okay, i wasn't really sure where to post this... Random Thoughts threads get moved to the next page too fast, so I thought this might be a better place to post this... well... I'm going to try to keep this fairly short b/c i have to go to work soon, but hopefully you'll get the idea. i've done many stupid things in my life while drunk. I'm sure I'm not the only one.. anyway, I had cut down quite a bit and then started drinking a lot this summer... I've kind of gone back and forth a bit, actually... but after what I did last night I realized I really need to stop. I thought the acting stupid while drunk phase was over, but apparently I am still capable of making poor decisions. anyway! I wanted to know if anybody could give me some advice about not drinking... I mean, I'm around alcohol quite a bit with my friends, and it's so easy to just drink with them, especially when they're handing them to me and telling me to drink... *sigh* any advice would be really appreciated... and some support as well.... I don't know if anybody can really help, but I'd appreciate it...
The first thing that comes to my mind is to tell your friends that you are going to quit for a while -- either honestly because you've been overdoing it lately or come up with some story about having made a bet or something, whatever will work with your friends & not cause them to give you a ton of shit. When they try to hand you a drink, remind them of your reason for taking it slow for a while. Bring your own fru-fru non-alcohol drink if that will help, if they do fancy coctails instead of beer. I hate to say it, but if that doesn't help, you might need to start cutting back on the parties you attend with those friends... Honestly, I've hung out with people who saw "I'm trying to not drink for a while" as a challenge & would keep trying to hand me a bottle. They were fun to party with back when I was going thru a period of drinking way too much & doing a bunch of stupid shit. I wouldn't call them friends -- more like enablers. Friends will support you in your decision, even if you are afraid to be honest about your reason. Good luck with this. Honestly, the only times I've gone thru what you seem to be dealing with, I left town -- went home to my dad's house to settle down or whatever. So I didn't have to deal with changing my patterns with friends that I saw on a regular basis. I wouldn't expect it to be easy, but you can do it if you really want to. Good luck.
hmmm... I'm not exactly a heavy drinker so I don't know how helpful my advice will be, but... Just try to limit yourself in drinks. After say, two, or whenever you begin feeling the tipsy effects, stop. Stop right then and there, and drink coke or water or whatever (you can always pretend that the coke has rum in it, if you're friends are real pushers of alcohol). If you guys are out at a bar, offer to be the safe driver and you won't be able to drink! Personally, I hate being drunk. I love being tipsy. Tipsy is fun... everything's a little bit funnier but I still know what I'm doing and I remember everything. Drunk, I forget a lot of it, flash people, and have been known to urinate in garbage cans. This is why I quit! I'm a freakin idiot when drunk. So I usually limit myself to two or three drinks (low alcohol drinks too... I'm a lightweight! Two beers max (5.2%) sortof a thing). Anymore than that and I'm not having as much fun as when tipsy... especially at the bar when I wanna dance and can't stand without swaying. Yeesh.
aww thanks guys i will definitely keep all of your advice in mind... perhaps using the "bet thing" will help... hmm.. and having another drink with me is a great idea! i'm feeling much better about the whole thing now, hopefully it doesn't prove to be incredibly difficult...
I don't drink at all and never have. I just nicely but FIRMLY let people know that I do not drink. A lot of times people think that it is their "job" to get nondrinkers to imbibe, and that really pisses me off. Chances are that when you tell people you are not drinking, there will be a number of people who will try very hard to GET you to drink. Just say "NO" and walk away. Also, having a non alcoholic drink in your hand is helpful. When people get on your case, you can say "Oh, I have something to drink." Good luck. I hope you do well. You really can have a good time without demon alcohol.
Try NOT to hang out with those people as much. Don't put yoruself in the spot where the drinks are. You know they are going to drink so don't go there. Do something else to get your mind elsewhere...then when the mindset is in that you don't want to drink as much and you feel strong enough to hang out with them and say no..go hang out and just say no thanks..have something else to drink with you so your not tempted with theirs. ...after you observe their stupidity a few times while being sober you'll be even more turned off by being drunk yourself
I have never been into drinking alcohol. I tried it a few times when I was young and it was forbidden, but by the time I was 21, I had lost interest. I still have friends. We go to bars if there's a good band. I can't really remember the last time anyone gave me any shit when I told them that I just don't enjoy alcohol. I know that's not really advice, but I guess I'm just saying that it can be done. There's life, and fun, without drinking. I also stopped getting red for a very long time. Even my friends that still did didn't stop hanging out with me.
Sometimes when you tell people you're not drinking, they can be asses about it. Maggie you're so right - it's like they see it as a challenge. I don't drink very often, and when I do, I don't drink very much... my heart goes out to you though, Tigerlily... it may not be a smooth road ahead. But you know you have support here. Do what's best for YOU.
i have done sooo many tupid things while drunk or fucked up- #1 would probably be thinking i was a fish and swimming through mulch. tell your friends. and i dont know if you smoke or not but if you do then just a smoke some to chill you out so youll be chill and wont want to drink. if these people are your friends they will respect you not drinking anymore and support you so you dont do anything stupid/drunk anymore. they should be relieved and supportive of your decision.
