Life without alcohol, has all the fun gone?

[giddyup]

I pretty much stopped drinking over a year ago, I do have a small glass of red wine once a week, and a very occasional beer, but to be quite honest I don't even enjoy that much anymore. I uses to love going out to the bars with a few mates and getting half (or fully) tanked, but I gradually found that the hangovers got worse and lasted longer and it didn't take as much, as little as four beers, to have me seedy the next day. So I haven't been in a bar for months, tend to stay around the house, read a book, spend a couple of hours on the laptop, watch a bit of TV, play with the dog, eat, sleep that's about it. It just wasn't fun going to a bar and having a coke. I also stopped smoking around the same time as I found it was a lot easier to quit once I stopped drinking.

Anyone else had to make the same kind of adjustment?

[pgrahmm]

I think alcohol is a "lonely" drink and a misery loves company medication....although not a bar crawler there are people around that you could visit or visa versa and find a way to talk and drink.....mostly drink after the talk dried up....there's a neighbor you can almost set the clock by that returns every night about 11 after drinking about...riding a motorbike - some night he's going to not make it.....

I find on the nights that I drink I miss out on the good subtleties of life - more interested in refilling the glass.....frankly I wake up angry at myself for missing the evening before......my wife does not care for it when I drink even though I'm never an angry or bad/boisterous drunk....I think every wife would prefer their companion sober - assuming they get along.....

For that reason I allow myself one bottle of good rum to drink in a month......sometimes it will last a few weeks - October's bottle went in one night when a buddy of mine and his wife stopped for dinner and an evening of good company, conversation, and shared interests.....

When I handle it this way and my ration is gone - it's gone - and I don't miss it.....

[h90]

yes.....I stopped smoking.

Than I found out that I have only two modes....being complete drunk or don't drink.

So most of the time I don't drink at all, which is extreme boring. But from time to time I allow myself to drinking as before. But I am not confident if that is a good idea.

[geronimo]

I've been there. All the fun hasn't gone, it just lies in different places. I am surrounded by people who are messing up their lives (and others) with alcohol. If I ever needed proof of the damage it causes, I am reminded almost on a daily basis.

[giddyup]

I've been there. All the fun hasn't gone, it just lies in different places. I am surrounded by people who are messing up their lives (and others) with alcohol. If I ever needed proof of the damage it causes, I am reminded almost on a daily basis.

I did some pretty silly things years ago when I was really tanked, like mistaking the girlfriends clothes hamper for the toilet, but it wasn't because of any damages done, other than to my liver.

[giddyup]

yes.....I stopped smoking.

Than I found out that I have only two modes....being complete drunk or don't drink.

So most of the time I don't drink at all, which is extreme boring. But from time to time I allow myself to drinking as before. But I am not confident if that is a good idea.

I can't even tie one on occasionally now, it's the thought of how bad I'm going to feel the next day that prevents me.

[NeverSure]

I got lucky. When I was about 17 a friend's parents were out of town and he invited a bunch of us for a party. He and other guys had a bunch of hard liquor which I'd never tried.

Not knowing how much to drink I drank way too much and spent the night out on his lawn in the rain, vomiting sick.

I've never liked alcohol since. I finally got to where I can drink one glass of wine or one beer maybe twice a year and that's it. I just don't like it.

[giddyup]

I got lucky. When I was about 17 a friend's parents were out of town and he invited a bunch of us for a party. He and other guys had a bunch of hard liquor which I'd never tried.

Not knowing how much to drink I drank way too much and spent the night out on his lawn in the rain, vomiting sick.

I've never liked alcohol since. I finally got to where I can drink one glass of wine or one beer maybe twice a year and that's it. I just don't like it.

I got completely smashed on Ouzo in Greece when I was young and now the smell of it makes me gag. It didn't put me off beer and wine though.

[Dave8237]

Stopped smoking 7 years ago....don't miss it, only drink couple bottle's of beer a month if that. My friends in the UK, do the same thing as well now, we are all 50 plus.

Here I watch acquaintance's smoke heavy drink heavy, after just over a year here in Bangkok, I don't even mix with them, not my thing.

Heading North East with my wife to live my life like a hermit............ and go quietly insane

[Cpkt8]

I pretty much stopped drinking over a year ago, I do have a small glass of red wine once a week, and a very occasional beer, but to be quite honest I don't even enjoy that much anymore. I uses to love going out to the bars with a few mates and getting half (or fully) tanked, but I gradually found that the hangovers got worse and lasted longer and it didn't take as much, as little as four beers, to have me seedy the next day. So I haven't been in a bar for months, tend to stay around the house, read a book, spend a couple of hours on the laptop, watch a bit of TV, play with the dog, eat, sleep that's about it. It just wasn't fun going to a bar and having a coke. I also stopped smoking around the same time as I found it was a lot easier to quit once I stopped drinking.

Anyone else had to make the same kind of adjustment?

Congratulations OP! You have gained back your health and life. Keep it up!

[giddyup]

I pretty much stopped drinking over a year ago, I do have a small glass of red wine once a week, and a very occasional beer, but to be quite honest I don't even enjoy that much anymore. I uses to love going out to the bars with a few mates and getting half (or fully) tanked, but I gradually found that the hangovers got worse and lasted longer and it didn't take as much, as little as four beers, to have me seedy the next day. So I haven't been in a bar for months, tend to stay around the house, read a book, spend a couple of hours on the laptop, watch a bit of TV, play with the dog, eat, sleep that's about it. It just wasn't fun going to a bar and having a coke. I also stopped smoking around the same time as I found it was a lot easier to quit once I stopped drinking.

Anyone else had to make the same kind of adjustment?

Congratulations OP! You have gained back your health and life. Keep it up!

Oh, there's no going back now, I couldn't if I wanted to. What's that old adage, "I got sick and tired of waking up sick and tired"?

[canarysun]

I don't drink either! I worked as a holiday rep in Spain for 5 years after that and reaching 22 years old i became bored with bars and booze! They do nothing for me whatsoever.For me that would be a boring life. ( i dislike bars,booze & football ) How these guys do it every day of the week i have no idea! You see the same faces sat in the same bar and same bar stool every day when i stroll past sometimes.You would think that they would at least change bar sometimes ?? lol

Being a holiday rep was great fun ( sex on tap ) but i just used to hate doing " bar crawls " .....

F.J

[giddyup]

I don't drink either! I worked as a holiday rep in Spain for 5 years after that and reaching 22 years old i became bored with bars and booze! They do nothing for me whatsoever.For me that would be a boring life. ( i dislike bars,booze & football ) How these guys do it every day of the week i have no idea! You see the same faces sat in the same bar and same bar stool every day when i stroll past sometimes.You would think that they would at least change bar sometimes ?? lol

Being a holiday rep was great fun ( sex on tap ) but i just used to hate doing " bar crawls " .....

F.J

Wow! Jaded with the bars at 22! I'm afraid it took me a lot longer than that, like nearly 50 years longer.

Edited October 10, 2014 by giddyup

[canarysun]

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I don't drink either! I worked as a holiday rep in Spain for 5 years after that and reaching 22 years old i became bored with bars and booze! They do nothing for me whatsoever.For me that would be a boring life. ( i dislike bars,booze & football ) How these guys do it every day of the week i have no idea! You see the same faces sat in the same bar and same bar stool every day when i stroll past sometimes.You would think that they would at least change bar sometimes ?? lol

Being a holiday rep was great fun ( sex on tap ) but i just used to hate doing " bar crawls " .....

F.J alt=wub.png>

Wow! Jaded with the bars at 22! I'm afraid it took me a lot longer than that, like nearly 50 years longer.

I have never liked bars and nightclubs ( not even when i was a teenager ) i always felt the " odd one out " ( i still do sometimes...lol ) but in a bar i feel " caged in " and feel " completely uncomfortable " to me i find them very unnatural places to meet people and a few years back would be " filled with smoke " ( bloody dreadful ..... lol )

[JAFO]

Firstly consuming alcohol is not bad. To much emphasis is placed on that. Its like everything in life, all in moderation. I do not like or have ever cared for bars. I am a sip around the house type. I never get hangovers to any degree no matter how much I consume, Some might consider that a curse. I have come to the conclusion it is the quality of the alcohol consumed and a few other factors.

Live life and enjoy.

Edited October 10, 2014 by JAFO

[thehelmsman]

Remember the movie Shawshank Redemption when Morgan Freeman and the guys are drinking the 3 beers each that Andy got them. Freman says something to the effect that having a cold beer makes him feel like a free man. Well there's truth in that. Be at sea for long periods and going ashore for a nice cold one is a good feeling. My time spent at my home in Thailand I'll have 1 or 2 tall ones in the afternoon sometimes and maybe buy a couple more Leo's with the little lady as she cooks dinner.

There's a middle ground between pissed and having a few. It's only when I share lao kao with the fellas that my lady gives me the stink eye. Everything in moderation..............

[canarysun]

Have you ever noticed a few of these British Expats who spend a lot of time in the bars ( normally wearing a football top and talking about cheap beer ) they seem to address everybody with " ello mate " and have strange names such as Gaz ,Daz, Baz & Biz ....???? have you noticed viewers..?

F.J

[chrisinth]

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Have you ever noticed a few of these British Expats who spend a lot of time in the bars ( normally wearing a football top and talking about cheap beer ) they seem to address everybody with " ello mate " and have strange names such as Gaz ,Daz, Baz & Biz ....???? have you noticed viewers..?

F.J alt=wub.png>

Better names than say, Cupcake or Canarysun IMHO..................

[h90]

yes.....I stopped smoking.

Than I found out that I have only two modes....being complete drunk or don't drink.

So most of the time I don't drink at all, which is extreme boring. But from time to time I allow myself to drinking as before. But I am not confident if that is a good idea.

I can't even tie one on occasionally now, it's the thought of how bad I'm going to feel the next day that prevents me.

Well if you don't drink for a couple of month that will get better again. + stay away from Thai beer. You don't get the hangover from the alcohol you get it from whatever else is in there.....

[Sayonarax]

What is this? The gone soft thread?

[canarysun]

Just a small bottle of " Babycham " would send me to sleep......... x

[giddyup]

yes.....I stopped smoking.

Than I found out that I have only two modes....being complete drunk or don't drink.

So most of the time I don't drink at all, which is extreme boring. But from time to time I allow myself to drinking as before. But I am not confident if that is a good idea.

I can't even tie one on occasionally now, it's the thought of how bad I'm going to feel the next day that prevents me.

Well if you don't drink for a couple of month that will get better again. + stay away from Thai beer. You don't get the hangover from the alcohol you get it from whatever else is in there.....

Sadly not true. Other than the odd glass of red wine, have drunk very little over the last 12-15 months but I know if I had a bit of a session on anything alcoholic I'll pay the price. Never been a total booze hound but have done my share of partying over the years and I think my liver just won't process alcohol in any form anymore.

[giddyup]

What is this? The gone soft thread?

Yeah, I should do what Georgie Best did, drank until he needed a liver transplant, once he had the new one he destroyed that as well. What a man, what a bleedin' idiot.

Edited October 10, 2014 by giddyup

[mrtoad]

Good for the OP, I have some really close friends who don't drink, and haven't for years. They have a great life, full of fun and nothing missing from it. Nothing soft about not drinking, total respect.

[Humberstone]

I don't drink at all, have been TT for almost 9 years now. I don't miss the drinking at all but I do miss going to Pubs etc and socialising. I am also British, a nation of functioning alcoholics, and I am now bemused at the way my family all still happily tip the bottle as if there was no alternative.

[luk AJ]

Hey Giddyup, i know exactly how you feel, i stopped smoking 5 years ago and didn't drink one drop of alcohol the past 2 years. Since I stopped drinking, i tried the bars a couple of times but sitting sober next to the partying crazy friends is no fun. I have the same problem as mentioned by some other replies, I was born with a on/off switch,( no dimmer available at that time). Why I do it? To take care of my health (had tripple heart bypass surgery) I do like being in control of things, before when I went partying, I couldn't stop drinking until wasted. Now you have your life in control, You could focus on bringing your body back into shape, fitness, sport whatever. This will give you a lot of satisfaction. My mind is also more clear and memory improved. I do miss the sinful times once and a while, but I promised myself, if ever my doctor tells me I have little time left, I will go to the nearest 7/11 buy a bottle of vodka and a pack of cigarettes. I will enjoy the view on Pataya beach and repeat this every day until my last. Only this thought can keep me away from relapse.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[NoshowJones]

I never even started drinking or smoking and I would say I had a great life, when I was a teenager I played in a band, and was only interested in girls, I played in bands all the time till I came to live in Thailand, either as a full time musician or part time with a full time job, being a reasonably handsome guy, I never had a problem finding ladies company, so never felt the need to drink.

I did find it almost impossible to find a girl back in Scotland who did not drink or smoke, and I just had to accept that, now I have a lovely Thai wife who does not drink, even the Thai girls I met before I met my wife never drank or smoked, my Farang mates who all drink and are married to ex bargirls, seem to be happy with their lives in Thailand although there is the odd exception.

[AYJAYDEE]

yep. same happened to me but I do enjoy going to the bar once a week just to BS with whoever. i drink a couple of soda or tonic with a lime twist over a few hours and dont miss the alcohol at all. and years later still wake up overjoyed to find I dont have a hangover. and quitting smoking was a breeze after i quit drink.

[arthurwait]

Have you ever noticed a few of these British Expats who spend a lot of time in the bars ( normally wearing a football top and talking about cheap beer ) they seem to address everybody with " ello mate " and have strange names such as Gaz ,Daz, Baz & Biz ....???? have you noticed viewers..?

F.J

Friendly non-judgemental people to the gallows with them !

[Cypress Hill]

Going out in Bangkok, so many people you meet seem incapable of having a good night without liberal applications of alcohol.

Nothing wrong with having a drink but I generally stay away from piss-heads. They inevitably end up in one kind of bother or another and who needs that?

Besides, I prefer to indulge in other stimulants although, of course, not in the Kingdom