I stopped caring what other people do to destroy themselves.

We all have our own karma.

This seems to be turning into a contest.

Having spent a lot of time in various parts of the US and various parts of the UK, I would say it's very much the same. When I work in one of my US offices, everyone wants to go out for drinks after work at least a couple of times per week. London is the most drinks-centric place I've been to in the UK, but I think any city has that culture.

I have lived in parts of the UK where there are not many pubs and you have to walk a mile or two to get to one or it's more convenient to go to the offy on the way home - I guess if you need a fix there is always a way and you/we will pick the most convenient option that fits into our routine...

I lived in Italy and found that although they drink openly at lunch and dinner without really being bothered about how much they had, I don't really recall seeing many drunks and I lived in Milan, so a fairly big city. I would definitely say that behaviour of drinkers was much better. I was always drinking more quickly than the Italians having moved from London where you are a leper if you don't "chain drink"...

being sober in the uk is the same as being sober anywhere
i can go to the pictures, or for a meal, go swiming, join a gym, join all sorts of clubs that i might be interested in, take a night course at college
there is lots to do sober rather than what my head would think is a good time in the pubs

so the problem isnt how many pubs there are as i dont have to go in them, nor how many shops sell booze as i dont have to buy any

the problem is me : )

How?

ooops! I meant how is it a contest to Lbrain. lol

I lived in London for 5 years and I've yet to see anywhere like the UK in general that has so much of a "pub" culture.

It would be a tough place to get and stay sober.

Not sure weather has a whole lot to do with it though, personally I drank in sun, rain, fog, overcast.... It didn't matter.

And I sure didn't have to be in a pub either, my " trigger" for drinking was being "awake " lol

What helped me eventually was reading the book 'alcoholics anonymous ' where I found out there is a solution beyond "just not drinking "

Good luck with your journey :)

We have more diversity in the US because we're huge. The USA is really better compared to all of Europe than the UK -- I mean, we're one country and all, same money, same federal government, but New Mexico is very different from Massachusetts, for example.

We have some states where drinking is very very common -- Wisconsin, for example, seems to have a lot of drinking.

Hahaha...then I'm definitely in the right...er, I mean WRONG place.

I actually was attempting to imply that this discussion is the same as, 'who's alcoholism is worse, yours or mine?'

Where I grew up there was a bar on every corner it seemed. But it was always the same people in the bars.

Sound s like it's not a national or international affliction but, just a human affliction.

The US is a big place. Not everyone can live in hollywood or beverly hills California and most of us could never come close to affording that lifestyle.:)There are plenty of places here where it's constantly overcast and raining/sleet/hail/snow/ect.

That or you're in a desert and it's 120 degrees all day and then 40 at night

Or you're in Florida where it's in the 90's almost all year and humidity is almost at 100%

Or you're up north and it's too cold to go outside half the year

Or like here in Houston where all summer it's almost 100 degrees and humid. Then anytime it does rain to cool things off, it floods. Then it goes straight from 100 degrees to 30's-40's within 2 weeks and there is no spring.

The bottom line is it's just another excuse you are making to drink. The weather is never perfect anywhere and I had to LOL at the hollywood movie comment.
You realize that a lot of those actors finish shooting their sunny 75 degree weather scenes and go home to binge drink or use other drugs. Hollywood has a knack for sugarcoating reality. Just remember it's fake and that over here int he real world people do find things to do that don't include drinking, even when the weather is bad.
It's easy to say "everyone drinks, so what else is there to do in life" because people do it over here too:)...but that's a lie. There are plenty of people who live interesting lives that don't drink at all.

I actually looked up alcohol consumption by country and it appears the UK is about 6 to 9 countries ahead of the U.S in alcohol consumption. About 2 liters a year separates them on an annual consumption basis.

No doubt there is more of a pub culture in England, but we have much more access to package here, at least in my experience of vising the UK and living in the US. Unless you live in some of the dry counties, or Utah, alcohol is available everywhere in the U.S.

We drink much more beer here, and less spirits and wine. It all works against you any way you look at it. The weather in my experience is much better here, depending on where you live. I used to live in Seattle and it was much the same as London. Now I live in the Mountain states and we have 300+ sunny days, often cold, but mostly sunny.

I also know for me, the weather is a huge trigger for drinking. We have just experienced 5 days of total rain. So basically it was very rainy here, almost 7 months worth in 5 days.

Eventually it all comes down to a personal choice. I do however know few people drink more than the Russians and the Siberians. I think culture has as much to do with that situation as weather. I am sure there are a lot of people in Siberia who also choose not to drink, because it is not working for them.

IRt everyone being happy, I cant comment on that, but I do know that the majority of sitcoms etc are pure and total bull#$%^. I personally think the media portrays to the masses that we should be more like the people on T.V. I think this sets us up for failure as many people, most people cant afford the lifestyle of these T.V personas.

I don't know about the use of social media in the UK, but it is very large here in the States and I also think this causes a great deal of grief in peoples lives. People post about how great they are doing, how much fun stuff they own, and how they are pretty much living the dream. Seldom if ever does anyone post, "wow I caught my wife sleeping with the neighbor today, and lost my job, and the kdis are hooked on drugs."

As a family we don't have cable TV anymore, and also don't subscribe to any social media. We sort of do the old head down and grind out another day. Best thing I have done this year for my mental health is get off of Facebook. I still own stock in it, because it is the future, but I don't use it.

Anyway a useless synopsis of what I think is the difference between the countries. I don't care for a lot of the food in the U.K, but there is a lot of food in the U.S in different areas I also don't care for. Although a fish and chips wrapped up in newspaper is hard to beat anywhere!!

Plus I like the stones used for weight, I don't weigh nearly as many stones as I do pounds.

Good luck to you.

I can tell you that we are the same in the US. Any reason is a good reason to drink...

Lbrain, Thank You for clearing that up for me! I was ashamed to admit it was over my head,but was dying to know what you meant by it at the same time :)

Well, looks like I've opened a can of worms here, ha ha. I guess the bottom line is if you want a drink you'll find a drink. In response to the comment regarding the SMART meetings I was attending, it has been hard to get there as they start at 5pm and I'm usually still at work. They certainly do help though when I'm able to go as those are the only people I've met who really do understand this thing. Well thanks for all the responses and good luck to all of us regardless of if we're in the UK, US or anywhere else for that matter. People are people, alcoholics are alcoholics.

I think things are pretty much the same East of the Pond and West of the Pond.

Early days are so difficult; hang tough.

Alcoholism is the same the world over.

Dude- I live in Minnesota. Our weather is- totally- way worse than yours. It's colder, snowier, darker-longer, and crappier. People here don't drink all Winter (all 7 months of it) just fine.

Bet your foods better though