Cherrybreeze

This was exactly me.

madgirl

uuuugggghhhhh so cringeworthy now -

Linz805

I went to a dinner party with my department 2 weeks ago and this was my first one where I wasn't drinking and 3 out of the 6 people were not drinking. If I had not been sober I wouldn't have noticed.

dwtbd

Man, I'm glad I don't drink anymore.

GnikNus

The amounts I drank would put most who were around me in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. When planning for outings with a friend, at least 12 pack was needed- at bare minimum. Then more at home. If it was wine, there would have to be multiple bottles on hand if others were drinking to assure that I had my fill.
Recycling bin jammed full to overflowing. Crushing cans to save space. Drinking cans instead of bottles for that sole reason. Ugh.
Glad I'm not living that way anymore.

ozm8ey

Depends where you live. In my experience in Australia almost everyone above the age of 18 drinks on a regular basis

fripfrop

In England too.
When we were young, and the young ones now, go into town every weekend and drink until they can't stand every weekend.

No one bats an eyelid at young people 18-30 out every weekend drinking themselves stupid.

geldofc

that's true.

I've puked on a friend's carpet, never invited back, pulled over for a DUI, have been asked if I'm ok by concerned ppl probably taking pity on me, done things with ppl i'm embarrassed by later. I'd take tequila and chocolate milk to work in an aluminum bottle. lol. wtf?

I'd steal drinks while i was at work and chug them down. I never really thought "oh i could have a drinking problem." but..... i do love that feeling.
:/

Calicofish

I agree about the age of drinkers. Here in Canada, many of the youth will also be stumbling drunk on weekends and are viewed as "oh it's just part of being young", however, when that someone is say 40 plus and stumbling around at some social event then it's viewed as just pathetic.

fripfrop

Yes, I agree with you on that.
Although in older peole nobody seems able to have a barbacue or a gathering anywhere these days without drink, the majority of people seem to be able to make a small bottle of beer last 2 hours and don't go mad on it.

Having said that, although I have been drinking probamitcally for 16-17 years, for 20 years before that, I did have an off switch too.
In fact at rock fesitvals, I wouldn't even have a half of lager during the day, because it would make me feel too ill and tired

Dee74

I would have bet my bank balance on that too - but now I'm not a drinker I know it's not true ozm8ey.

I just never noticed non drinkers before or was never very likely to run into them - cos I was always about getting wasted.

D

LadyBlue0527

Unfortunately, my group of people that I consistently hung with were those that drank the same way I did. Part of my protecting my drinking because they understood and there was no need for apologies the next day.

It made sobriety a bit harder because I had to find a new network of friends when I quit. Then, when I relapsed I reconnected with all of my drinking friends. Go figure.

So grateful that when I returned to my senses that those new friends I had met when I quit previously were relieved for me and happy. Friendships had not been lost. SR is my saving grace on a daily basis.

Calicofish

Exactly. A better title for this thread would be "Most People Don't Drink to Excess".

I always drank to excess. I do not have an off button.

geldofc

Same here. Actually, the group of people I hung around were mostly people who drank more than me and still functioned well or meth heads living at home, which made me feel a little better about my situation. At AA an old-timer told me the best thing I could do was change my social group and that he should have when he was my age.

I changed my phone number recently and haven't been in contact with any of my old friends. I disconnected from them a while ago but not completely like this. We're still on fb but everything is at a distance now and I feel safer abt being able to control myself.

gettingsmarter

I just can't fathom why you would want to drink and not get wasted. One feels like a failure to me so I do somthing about it. No more for this guy. Are you saying that there are people who only have 1?

August252015

I've read something similar, too. Also - someone pointed out an interesting factoid in one of my meetings recently: a very high percentage (I cannot recall exactly, but something like 70-80%) of alcoholics (in the US) were part of the Greek system in college. For those of you across the pond, sororities and fraternities are a big part of college life in many schools here. As the social chair of my sorority (the party planner!!) this didn't surprise me; I wasn't a heavy drinker at all, compared to my peers who drank, but the bulk of that social scene consisted of VERY heavy (by medical definition if not just by their behavior) drinkers.

fripfrop

We don't have sororities and fraternities here..thats what weekend all-out drunken binges in town at weekends are for ..total wastedness when you are in college or uni.
That and mid-week student nights in the pubs, cheap drinks (triple shots of spirits for the price of a single, lager half price), to bring in the young, on nights that are slow.

couchloc

People hardly drink? We have numerous liquor stores, one every 10 blocks in my town. Why so many stores if people hardly drink? There usually quite busy as well. Full of people who hardly ever drink.

HopeandFaith1

I have noticed this as well since I quit. When I'd go to parties I'd get a good buzz and my husband would hurry me out the door before I got too far gone. He knew from experience what I could be capable of if allowed to go all out. Of course I would keep the party going at home. I have found ifor me t's much better to be an observer than a participant.

Cherrybreeze

Same here. Plus gas stations, grocery store, and drug stores that all sell beer, liquor, or both. And more bars than anything else....literally. There's no getting away from it.