Pros and cons of drinking
Hey crew, i notice that we get a few people on here every now and again who talk about drinking alcohol more than they'd like to. Here in Oz, drinking is a pretty big part of our culture, and unfortunately it can become a bit too easy to end up with a Hangover or worse. Drinking enough to get a hangover can lead to some pretty scary health problems when you get a bit older though! So it's worth thinking about your drinking.
Not everyone is sure it's time to stop though, and it's okay to drink alcohol (if you're old enough!). So I thought I'd make a thread to help people to think about whether or not its time to change.
We'll start by writing a pros and cons list. If people are interested I can make a thread about getting ready to cut back or stop drinking and all the great things that can help with that. But for now all you have to do is make a reply and list the pros and cons of stopping drinking.
Here's mine
Pro's of stopping drinking
I will be healthier.
Hangovers are annoying.
My partner doesn't drink, so drinking feels kinda weird now.
There's a risk of cancer in my family associated with drinking, eep!
I am a little worried that I might become reliant on it to help with my anxiety- that would be pretty bad.
I can get fitter.
I would definitely save money, because i like expensive whisky and beer 😛
Con's of stopping drinking.
My friends all like to drink, and it would be annoying not being able to join in.
I really love beer and whisky and have learned a lot about them (and even made some) it's quite tasty and there's so many types to try.
I find it nice to drink something and chat with my friends, it's part of my culture -for better or for worse.
It helps me relax/be more open with people (that's not healthy though I don't think)
Well, there's mine! I hope you share yours 🙂
Comments
Pros of stopping drinking:
- Health benefits
- More money
- Sunday mornings may not be so bad
- My anxiety medication and alcohol doesn't mix so well
- More confident if I can say no and not give into peer pressure, the ability to do that makes me feel good, like I can put my foot down.
Cons:
- My friends all drink
- It can be hard to say no when everyone around you is having a drink
- I feel sometimes more confident and less shy after a drink or two, like I can talk to people more, sometimes without a drink I don't really feel interesting or worth talking to 😕
- I go to lots of events that have free alcohol or encourage drinking like footy functions
This'll be coming from a somewhat different perspective, considering that -as some of you know already- I don't drink. But I figure it might make for an interesting discussion to chip in here, so for what it's worth, here are my 2 cents:
Pro's of not drinking
- Money. Sure, there's cheap beer and goon bags but...I mean, that's still money I'm not spending
- Hangovers. I got a accidentally wasted from wine samplers while my parents were visiting a vineyard. Yes, I know those things are tiny, but you don't need more than 4-5 thimbles of wine to get plastered as an 8 year old, particularly when you start downing them like Ribena shots. Don't particularly care to repeat that experience, even though I'm pretty sure I'd have a better tolerance now.
- I'm a control freak with a highly addictive personality with a tendency to binge. Nooooot the best combination when it comes to alcohol.
- Having grown up my whole life without drinking, most of the friends I've made are from non-drinking contexts, so it actually doesn't feel like I'm missing out on much. My friends know I don't drink, so I don't get called out for pub crawls and the like unless if we're already out as a group and people are about to hit the bars. You can't miss things (or even FOMO) over things you don't know are happening, and I still get to see my friends in the non-alcoholic settings I first met them in, so it really doesn't me at all that some of them might like to sip a beer or two. I don't need to be a part of every single tidbit of their lives, and they don't need to be a part of every bit of mine, so long as we get along during the parts we do share.
- Being fairly introverted, I'm not particularly fond of going to bars, clubs and parties anyway, so if I am missing out, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything I wouldn't turn down myself anyway. (Seriously, if I'm going to meet new people, I want to actually be able to hear the people I end up talking to. Music is good, but I have headphones and youtube that already let me enjoy it from home. Our time together is limited, let's make use of it.)
- When I DO go to bars though, it's usually not super impossible to get by with just a glass of water in hand. It's dark in there, and I don't think people actually care what you're drinking half the time so long as you're holding something. Maybe I'm pounding vodka! You'd never know...
Con's of not drinking.
- I pass up a lot of free drinks at uni. One of the clubs I'm a part of has a pizza and drinks night every fortnight or so, and there's almost always cider left to spare. On all accounts, 5 Seeds isn't terrible, and I hate seeing stuff go to waste.
- When people talk drinks, I just stare blankly and nod. It still amazes me that you can't just order "a beer" like you do in movies.
- I'm definitely less social than I would be if I DID drink, and have probably missed out on a couple amazing friendships due to simply not being around all of these bars/clubs/parties etc. But that's as much down to my introversion as anything else...
- I guess I have less fun? Although personally my stance is "if I can't enjoy something sober, then it's not fun enough for me to get a hangover for". Which might be prudish but not so much so that I feel like I need to apologize for it.
Such a good point on when we have addictive personalities! Booze can be detrimental there @Asche
Pros of not drinking:
Better for my body
Better for my sleeping pattern
No hangovers
More self-confidence without relying on alcohol
Easier to manage weight
Being more in control when socialising in drinking setting
Cons of not drinking:
My friends all drink so I would really struggle not to or might go out less
I enjoy the taste of all the drinks
I don't like going out without drinking
It is often a stress reliever for me (although probably not the best one)
Less dancing lol
Increased social anxiety when going out
Nice thread @May_ @Ben-RO .. interesting with the pattern of not drinking whilst your friends are downing beverages.. Definitely a huge thing in Aus and I find sometimes not drinking can make me feel almost like a minority!
Would love to give it a go one day 🙂 Who has managed to give it up completely?
Thanks for asking! @May_ Yep I can do a small one 🙂
Pros
Would get in at least two more gym sessions a week
My family is rife with alcoholism so could potentially avoid that predisposition
Constant clarity
At least $60 more in the bank per week!
Cons
I write for a beer magazine on the side - big fan of craft beer! Would really miss the passion I have there
Would miss the social bonding over good beer/wine
Would miss food pairing with a good brew/vino
Gosh how ridiculous, well done on standing strong and keeping hydrated 🙂
"Seriously, if I'm going to meet new people, I want to actually be able to hear the people I end up talking to." So true. Can you tell I'm not a fan of clubs and music so loud all you say all night is "What?" I wish they would turn it down a bit.." and suffer from tinnitus for 2 days after it? :')
I probably wouldn't be able to handle going to clubs or whatever other places like that are called because of loud noises and large crowds.
The other thing I find with alcohol is that it tastes really bad. The annoying part about this is that so many people kind of laugh at me, oh yeah sure, it's ALL bad. First of all, obviously there are exceptions I have yet to discover but really. It smells bad, for starters, I've tried a few different wines, drinks and beers and they've all had the same lingering alcoholic taste. So no, I'm definitely not a fan of the stuff either 😛
But on the social side of things, I don't think drinking will help me make any friends, I'm just not that good at it anyway. Plus, I'm pretty good and being "drunk" without actually drinking. By "drunk" I mean unbalanced, highly talkative and talking about stupid stuff (or the loss of my filter :P)
I don't have any cons for not drinking, because I don't like the stuff and (I hope) my friends respect my decision, most of them at least do.
Oh, i have many many things i can suggest @May_! I think i shall make a new thread 🙂
