People who don’t drink, are they missing something?

I no longer drink any alcohol. I drank my fill for years, so I’m done. I have plenty of fun without alcohol.

Be cautious how you talk to people who don’t drink. I’m not sensitive, but some people are. I’m in recovery and unashamed to admit it, but I’ve been in recovery a very long time, so it doesn’t bother me to talk about it. Many people are very sensitive about why they don’t drink. Just a word of warning.

We are missing chronic liver damage, brain damage, public embarrassment, loss of motor function, loss of conciousness, loss of memory, and the inevitable hangover.
That, I am glad to miss.
And what would I even get in return for that?
The stuff does not even taste good.

I…hic!

9 times out of 10, when I go out or to someone’s house, I don’t drink. I’d rather not have the high feeling. I’d rather not have the tired feeling that seems inevitable. If I do drink, it may be a glass or two of whatever is being served. I’d guess that I drink about 5 times a year, three of those being during the holiday season (holiday parties). I never drink at home, alone, and when people give me gifts of liquor, I have the bottles for years. So I drink, and am not against drinking, but usually abstain and am fine with it.

I rarely drink because both bio parents were alcoholics and my mother was emotionally and physically abusive.

If you can drink responsibly and not hurt anyone else, more power to you. Have fun.

Trust me, I’m much happier being sober, although maybe not as fun to party with. The alternative was to ruin my life by being just like my parents.

I will sink a beer or three on special occasions, birthday/xmas/new year & of course I wet the baby’s head when both my kids were born.
However, the alcohol didn’t & doesn’t make it any more exciting or thrilling or anything at all, it’s just an embellishment, could just as easily be orange juice or ice cold, fresh water for all I care.

The thing is, if you’re a happy, care free & fun loving individual then you don’t need to artificially lose inhibitions by taking a drink, that shit comes naturally.

Meh. I drink occasionally and and am unapologetic about it, but I don’t really care if others don’t drink or feel that they’re missing anything. There are a lot of things people do that I don’t do. Drinking isn’t for everyone.

I don’t drink. I think sobriety is highly underrated. I like to be in control of my own situation and surroundings as much as possible. I also like to experience things, fully, like music, and conversation with people. I don’t like the idea of being impaired, or experiencing things in an altered state. I don’t feel like I am missing anything, quite the contrary.

That being said, I don’t mind if people drink socially. Most people do. I understand that it can be relaxing, and help some people come out of their shells.

I know quite a few functioning alcoholics, and I like and love most of those people.

What I don’t like is people who drink and drive. I don’t like mean drunks. I don’t like people who are alcoholics that cannot live a decent life (as opposed to functioning alcoholics who seem to be able to pull it off) and treat alcohol as something that is more important than their families, or their job, or how they treat people. Other than that, it’s all good. Cheers!

ALL THAT FUN THAT I’M MISSING… like kneeling over a toilet bowl, with your nose in the water, puking your guts out.

^^Pretty much! Lol

The legal penalties for DWI are so prohibitive, I’d hope that would make people think twice…..

I used to drink on occasions when I went dancing. I don’t go out anymore, and haven’t in several years.
I never feel tempted to drink.
If I were going to use a substance to unwind it would be a fat doobie. But then, I have a buffet of prescriptions to keep me mellow.

I don’t think so.

I’m 68 and have never drank alcohol (except one beer when I was in college. Held my nose and chugged it for fun at a party).

I had 4 alcoholic step dads. And they all died young.

Am I missing something? Yes. I’m missing the hell of being around alcoholics or being one.

No. I don’t drink and what exactly am I missing?

I’ve had a drink maybe 10–15 times in my life I’ve been drunk a few times. I really don’t see anything that fun about it.

I go out about 3 times a week. Dancing, or dinner, or some sort of social thing. Most of my friends don’t drink. We still dance, see a show, all sorts of things, and have a great time.

Alcohol is expensive. Take that money and put it in a jar, and at the end of the year you can take a really nice trip or put money down on a new car or whatever you want. Maybe you have plenty of money for drinking and everything else you want.

Talking about cars, who wants to worry about drunk driving? I don’t. Maybe you live in the city and that’s not a factor.

I once did a Q asking how much jellies spend on alcohol each year. Some people the numbers were in the thousands. Make it $3k a year over ten years that’s $30k! Add interest it’s easily $40K.

I don’t drink much either, but there are some nice and wines and beers and other drinks, though I find it takes some looking to find ones I like.

I’ve read that some drinking in moderation can be healthy.

Drinking a little can be relaxing, de-stressing, and sometimes entertaining in good company.

Oh and some wines really do complement some foods in quite nice ways.

I usually don’t like most beers, but a good cold beer that I do like (they’ve mostly only been actual German, Belgian, or Irish beers) when it’s hot have been really wonderful.

I don’t. Maybe one drink every 6 months. I don’t think I’m missing a thing.

I have known several true alcoholics. They’re disgusting when they are drunk.

@mazinger So how about you? You enjoy drinks?

“People who don’t drink, are they missing something?”

No, they are not.

Yeah like missing alcoholic dementia in later years.
Alcohol has cancer causing properties in it just as cigarettes do .

Lets see hmmmm to live long and prosper healthy or to deteriorate faster with some painful disease that you brought yourself….?

I too have been witness to what painful childhoods consisted of…two in our family succumbed to alcoholism that caused the breakdown of our family.

They have rehabilitated , but not after causing irreversible damage to our family and others.

Yes I drink. But not alone. From 20s to my 40s always with either close friends and co-workers or mere acquaintances I met through work and social gatherings.

Before that I started drinking in high-school (18 or was it 16? Lol ) with cousins.

Never had any bad experience with any drinking sessions or occasions I participated in. Maybe I was just too drunk to notice I don’t know.

It was always fun if not totally a blast of sorts. Getting a light buzz or ending up downright dead drunk puking on my own bed it was…good. Lol

Guess I’m lucky I didn’t have any drinking friends who were annoying and loved picking fights when they’re drunk. Most of the time it’s just celebrating something, reminiscing about the past and on few occasions getting drunk to mourn someone’s passing. I think there will be more of the latter now that I’m middle age.

It’s not really the alcohol. It’s essential but the exulting joy, the dizzying euphoria only happen because of the company and the nature of conversations that take place.

There were times people I know settle their bitter disputes while drinking. I’ve seen guys open up about their feelings, display sincere remorse when drunk. For some reason the gentler side not the mean side of some people who drink shows up instead. And quite easily too.

Are they missing something? Can you miss a hangover?

@mazinger Sure, it can be therapeutic for some. I dont mind to get loose at least once or twice a year, since I’m wound pretty tight haha

@mazingerz88 I think it’s not a good thing when people only associate having a good time with alcohol. I’m not saying you are, I’m only saying I know people who can’t imagine not having a drink when out to dinner, at a party, before getting on a dance floor, at a concert, and I think it’s good to be able to have a good time without it.