why not just cut back? Is it easier to get off the sauce entirely than it is to moderate your usage and ensure you don't enter the TU zone when consuming?

I tried just cutting back, but my problem is that I would have one or two drinks, then I would think, "Well, what's one or two more" and that would continue on until I was stupid drunk. I had no willpower once I had actually had a drink or two.

I have a high tolerance for alcohol and I never really figured out what my limits were, so I usually ended up surpassing them by large margins and looking like an idiot and I didn't like being that way, so I just stopped. I just don't like being the drunk girl.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

One thing that really pisses me off is the social stigma that was mentioned earlier. It's been over 10 years for me, and I still have to explain to people why I don't want a beer, or why I'm only having a soda and lime.

Seriously, I just don't want a drink. It's that simple. Stop asking me why, and stop looking at me like I have the plague.

/rant

Ha! I know exactly what you mean. I actually have one friend who I see about every 2 months. Every 2 months for the last 7 years I've had to explain to him. What's funny is every conversation is exactly the same.

Friend: You want a beer?

me: No man, I don't drink

friend: **** off, really?

It's ridiculous. He honestly forgets every single time.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Hmm... haven't gone without alcohol for a long time now.

But then, I haven't been wasted to the point where I'm doing stupid ass stuff in a hell of a long time too... probably over 10 years.

Weekends, I'm normally out having fun with a decent buzz but quite a bit away from actually being drunk. I'd rather not get to the point where I'm stumbling, slurring and doing other stupid stuff, so I stop well before I get there.

[SaskaBushFire]

I go dry all the time.. never phases me, her on the other hand..

[Cawz]

Originally Posted by worth

I don't go dry for a period of time because I don't really feel like I have to. I feel as though I could not drink for the rest of my life if I so decided one day. I only drink on weekends with friends.

My friends sometimes set dates to not drink for a period of time. Like their trying to prove something to themselves.

I drink when I want to and don't drink when I don't want to.

Yeah, thats like me as well.

I drink wine with dinner basically every night, so I havent been dry to 2 consecutive days in a long time. I would drink beer every night but I'm trying to keep in shape, so I save it for social occasions.

I also make my own wine, so I always have lots of it around.