Alcohol as a paart of life: thoughts?

[liberate]

You've received a lot of replies but I'll add my two cents. I know a lot of people who have a glass of wine after work to unwind. I'll have a beer at lunch sometimes, but otherwise I'll go days/weeks without drinking until we have some group get together. This is mostly for fitness reasons as I never drink soda in favor of water or tea, so I don't want to have a beer everyday. Then again the get togethers turn into binge drinking sometimes, so that's not good.

[mhowe]

I think that if you grow up in an alcohol free zone --- you may continue in that way.

 

Likewise, if you grew up with an alcoholic parent ---- some will lean towards, some away.

 

And if alcohol has been a moderate presence, you will have learned that it can be an enjoyable experience.

[faraday]

I think sometimes it's genetics.

 

My mom is an alcoholic. Growing up with her was scary. I avoid her at all costs when she's had more than 8 drinks in an evening.

 

My brother has dependency issues. Addicted to cigarettes, dependant on pot and alcohol...he's working his way through his things on his own (and doing pretty good- I'm proud of him).

 

And I can smoke a pack of cigarettes everyday for a week and stop one day and not think about it again for months. I can take or leave most things...it depends on who I'm with. Although, when I was in school last year, I was drinking a bottle of wine a night while working on homework....I did it every night for 4 months....but when school got less crazy, I forgot to buy wine and didn't think about it again.

 

For my brother it's a daily struggle. For my mom...dad set up rules around her drinking...and now they only drink on weekends and holidays...it was the only way to keep her in check...and I think she knows she has a problem because...now she listens to him. When I was younger, I would often open a cupboard and find an open cold beer hiding inside.

 

Genetics. Some people have addictive personalities and others don't...you have to know where you fall.

[quirky]

I think culture plays a part too. Here in the UK alcohol is a prevalent way of socialising. Some drink more than others, but I don't often meet people that don't drink at all.

 

I like a few drinks when I am out, if the company is good I will keep going, maybe have 4. I never drink on my own really..if I go for a meal I will have 1-2 glasses of wine, or beer. I tend to drink more in the summer.

[testcase]

Ya I live in a major city that's basically a drinking city. Happy hours are a common thing for just about everyone I know.

[renaissancewoman101]

I don't drink at all anymore because I have an allergy to something in alcoholic drinks (red wine is the worst) that causes my breathing to choke up (doesn't help that I have asthma too). Before, when I was dating my ex (who was a serious drinker that would always want to eat at places that served beer or liquor), I would drink along with him (and use my inhaler afterwards to deal with the breathing issues). Now, I just don't drink because I don't need the allergic reaction.

 

My parents do NOT drink at all, partly because my mom watched her eldest brother suffer from alcoholism all his life. He died a few weeks ago from cirrhosis and liver cancer. My brother and his wife drink socially with friends and at dinners. They also like to uncork some wine when they have company on the weekends. My mom worries about his social drinking and gets on his case every so often.

[chitown9]

Some people have an addictive personality, and for those people it is best that they avoid alcohol all together.