The younger generation is drinking less and less alcohol. Alcohol has always been strongly integrated into society and linked to practically all social events and traditions in one way or another. But more and more people are deciding to stop drinking alcohol. The main reasons for quitting alcohol are usually.
- They don’t like alcohol or enjoy it.
- They prefer to take care of their health and avoid alcohol.
- They have developed some dependency problems.
I don’t like alcohol Am I weird?
No, you don’t have any problems if you don’t like drinking alcohol. On the contrary, it’s an advantage. You’ll save yourself a lot of health problems throughout your life, and you’ll also enjoy more genuinely the time you spend with other people.
If you don’t like alcohol, the problem isn’t you, it’s other people who can’t live without these drinks.
Is it necessary to drink alcohol to have fun?
No, it is not necessary to drink alcohol to have fun. The fact that some people doubt this reveals how deeply alcoholic our society has become when we see alcohol as an essential element of leisure and socialization.
Fun doesn’t come from alcohol, but from the things we do and the situations we do. When someone goes out to a party with their friends, is alcohol the source of enjoyment? No, not. The source of fun is the company of friends, going out to dinner at a good restaurant, eating things we like, dancing, or talking to that person we feel attracted to. Alcohol is nothing more than a chemical catalyst; it makes us reduce discomfort or social anxiety more quickly, but it doesn’t solve those problems or cause fun.
On the contrary, the more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to have unpleasant and dramatic things happen, such as fights, traffic accidents, infidelities, heart attacks, etc.
The further you stay away from alcohol, the more fun you’ll have in the long run.
How to have fun at a party without alcohol? 5 tips
Many people think that parties have to revolve around alcohol consumption, but that is not true. The fun of a party is precisely getting together with our friends, meeting new people, listening to music, dancing, etc. Alcohol is something secondary.
Unfortunately, many people do not know how to enjoy a party, and they use social events or get-togethers with friends as a mere excuse to drink alcohol to extreme amounts (because drinking alone would be too obvious a symptom of alcoholism).
Alcohol is a nervous system depressant and one of its main effects is to relieve stress in the short term (but that stress will still be there when the effects of the alcohol wear off, and it will even get worse).
Many people are terrified of going to a party without drinking alcohol, and they have a bad time precisely because they focus too much on regretting the absence of alcohol (as if it were a magic potion that is essential for having fun). The key to having fun at a party without drinking alcohol is to focus on having fun, on what is happening at the party, and on what you are doing, instead of thinking only about alcohol.
The most important thing is to get rid of the idea that you need alcohol to have fun or that if you don’t have a drink, the party will be hell. That’s all in your mind because a party is precisely about doing fun things with other people (and drinking alcohol is probably the least fun of all).
What excuses do you make for not drinking alcohol?
It is a shame that some people feel so much social pressure to drink alcohol that they feel obliged to find “excuses” not to drink and ingest a poisonous substance such as alcohol.
If you don’t want to drink, I advise you to be honest and tell people from the start that you don’t drink alcohol. You don’t have to explain your choice not to drink alcohol, but here are some ideas:
- No, thanks, I don’t like alcohol.
- No, thank you, I don’t drink alcohol.
- No thanks, I don’t drink anymore.
- I am taking medication and it is dangerous to mix it with alcohol.
- I have not enjoyed alcohol for a long time now.
- I have a better time without drinking.
- I don’t like having a hangover in the morning.
- I like to be aware of what I do.
- I’m following a training regimen, and that’s more important to me than alcohol.
At first, you may feel strange publicly declaring that you don’t drink alcohol, but over time, you will do it more naturally and confidently. It’s just a matter of starting to do it as soon as possible.
What to drink at a party if I don’t drink alcohol?
It’s a real shame that people have become accustomed to drinking only alcohol during parties. Here is a list of non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy at a party :
- Sparkling water.
- Soft drinks.
- 0.0 Beer (I do not recommend “alcohol-free” beers, because many have almost 1% alcohol).
- Non-alcoholic cocktails.
- Kombucha.
- Non-alcoholic wine (available in more and more places).
Alcohol and social anxiety at parties
Many people who drink alcohol regularly do so in an attempt to calm their social anxiety. They experience negative thoughts and are afraid of making a fool of themselves, of not being liked by others, of being judged or rejected by others. But alcohol consumption, paradoxically, increases the likelihood of all these things happening.
And so, the person ends up drinking more and more alcohol to compensate for the negative consequences of alcohol consumption. It is a vicious cycle in which many people spend most of their lives.
I want to quit drinking but I don’t know how to do it
My name is Luis Miguel Real, and I am a psychologist specializing in addictions who has been helping thousands of people for several years to quit drugs and overcome their addiction problems.
