Gcesp

Since going sober almost 4 years ago occasionally I cross paths with situations as such. I never had trouble maintaining abstinence, wife and I just up and quit. As a footnote most of our friends have stopped as well upon seeing everything I was doing and marvelling at "how do you get the time and energy to accomplish all that you do"? But in this alcoholic society sooner or later where so many people go boozing it's unavoidable to encounter people who get sauced.

Anyway I highly recommend it. What shocks me is how quickly someone starts acting perceptibly intoxicated with dramatic personality and speech changes arriving seconds after their first couple of sips. As the night wears on they just keep drinking themselves deeper into that hole of iodicy. Witnessing poo-shows like this from time to time brings the embarrassing thought as I too once upon a time would do that to myself. Very sobering experience no pun intended!

Anna

I very occasionally have dinner with someone who is drinking wine or beer. But, other than that, I've never been around anyone who was drinking a lot. My life is different now.

Dee74

Some of my friends drink but its not the reason for getting together.
Most of them will leave something in the glass or bottle when they leave.

D

Gcesp

It's definitely not a common occurrence. I was never one for night life and spend most of my free time in outdoorsy and exercise related hobbies like training, cycling, kayaking or hunting. It's seasonal for sure but occasionally you do cross paths with people who imbibe. Even if they don't consume much the personality change is very shocking and now that I don't drink anymore or care to imbibe it's quite shocking how little it takes!

VikingGF

I’m just enjoying the term “poo-shows” too much…

I hang out with some drinkers, but for the few left who get slurry or confrontational- they know I just leave and they are ok with it. I stay away from “drinking” events- they aren’t my scene any longer and I don’t miss them. Can’t believe they were my only desire at one time. Remarkable.

joe801

Yep, most of my friends drink and most are co-workers and some are probably hammered being friday night. I'm very stern and they know they can call and hang out if needed, don't bring booze and other smelly subs.

I think the stat is 60% of Americans drink, I think it's a little higher and much more per setting. I'm wise enough to see the effects on people on monday morning and many times during the week.

Then again I've always preferred being a loner especially at night although I'm not anti-social if that makes sense.

Runswithspoons

Gcesp, spot on about how eye-opening it is when you are not drinking and round people who aren't necessarily tying one on, but start sounding like they're talking through a mouth full of marbles. (And oh, the leaners!) Why it's always good to have an exit plan or excuse to vamoose.

least

I don't deliberately hang out with drinkers, but once in a while am in that situation. It doesn't bother me at all, but if they start to get drunk, it gets boring or annoying to be around them.

Free2bme888

Some people I hang out with drink.

I don’t go to venues where the main event is just drinking

Mummyto2

I was chatting with my husband on the phone he works away all week, i said your drinking aren't you and he said yes how can you tell, i said because you are talking aload of bs hehe i cannot stand to be around drunk people and yes i know they had to be around me, they are so annoying and repetitive lol

Tica2023

I was just about to ask this in a thread. My husband gets drunk 1-2 times a week. When I was arrested for public intoxication 5 weeks ago, he promised he was going to quit. He has cut back. But it’s so boring and not attractive. Listening to the same stupid songs over and over while I sit alone on the couch. Then he said tonight he’s not going to change himself or sacrifice anything for anyone because life is short. I’m going to have a talk tomorrow when he’s sober.

Mummyto2

I think we are getting a taste of our own medicine, my husband only drinks away from the house now as i am not having booze in the house, why would i want the very thing that nearly broke me anywhere near me, he can drink that is his choice and he doesn't react to it like me.

BornToBeSober

I still do yes. I'm single with no kids so I do enjoy going out. Sometimes if I go to a nightclub or other type of venues like that I'll be one of the very few, sometimes probably the only person, not drinking. I don't go out as much as I used to though.

It took a while to get used to going out sober. There were countless times I shouldn't have gone out and I did -- relapsed with disastrous results but that's another story for another time.

I have a system I use when I go out that helps me resist the urges. One of the rules I have is to always have a nonalcoholic drink in my hand and make sure I read certain articles before I go out that put me in the right mindset.

Do I find drunk people annoying? At times yes but mostly they just make me laugh.

DriGuy

Like others, I don't mind being around drinkers, but not the slobbering kinds. At first I avoided all drinkers, and that was necessary to get me free of the danger zone. Now I have no interest being around the hard core types, I just find them uninteresting. Most of my best friends in the "seldom drink" category. One old friend still has a problem, but I don't see him much. I'm grateful that he lives far away so I don't have to feel sorry for him as he tries to pretend he doesn't have a problem.

sober2023

No, I used to when I started drinking, but became a solitary drinker in later years

advbike

A third of Americans dont drink at all, another third very little (avg one drink a week), and the remaining third drink most of it. Top 10% is 75 drinks per week, the next decile is 15 drinks per week, the third is 6. So drinking regularly and or heavily really isnt the norm, even though many of us thought it was.

Numbers from Washington Post article from 2014, data from National Epidemiology Survey.

DriGuy

One of my big surprises in recovery was how many people don't drink.

Zebra1275

I don't really hang around with drinkers, but that's probably because I'm now in my 60's and people my age don't really drink much.

Once in awhile after an event some of my friends will go to a bar and get a beer. I'll go and have a Diet Coke. Nobody has ever said anything and I'm not sure they even notice. After one beer, or possibly two everyone goes home.

Steely

The stats were interesting advike. Thanks.

No, I don't hang with drinkers anymore, but occasionally I'm somewhere where people are drinking. Christmas for example I saw 7 people share 2 bottles of wine and it was not a problem for me. Very civilised.

It doesn't work that way for me. I would have been straight down the bottle shop organising a crate.

I am so glad to be sober.

VikingGF

Just got home from an event where one of my friends got sloppy. Slurry, repeating stories, loud, spilling.

It just made me more grateful. And a wee bit sad for her.

It will be while before I do that again. One reminder of the bad old days is plenty!