Why I don't drink, version #387629871

[desh]

Articulated this in IM just now better than I have anywhere in awhile, so I decided to post here. Comments/criticisms welcome, if you're so inclined.

gutwoman: can i ask a question, and you dont have to give an answer if you dont have one
desh: sure
gutwoman: do you have specific reasons for not drinking alcohol/being uncomfortable around it? and do you drink at all
desh: I'll answer, but hang on a bit
gutwoman: k
desh: So there are a few reasons, and which one is the most important changes often.
desh: Plus, there are probably some I haven't thought of yet.
gutwoman: ok..
desh: One resaon is that I have an addictive personality. My love for gambling is evidence of that. Avoiding something addicting is probably a good risk management decision on my part.
gutwoman: yeah
desh: Another reason is that I rather like who I am. I don't feel the need to try anything mood-altering. Even minorly: I even avoid caffeinated drinks most of the time.
gutwoman: although i kinda find that substance addiction is somewhat separate just based on my own experience
desh: it might be
desh: that might not be a problem for me at all, in reality.
desh: but I think I'd rather not know.
desh: Another reason is kind of a negative one, and more addresses "why don't you get drunk" than "why don't you drink at all". But I don't have any of the reasons to get drunk that most people do. I don't have anything I want to escape. I don't enjoy the sorts of parties that people get really drunk at. I don't like bars.
gutwoman: well i dont think most people would enjoy those parties as much if it wasn't for the alcohol...
desh: And I guess the last reason is that I like my friends more when they're sober. I can't stand drunk people, for the most part. But even when someone's had one or two drinks, fine, I might not be able to notice, and usually it doesn't bother me much. But it also means that they're less likely to want to do the things that I usually enjoy doing at get-togethers, like playing board games and card games.
desh: And no, I don't drink at all, except for religious reasons, and only then if there's no grape juice around, and even then I only take a sip.
gutwoman: interesting
desh: A lot of my reasons are probably silly, especially for a 25 year old. Like, my freshman year, my friend went from also not drinking and also hating drunks, in two months, to asking me if I'm a recovering alcoholic or something for never going out and having fun.
desh: I hate when people change so dramatically like that, because it's rarely good. That incident probably cemented my decision to never drink in college.

EDIT: It's kind of fun to compare this to the same discussion when I had it three years ago.

Comments

[desh]

I don't even know what that means. You're so much more hip than I am. :(

[bumonyou.livejournal.com]

FYI, grey goose is a brand of vodka. So, onto your reasons. Your addictive personality? Gambling? I know you like to play cards with other people, but you LOVE TO PLAY CARD GAMES WITH OTHER PEOPLE, you always have, and I suspect you always will. It's sort of a touchpoint for a lot of different interests in your life. If you were to, say, love to play roulette, slot machines, or bet on dog racing I think you could make more of a convincing case for your addiction argument. But for me it doesnt wash.

[desh]

Hmm, interesting. So if you're right, why is this something that worries me?

[myq.livejournal.com]

And "getting loose" applies to dancing, I think.

I don't think you'll get addicted to drinking from a glass of wine at dinner or a drink at a poker table or something. I should be the poster boy for addictive personality disorder, especially with my father's drug history, and I enjoy those things. Really, I can quit any time I want...

But yeah, the whole drinking-in-college-to-get-smashed thing is really annoying. I can't tell if I just don't see the appeal or what. To me it seems like people are trying to fit in and pretending to have fun than actually enjoying themselves. It was especially bad my freshman year, because everybody was like "We're real college kids now! Let's all drink all the time!!" while I think a lot of people calmed down after that.

[desh]

So "no vodka unless you dance"? Isn't that backwards? Shouldn't it be "no dancing unless you've had some vodka first"? I hate pop music.

And I'm glad things have calmed down a bit. Though really, at a school the size of yours, you'll find plenty of mellow freshmen and plenty of drink-all-the-time juniors. It's all a matter of your crowd.

[ladykat81.livejournal.com]

You hate pop music, eh? I seem to recall that you like the Beatles, who were the epitomy of pop music. Didn't they essentially invent it?

[desh]

I still like pop music circa 1967. Not as much anymore. Though I guess it depends on how you define "pop music". I'm like defining it as "any music written in the past 5 years that they play at the parties I don't like going to". Which I guess begs the question.