An Answer to "Why Don't You Drink?"
 

I am routinely invited out to alcohol-related social events with co-workers and I have made excuses as to why I couldn't attend (my moonlighting job, family is in town, etc).

Frequent events include Happy Hours and beer-tasting get-togethers at a co-worker's house. At one point I said "I'm not a big beer drinker" (because nowadays that's absolutely true) and my hostess explained, "oh we only drink a beer or two and spend the rest of the time time socializing and eating appetizers.

"A beer or two" is absolutely out of the question for me! However, I would love to go out to talk, eat, and laugh with the people I work with. I want to be up front and say "I don't drink".

Can anybody provide a convincing (perhaps even a medical) excuse I can use for the inevitable follow-up question: "why don't you drink"?

Thanks in advance!

(P.S. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY in my profession I can say "I am a recovering alcoholic".)

"I'm allergic." "It makes me break things." "Ahem, it makes me break out."

"woring to get healthier"

Well Done on your sober time!
:)

I thought about using this excuse but when I did a few searches on the internet I couldn't find conclusive medical evidence that some people are physically allergic to alcohol. Can you point me to a website where I can find more info?

:-) Thanks for the suggestion

When socializing, being open about recovery can cause other people to become uncomfortable. I'm not exactly sure why that is. If the members of your party are above average intelligence, I'm sure they would even understand "No thanks. I'm driving."

I'm allergic to tequila. It's made from the agave cactus--it will put me in the hospital.

It's not a true allergy in the typical sense. It's classified as "chemical intolerance".

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alc...llergy/AN00818


Congratulations on your sober time so far, by the way!

I like Midas' answer.

But there's 'watching my weight' ,
'conflict with medication',
'long story'
(.... heh.)
"I just don't "

... "WTF is it to you, anyhow" ...
(LOLOL I like that one)

"stomach problems"

You could just say that you don't like the taste. A lot of people don't drink for that reason.

Another thing you can do to minimize the questions is to pour your own drink, a pepsi on ice, in a cocktail glass with a swizzle stick, and stir it every now and then like you would a real drink.

Most people won't even ask what you are drinking.

ummmm... actually, Mmaarrkk (hope I got all those letters in there)

Anyone I drank with in butte (which is most of the population - I was a bartender here) will tell you that I *am* allergic to beer.
I drank vodka.
If I drank beer, before half way in ... my nose would close up, my eyes and hands would swell... and I'd be nauseaus for all the next day.

Not that that would STOP me, mind you, if that's all there was; but it was quite real.

I never had a problem with anonymity in my profession as a social worker...

they felt it made me a better one in fact...

But that is what anonymity is all about...to protect your privacy...

I think saying you have developed a severe allergy to alcohol is believable,

is based on scientific fact, and is true.

Love,

IO

I'm still kinda trippin out over what raerae said.

People don't drink because they don't like the taste.

wow.
mental stretch for me.

I forget about normies.

I jsut say 'I don't drink' full stop or that my sugar levels are too high, which was true when I drank.

I'm allergic to alcohol. It puts me in handcuffs and behind bars.

that's the joke around here, too -

I'm allergic to booze .. everytime i drink I break out in handcuffs and everything I'm wearing turns orange.

Hey MM
 

How about "no thanks, I've already HAD my fill" (for life)

It bugs me to no end how people keep pushing others to drink in social settings. Even if you just say, "no thanks", ah just have one, come one have a drink etc etc.

Does anybody force someone else to smoke a cigarette like this???

Ok, I feel better :-)

How about, "No thank you, I'm trying to get healthy."

Sometimes I say.
"no thanks. I'm all set right now with my _______ (water, juice, soda, ice tea, etc)"

If they persist that I have an alcohol drink, I go to: "I'm not a drinker", and, "Really. I'm all set with my drink. Thanks!"

I was an alcoholic for 24 years and always hated the taste. I drnk for effect. I always wished that it would be available in pill form.

I'm not comfortable hiding the fact that I don't drink. And I'm not comfortable misdirecting others or saying anything that's not quite the truth. At the same time, I'm not going to trot out my alcoholism and impose that on others.

For some reason, this has worked really well whenever the subject came up:

"I don't drink anymore. Didn't work for me."