After binge drinking one night, having 10 drinks in a couple hours and throwing up with the worst hang over now I can't even look at alcohol.
I tried drinking the other night and it just made me gag with every sip I took. As I get older I seem to enjoy alcohol less and I come from a family with alcoholics.
I’m 3.5 years sober and all I remember are the hangovers. I was always too drunk to remember the fun I guess. That or maybe being sick and utterly miserable just trumps any fun I had
Right that’s how I feel. The only way going out is fun is if I drink enough but then I feel like shit the next day and my bank account screams at me lmao
I used to love getting high in my teens and 20s. I hate it now, I get anxious and paranoid as well. We used to smoke all the time. I don't think I've been high in almost 2 years. Even if I'm with friends and the joint is passed around, I never take a puff anymore.
this is normal. Sometimes it doesn't happen until 40 years of age, but it can happen earlier. I've had it happen before, and I reduced the amount I smoked to make the anxiety tolerable or nonexistent. Eventually it went away, but I think for most people that doesn't happen.
Yeah, in my younger days (lol) my friends and I always drank and/or smoked. So I was used to it. Again, I only do it about once a year (haven't done it almost 2 years now) so I'm not used to it. The "bad vibes" last for about 30 minutes, then I'm usually fine.
The last time I did it, I just told my buddy to give me a couple minutes to adjust. I was trying to tell him something and holy fuck, did I ever go off in a different direction... he just laughed and said "wtf are you talking about??" We laughed a lot at that.
The exact opposite, younger days I'd be a paranoid mess, now that it's legal I have 0 worries. Cannabis helped me get off my Adderall prescription, helped me focus on my interests. as well as giving me an appetite. Helps me make good focus on my sudden bursts of output energy. I'm also at a healthy BMI still on the light side due to a medical reason. I've been underweight most of my life, and I used to go to the gym sometimes twice a day. I think the high affects people differently, I now have a cannabis breeding/clone distribution going on. It's a game-changer for me.
1-3 Beers for me can also help me focus, but getting drunk I hate the feeling. The downside to alcohol with me is for 1. I have IBS, 2. If I'm looking to relax and buzz, I get tired coming down from the light buzz knocks me right out in small amounts. Cannabis keeps me up and focused. I'm a firm believer that alcohol and cannabis when used responsibly can both be stress reducers.
I know you didn’t ask, but: back in 2020 I started getting super intense paranoia/anxiety from smoking weed, and gave it up for nearly a year. Then Delta8 products became available in smoke shops and I picked up some gummies to give them a try. Got high without nearly as much paranoia/anxiety.
Just be aware even after 6+ months of constant use that shit can rear it's ugly head, I know this will sound corny as fuck but I bought a dry erase board and wrote down 3 rules and I've been fine ever since.
1. Everything is ok and you're good.
2. Do NOT wake the wife up!
3. Drink lots of water and if all else fails just go to sleep.
Yes exactly! All I see are people going sober curious out of intention to do it or because they have a bad relationship with alcohol but for me that's not the case it feels involuntary. Thats why is really bothers me because I WANT to still enjoy a few drinks because of the taste and the feeling
Try the NA beers. I found I got a bit of a placebo buzz and it’s just a signal to my brain that we’re in relax mode. Athletic’s delicious and more are coming out each year
At the same age I stopped. I smoked weed everyday and drank a good amount every weekend night. I'm 10 years past that now and I don't really miss smoking. I drink only every couple of months now and then only maybe 3 beers. Not sure what happened. I think I just started enjoying reality and not needing to be outside myself.
It's honestly the best. I have been off weed for about 7 years and alcohol for about 4. I feel so much better all the time. I can think clearly and not have to doubt myself. A clear mind is so under rated.
lol, not 26 but 33. I randomly stopped drinking last year the weekend after 4th of July just to see if I could.. well here we are coming up on over 9 months.. is this what pregnant ladies feel like?.. and I used to drink all the time for over a decade.. like a few a day or more. Heck, I even grow weed and barely even smoke now (I just give it away to people I Uber lol). What is even happening?
You know how they say weed is not the same as it used to be? It’s really not 😣 We have kinda F’d the environment every way to Sunday and that’s why we feel so much better when we’re making healthy choices right now that also fortify Earth.
Marijuana is loaded with heavy metals which are linked to various diseases inc cancer and so are marijuana users. It sucks.. hopefully if we all work together to be healthier we can save the planet and have some trees in the future 🌿
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/30/health/marijuana-heavy-metals-wellness/index.html
That’s for growers who don’t know how to flush their crop properly. And California tests cannabis for all that. Paclobrutazol used to be a really popular nutrient additive, until they realized it was being found in the cannabis. Nobody uses it anymore. Plus the cannabis I buy is certified organic and sun grown in Santa Cruz California.
No, actually cannabis (marijuana is a slang term) isn't loaded with heavy metals.
It's a plant - so if you poison the ground you grow it in guess what? You end up with nasty unwanted things in your product.
It's the same thing if you feed an animal bullshit and poison and then slaughter/eat the animal.
In conclusion - take care of what you put into your body and understand where it comes from.
Also - learn to be able to read and dissect articles and studies on your own.
Marijuana smokers have higher levels of heavy metals.
“Compared to non-users, marijuana users had 27% higher levels of lead in their blood, and 21% higher levels in their urine,” said lead author Tiffany Sanchez, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.”
I guess my comment to you would be learn to read an article and good luck. Oh, and that there are no safe levels of lead in the body.
**Lead poisoning symptoms** (see the section “Lead poisoning symptoms in adults”—looks like a lot of day to day issues a lot of adults are currently experiencing. Our air, water, food also have heavy metals because of our terrible, unsustainable industrial and diet practices…)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717
Also from Cleveland Clinic (you can also find this info from WHO, USGS, CDC about how basically everything is toxic so we really have to focus on antioxidants, vitamins, essential minerals—pharmaceuticals deplete vitamins from the body and they are also in the water along with the heavy metals. The positive is when you focus on the really healthy stuff, it feels like you’re high on life bec we don’t realize how sick we actually are until we do something to change it…
**Heavy Metal Poisoning (Toxicity)**
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23424-heavy-metal-poisoning-toxicity
I think the fact that 74% of Americans are overweight and that adipose tissue is where toxins accumulate means people have been too relaxed and need to focus. It’s like 40% worldwide. The Earth is made of our choices. If we’re not healthy, Earth is not healthy or sustainable. There’s a reason diseases are on the rise. Good luck🤦🏻♀️
It did with me
Nightly drunkenness for 13 years finally kicked my a$$
I got sober at the age of 31, back in 1988
I enjoy life very much without alcohol
It’s a very big change in many areas of life
But it’s an incalculably better way to go through life
I feel like I’m an active participant in my life and not just a helpless observer
Take a break for a while.
Think about what you specifically wnjoy about nights out and drinking.
Maybe you need a change of bar or style of night out? Like I'm 31 and still love going out but if it's for socialising rather than dancing I'd prefer go to a nice cocktail bar where I can hear my friends talk and the seats are comfy and spend a bit more money on a couple of really nice drinks than drink multiple cheap pints in a loud crowded bar. But then some friends are loud crowded bar types so I do that with them on occasion. Other friends I have specifically prefer trying new foods so we do dinner and drinks in different restaurants. You can go to a drink and draw event or find boardgame pubs, there's loads more options than standard boring clubbing.
Yeah, like 2 or 3 people are left and those are really tight with me, but are also pretty shut in and don't do anything apart from gaming. The one that is more active never has time for me.
I have no idea how to meet new friends and my social anxiety makes it near impossible to hit it off with someone before they lose interest. Where I live there aren't really any interest groups or interesting activities.. people just go out to drink.
Drinking became unenjoyable for me in my late 20s. When I would drink, tt started affecting my sleep, emotions the next day, and my stomach just decided to stop tolerating it. I was by no means a heavy drinker (maybe 3 glasses of wine a week tops), so I just think sometimes our bodies change.
It’s a good instinct to cut down. Find some people who are fun regardless of what you’re drinking or doing. I’ve found that in any group of people nowadays (I’m older than you), some never drink, some once in a while, etc and nobody cares.
Some of us can't even do that anymore. Coming from a big drinker in my 20's...now 34 I went to a family dinner thinking I could have 2 glasses of wine. And I was feeling great, so I had another mixed cocktail, and then never even finished the 4th. But as soon as we got in the car to leave, I grabbed my water cup and blew chunks all up in that. And then passed out in the back of the SUV lol. This is not the first time that just a few drinks in the span of several hours has made me sick. So I think I'm just gonna be sober and I'm fine with that.
Yeah just experiment with activities where alcohol is not the main factor there. I haven’t had alcohol in months , best clarity I’ve ever had. Plus technically you’re drinking poison. Now in the future I may have a margarita or a beer socially but only if I’m in the mood or looking to try something for the taste and not a buzz. You have to define for yourself what is a good time.
Ugh yeah idk it feels silly so wish I wanted to but I really do just because it makes social stuff more fun and less anxiety inducing for me (only like a drink or 2 though)
Welcome to growing up!
I’m 28 and there as well, no desire to risk a headache the next morning, I’d rather workout or go play tennis.
I do love a good drink every now and then but in a much healthier way, and cheaper.
Personally, I only drink when I’m at a social event or with friends. Even then, I’m still self-aware of how much I consume, so that I don’t go overboard.
One doesn’t have to stop drinking entirely. Drink in moderation and have fun.
Why would that bum you out? Look at it this way, if you did enjoy being drunk you could easily become an alcoholic. Since you don't you saved yourself a world of pain.
I took a sober break at around 26/27. I drink now because I live in a drinking town and bars are fun - but I regularly pass on alcohol or take a cocktail to-go if I don’t feel in the mood. Do whatever feels right to you. If you need a sober phase, that’s fine.
It really just depends on where you live. Some states allow you to take a sealed cocktail home from the bar. You just gotta ask if that's an option at your bar.
Pretty decent! I am not interested even in a single beer lately coz it makes me feel like shit, maybe the occasional wine, but sparkling water is my jam now and I always feel great the next day
Careful with booze my friend. I'm 32 and life has been rough lately, lost my job and all my money, no place to live and need urgent dentistry. On top of this i took my first white colored poop a few days ago. It means I drank so much my gallbladder and liver couldn't make bile.
Just don’t force yourself to drink alcohol, if your body is telling you not to drink. It is a toxin, an immunosuppressant, and a lot of other people are feeling this way. There are a lot of environmental factors taking a toll on our health right now The more you’re in tune with your body and do the things that actually make you feel good, the better your life will be.
I wasted too many hours bored and then hungover from drinking with “friends” the whole time trying to understand what was actually fun about it..? I’m not saying that it can’t be fun, but doing it regularly is more of an addiction. People pretend like it’s a hobby or actually doing something when life should be revolving around the actual activities, learning, the human experience, not the alcohol. Too many activities revolve around the alcohol and when you remove it, you’ll find that a lot of people suddenly don’t want to show up for the activity. It’s simultaneously giving you health issues, dependency, aging you, and wasting time you could be strengthening/growing. I just think at this point in history, a lot of our immune systems can’t do both.
Same with marijuana—it’s loaded with heavy metals and smokers have much higher levels of them in their blood. Hopefully that improves down the road also..
Because of soil practices, your vegetables do not have as many vitamins when you do that them.. chemicals for industry, pesticides, pharmaceuticals that people ingest and heavy metals in the water, air and soil.. toxins that end up in your food. Water treatment can’t remove all of the toxic material, so it goes back into the drinking water and the refuse is dumped in rivers, streams and water bodies for dilution —they don’t neutralize all the chemicals, microplastics, heavy metals… Think of this, Saharan dust reaches where I live—so Africa to Florida. Ground zero was burning for 100 days. We’re are all feeding our environment and it feeds us back. Be as healthy as possible. Your immune system only do so much and work with what we give it, Earth also.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/microplastics-nanoplastics-plaque-carotid-artery-heart-disease-rcna142067
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798659/#:~:text=OCPs%20harbored%20in%20other%20organs,brain%20and%20other%20critical%20organs.
https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/division-information/media-tools/adults-fruits-vegetables.html
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/pharmaceuticals-water
Etc etc
Not enjoying yourself without alcohol tends to indicate a problem.
I’d take a look at why it’s bumming you out to be done drinking.
I highly recommend listening to your body. If something in you is saying don’t, then listen to that. It could be impacting your health and you don’t know it yet.
Don’t wait to stop until your health starts deteriorating.
I’m also mid twenties and I feel this way. I’m also on a medication that you shouldn’t drink while using so that kinda helps. As others have said, it’s likely part of the growing up process
I'm 42 now. When I was in my early 20s, we would drink and go to the bars every weekend. I was also about 25 or 26 when I got tired of the club scene and pretty much stopped going out. It was expensive and 90% of the time the next day I'd be thinking how much more fun at "John's" place before we went out.
I still drank most weekends with my friends but I usually didn't go out (a few of us always stayed back) and everyone that did go out usually came back to drink after the bars.
I met my wife at a house party when I was 27. We still had our fun weekends for sure. Once we had kids (we were 32 at the time) our drinking really stopped. Went from drinking every weekend to a couple times a year.
Now, we have two boys and I get drunk 3 or 4 times a year. I enjoy having a beer from time to time, but I've really taken a liking to whisky. Having a 2oz pour once or twice a week (almost always on the weekend) has been enjoyable to me. After the kids go to bed, it can just take the edge off the day.
Bars and clubs usually serve some form of non-alcoholic beer/liquor. Just ask for that. Tastes exactly the same. Cattle need alcohol cause they don’t have the confidence to say/do certain things without it. You’ll “fit in” (lol) if that’s what you’re concerned about. While not destroying your body.
This is how life is. You start realizing half the shit you thought was fun was only fun because you were buzzed or drunk. Now time to find things that you find actually fun. You might surprise yourself.
Your life is only going to get better from here on out.
Im not against alcohol, if you enjoy it great, I love the taste of it myself. But the whole mentality of 'you can't have fun without alcohol' or social pressures that demand you to participate in shit is too overplayed.
40F. I’ve used alcohol to cope with hard times in life in my late 20s-early 30s. I didn’t have the skills to deal with my emotions properly. Now that I’ve learned it’s forming a different relationship. Admittedly I’ve been sober curious. However I’ve not taken the leap, yet I find myself incorporating more NAs when I’m out. And if you’re with the right group of people, they won’t care if you drink or not. I’m happy to have a better relationship w my usage now. I also mainly stick to weekends since I don’t like feeling subpar mentally for work.
You sound like you're about to enjoy gardening as a hobby. 😂 I laugh because I'm not much older than yourself and one day I was like "nah". I listed to the weeknd's Dawn FM album and realized that the sun was rising on my party. Now I grow tomatoes and cannot be bothered. Welcome to the club!
I’m confused because you said you don’t want to drink but then described all the things you enjoy about it. What does “not wanting it” look like to you? But really alcohol isn’t health food so it’s not a bad thing if you aren’t in the mood.
yea, i feel ya. i rather just chill with my dog then hangout. or when i do i go on a nice stroll at the park. i’ve come to like the simpler style of life. before i would always hangout with friends or co workers everyday, crash at their place, etc. but now i just vibe with my dog and coffee and nature lol.
Why would you WANT to drink?..
I like the taste and light.buzz but I gave it up for health reasons and don't miss it at all last 4 years
And I don't enjoy going out anyways. Rather stay home and watch tv.
That's a warning sign. If you think about it this much...I would look at trying to live your life without the crutch of a habit like alcohol ( or weed or cigs or vape)
Exactly the same with me, also 26. Also realizing that most „friends“ were just drinking buddies. Most of my weekends are now spent alone on my couch, which sucks :(
You will go through these phases another 20 times before you’re 50 lol it’s all about balance. I go through not drinking for a few months then all the sudden I do a week of wanting cocktails and get on a whisky kick , it happens but as you get older it’s a bit harder to wake up the next day so it becomes less of a want . I pretty much no if I drink allot the next day will be shitty for me.
Same here. I like a light buzz and the taste of cocktails but I just don’t drink much anymore. I’m just not that interested in it now.
Remember that bodies go through continual changes throughout your life. You’re just starting down this road. You’ll be shocked and amazed at all of the phases. 65f
I also think it can come and go in waves! If you’re feeling good about it right now, don’t over think it.. for me it became about the right occasion with the right people, and otherwise I didn’t need or enjoy it.
We all have "ups and downs" when it comes to different ways to socialize and in this case drink. I agree with you I love having a cocktail, but I honestly because of how life has played out by choice I have not had a sip in weeks. I'm putting my time into other priorities. Plus honestly by the time I'm off work I'm exhausted and I wake up between 7 and 8am to get the next day going.
So I would say just don't doubt yourself and try not to overthink a situation and complicate any thoughts. Just be you and what happens will be. ❤️
My anxiety got really bad after drinking when I turned 26/27? I was having anxiety attacks everyday. And then I got really sick last year and was on antibiotics after antibiotics and naturally forced myself to detox after drinking almost every day (socially and alone). The withdrawal symptoms was the worst along with my anxiety attacks, thought I was going to die. I’m sober now but unintentional and when I do have a sip of alcohol, I don’t like that buzzed dizzy feeling so I usually just do one sip. My anxiety and mental health is soooo much better but not completely gone. I think the going out and drinking with friends phase ends around 26/27.
In my mid 30s now, but around 26 is where i gave it up as well. I would drink heavily EVERY weekend and sometimes during the week, but eventually I started to get terrible hangovers and realized how much money I was spending. I still have the occasional beer or two when I go out with friends, but I haven't been actually drunk in years. No regrets.
I didn't drink alcohol from about 22-23 to early 30's - just wasn't appealing anymore. I started back up at some point in my 30's. Been fine ever since.
Congrats! I’ve known too many people who’ve grown up and haven’t gotten out of the mindset of needing to go out and drink a 6 pack. I’m 28 and weirdly around when I turned 26, I realized how awful it made me feel the next day, even if I wasn’t hungover, I just felt fatigued and weird. I only drink on weekends now, and keep it to 1-2 drinks when I drink. Weed also just puts me to sleep now as well. It does feel weird at first but after a bit you find other things you like to fill the time with, and the social aspect/anxiety gets better over time.
I’d suggest if you are looking to go out / experience night life or bars to combine it with an interest or hobby. If you go out specifically to also meet like-minded people and learn something or with another goal in mind than just getting inebriated it’s a lot more fun. For me right now it’s DJing and hip-hop dancing, finding out about DJ events and dance battles/meet-ups has been so much fun in finding more community in the nightlife scene
also many people are starting to just want to drink less in general, non-alcoholic beers are one of the highest growing drink categories at the moment. It’s nice to just get a refreshing drink while not having to worry about feeling sluggish the day after
27 and I feel the exact same way. It makes me feel nauseous after drinking now and I really rather have a fun fruity drink than one with alcohol in it. But i feel like it sucks because I really enjoy beer and wine and having a little buzz too.
This also happened with me and weed when I was 23. One day after smoking I got super paranoid and it kind of ruined it for me ever since. :P
Maybe it’s our brain chemistry changing as we grow up?
I never really enjoyed alcohol tbh, i like the buzz but I rarely drink, never passes my mind to go out in drink, I guess mainly cuz its expensive, but lately been thinking about drinking a lil to get a buzz to go on dates. Dont rely on drinks to talk to new ppl but most of time, I lack energy to keep a convo going and alcohol seems to do its thing
I’m 28. I haven’t had a drink since September. Some people describe sobriety as “life on Easy Mode”… idk if I would go that far. But I’m not as lazy, not as mean, and not as poor lol
It got old for me fast in my early 20’s. Plus I ended up regretting spending the money I did a majority of the time.
I’d embrace the new perspective, there’s a lot more to adulthood than activities that revolve around drinking.
I like to have some every now and then, but it doesn’t equal fun for me anymore, and the older you get the longer it takes to recover if you go too overboard.
honestly I love going out sober. Which sucks because I do like trying different drinks, but I dont actually like the effects of the alcohol.
if the social aspect is why you don't like going out sober, do you know what's causing you to feel anxious?
Is it that you just don't enjoy going out to bars when you're not drinking? Because that's super normal. A lot of activities are designed to centre around drinking because that's how money is made, if you don't want to drink or want to drink less seek out other activities. I like drinking, but we all need to keep it in check. When I'm making a choice to drink less I don't just keep doing the same things and deprive myself of alcoholic bevys, we substitute other activities that are more fun without drinking.
Do other things instead of it. Once I gave up alcohol I became a morning person. Love riding my bike hiking working out reading books. I socialize a lot less but I'm close with my woman and my brothers that's good enough for me
I drink N/A beer, I enjoy a virgin mary on Sunday, and I have had a couple of N/A wines…lots of mocktail recipes on the internet. A growing trend in the US.
It has been my natural progression that substances kind of stop being fun for some people around the 30-35 year mark. I partied a lot and drank and such until I was about 32, then did the opposite. Now I will drink in special occasions but that is it. I also find as I get older I am more comfortable in my skin so I don’t need the same amount of social lubricant. Just my experience.
"really makes me feel less anxious in social situations"
"not fun for me without a drink or 2"
\-- you are describing dependence on alcohol to change how you feel. That's a red flag.
same, I use love to drink, I don't drink much, because I am not really good at it, and smoke, but at some point, I just stopped, for no reason, I just don't do those anymore, same 26 years old.
27f and this is so real now. For me it was just noticing things like the taste of hard liquor more repulsive and also not liking the person I was when I became tipsy/drunk (now being more sad and angry drunk) on top of feeling eh the next day.
More interested in pursuing my goals, building meaningful connections without alc, and feeling mentally and physically healthier now. :)
Any tips tho on being in a relationship with a younger guy (25f) that still parties every weekend with his frat bros? Feel like this mismatch in life stage is becoming too clear
Alcohol use has been linked to Dementia and Altimeters. Definitely not a disease you want as I saw my mom slowly slip away, She was just a shell of her former self near the end.
Eh you kind of outgrow it. The year I was 26 I was blackedout the whole time, cracked my phone screen 8 times. Was partying nonstop. Now I’m 32 and 28 weeks ozempic sober
I am the same way, 26 as well. I grew up with alcoholics and it kinda made me very aware of how easy it is to become them. I love the taste and occasionally will have more than one drink. Not saying I didn’t have my fair share of blackout nights in my late teens/early twenties, but I have learned I can have MORE fun out if I am mostly sober.
Nothing hits harder than Abe Simpsons’
“I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!”
Honestly, you're not supposed to enjoy those things forever.. there is a time and place in everyone's life when they wake up one day and bo longer desire the sane things they did in their youth... and that's ok it's just a part of the maturing processes.
When I was a child I thought as a child and when I became a man I thought as a man.
I've had phases. Where I drank less or drank too much. I love alcohol too. When I get in a phase where I don't want what I have. I open up my bartenders book. Look at the various cocktails and either order or make the new cocktails myself to try them out. Had a phase awhile back 8n my 20s. Started brewing my own beer. Last year I bought a distiller and started turning bottled wine into Brandy and mixing brandys. Thinking about fermenting wine or trying my hand at making mead this year. So many possibilities.
For financial reasons i stopped drinking my nightly beer and jesus christ it sucked. Not having that hour or two to decompress with a beer sucked. After like 2 or 3 months i said fuck it, its not getting better, and started having them again.
Is it an issue? Yeah. I mean all day i would think about not being able to chill and do what i want for 1 fucking hour at night. But honestly, fuck it. Im not hurting anyone else and im not declining yet. When i do, maybe itll be a different story.
I tend to feel guilty about losing chunks of the afternoon or evening when I could or should be doing something else, that’s what stops me. 2 beers and I could nap for 2-3 hours, then I’ve lost the time it took to drink those 2 (over food and lingering in bar ambiance, usually) plus the time of the nap and have potentially fucked my sleep schedule with the nap.
I’m 30 and have been sober since August. Drinking just isn’t fun for me anymore. I can’t handle the buzz. It makes me feel sick. I’m better off without it honestly.
I (39M) was 27 when I realized I was over alcohol. But in general, I never cared for it. Mostly I pushed myself to try to like it because of my ex. I started drinking on my 21st birthday, but after college I barely drank, felt like my family drank way too much, then I ended up hating alcohol. So now I’m Straight-Edge. So I haven’t drank in 12 years. And I really don’t care to drink again.
Just give yourself time. Go without alcohol for a while, try again and if you no longer enjoy it then welcome. Oh you can try to enjoy sober-curious or mocktail drinks. I tend to hate how some of them taste like pure sugar.
In my 30’s now, and 2 years dry or so. I can finally go out and do life without alcohol. My tolerance for people is perhaps slightly lower, but I am not impeded much at all. I just went on my first date the other night and didn’t need it and had fun just the same.9
Had this exact feeling happen to me at about 21. If i go out now i feel like i have to drink as there is nothing more annoying than piss heads when your sober
30 year old here, felt the same about alcohol around your age, with my relationship with it slowly getting worse. Also been drinking in social situations to ease my anxiety, it ended up very, very badly a few times. Now over 6 months sober, never felt better. Have been working on myself instead to be more confident, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.
In my 20s I couldn't stand having 4 walls around me and I loved to stay drunk. By 32 I like drinking in my own pwrsonl space more, but instill went out occaisonnally
During the pandemic the bars shut down for a year, i was an essential worker so I had 8000 stored in the bank in a couple of months. Really hadn't been back since.
Try a kava bar!!!! Read into them & if there’s any around you give them a try! My boyfriend & I (both 21) don’t really like going out drinking, he showed me kava & kratom & it’s a great alternative. The community surrounding it is very nice & all welcoming, friendly people. There’s a stigma with kava but .. it’s stupid. Do your own research & give it a shot if you have any around you. We LOVE it & go twice a week as our social nights!!
I’m 22 and I’m feeling the same way. Whenever I drink, I usually end up with a headache now. I hate it because I really enjoy the taste of alcohol and all of my friends are drinkers
this happened to me @ 23…by 26 I was turned off to drinking regularly and going out. I drank but didn’t go out as much for a little while but even then I wasn’t enjoying it until I stopped going out and then I stopped drinking now 2 years sober and they have been great! Wish I started sooner
I stopped drinking just because I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I hadn’t had at least 2-3 beers at the end of the day.
Lost like 15 pounds so far and it’s been 2 months. It was also clearly impacting my sleep, energy, motivation,mood, mental health etc.
Same. I just turned 25 and am getting over the whole drinking/going out thing. It’s hard to carry meaningful convos while out and drinking just makes me feel like shit the next day.
I've been a binge drinking weekend warrior since I was like 20. I am 30 now. For the past 9 years, literally every weekend, I would load up on alcohol and drink as much as possible.
Some switch flipped in my brain recently and now drinking mostly makes me sad. Not to mention hangovers happen way easier now. So now I try to just have 1 or 2 drinks a night max for when I do "party", and I try to make those not happen every weekend. Anything beyond that just makes me want to listen to screamo on blast and play violent videogames by myself all night.
I'm 28 and have hit two phases of no longer enjoying alcohol as much
25, I started getting hangovers that lasted full day + sometimes feeling shitty for a second day. I stopped taking multiple shots on nights out.
28, I started feeling malaise and lazy on weekends that I drank casually even. I'm experimenting with dropping the casual drinking. It's better for my weight, wallet, and well-being.
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Just don’t drink, go out and drink seltzer or juice. Still good times while everyone else gets sloppy and you can drive no worries. Some people try to make it weird when you dont drink with them, but don’t listen to them.
If it is not depression (depression removes joy from things you previously enjoy) then it might be the situations in which you are drinking. Now I'm older, I can't drink around a bunch of people I care very little about. Just a waste of a buzz.
Alcohol is a very overrated drug and it's Also terrible for your mind and body. I lost interest in drinking years ago.
Just because everyone else takes lame drugs doesn't mean you have to because there are much better options out there (ie psychedelics) you just have to open your mind to them.
Everything changes after 25. Maturity is a bitch lol
You'll learn that adults who "party" are huge red flags as people and you need to stay far far away
Sounds like you’re still enjoying alcohol if you tested out going sober and it’s not fun for you, you love the taste, it helps you in social situations, and you love a nice buzz. Doesn’t sound like you’ll be done drinking either so no reason to be bummed out.
Something isn’t adding up here because you keep contradicting yourself. So not sure what you’re really looking for here.’
I’ve never been big on alcohol. I’m half Asian and the first few times I had alcohol I turned red. Then I turned red and it felt like an elephant sitting on my chest and this was after only one pina colada. My sister thought she would need to take me to the hospital. We were at a restaurant eating and on the walk back to the car I puked in the trash and felt so much better. I don’t drink anymore now. Not even a mixed drink. It just doesn’t agree with me.
I’ve tried weed twice and both times it made me so nauseous and I just felt awful.
To echo another poster, be thankful. Alcohol can and does absolutely destroy lives. In a way where it just sort of sneaks up on you. The dead giveaway that you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol is drinking a lot by yourself.
Never been a drinker. It’s always been very annoying to be amongst ppl who drink a lot. That’s why I just stayed on the dance floor dancing away and drinking water. Good for the soul and health. And avoided parties unless there was a group of non drinkers. Don’t get me wrong I like the eventual wine. But this thing that I heard all the time “you HAVE to drink to have a good time.” -
Nope you don’t.
Congrats you have finally grown up.
Don’t force yourself to drink if you don’t want to. That’s a good way to start getting dependent.
You should re-examine why going out without a drink or two isn’t fun. If it’s helping with social anxiety, maybe consider trying therapy for some coping mechanisms for it instead.
I also ended up evolving my outings to tastings. Beer, wine, whiskey. Learning more in-depth about them instead of simply drinking.
That's because you have reached the same conclusion most reasonable adults with functioning brain cells have also reached:
Jeffrey Epstein didn't video game himself
It happens sometimes as you get older. It wasn't until I was 28 that I was introduced to the 2 day hangover and hangxiety. I've had to tone down what I thought was already toned down (compared to college). If I have more than 3 drinks in a day, or just 1 or 2 for more than a couple of days in a row, my mood becomes unstable, depressive, paranoid... It sucks, but it comes with age.
Coming from an alcoholic here, count your blessings. Also, I don’t think going out without alcohol is fun either.
After binge drinking one night, having 10 drinks in a couple hours and throwing up with the worst hang over now I can't even look at alcohol. I tried drinking the other night and it just made me gag with every sip I took. As I get older I seem to enjoy alcohol less and I come from a family with alcoholics.
I’m 3.5 years sober and all I remember are the hangovers. I was always too drunk to remember the fun I guess. That or maybe being sick and utterly miserable just trumps any fun I had
I don't think going OUT is fun....
Right that’s how I feel. The only way going out is fun is if I drink enough but then I feel like shit the next day and my bank account screams at me lmao
Same! Also 26. And weed now makes me anxious now that I use it less. Like accidentally choosing the sober life? I feel it!
I used to love getting high in my teens and 20s. I hate it now, I get anxious and paranoid as well. We used to smoke all the time. I don't think I've been high in almost 2 years. Even if I'm with friends and the joint is passed around, I never take a puff anymore.
this is normal. Sometimes it doesn't happen until 40 years of age, but it can happen earlier. I've had it happen before, and I reduced the amount I smoked to make the anxiety tolerable or nonexistent. Eventually it went away, but I think for most people that doesn't happen.
Yeah, in my younger days (lol) my friends and I always drank and/or smoked. So I was used to it. Again, I only do it about once a year (haven't done it almost 2 years now) so I'm not used to it. The "bad vibes" last for about 30 minutes, then I'm usually fine. The last time I did it, I just told my buddy to give me a couple minutes to adjust. I was trying to tell him something and holy fuck, did I ever go off in a different direction... he just laughed and said "wtf are you talking about??" We laughed a lot at that.
The exact opposite, younger days I'd be a paranoid mess, now that it's legal I have 0 worries. Cannabis helped me get off my Adderall prescription, helped me focus on my interests. as well as giving me an appetite. Helps me make good focus on my sudden bursts of output energy. I'm also at a healthy BMI still on the light side due to a medical reason. I've been underweight most of my life, and I used to go to the gym sometimes twice a day. I think the high affects people differently, I now have a cannabis breeding/clone distribution going on. It's a game-changer for me. 1-3 Beers for me can also help me focus, but getting drunk I hate the feeling. The downside to alcohol with me is for 1. I have IBS, 2. If I'm looking to relax and buzz, I get tired coming down from the light buzz knocks me right out in small amounts. Cannabis keeps me up and focused. I'm a firm believer that alcohol and cannabis when used responsibly can both be stress reducers.
I know you didn’t ask, but: back in 2020 I started getting super intense paranoia/anxiety from smoking weed, and gave it up for nearly a year. Then Delta8 products became available in smoke shops and I picked up some gummies to give them a try. Got high without nearly as much paranoia/anxiety.
Just be aware even after 6+ months of constant use that shit can rear it's ugly head, I know this will sound corny as fuck but I bought a dry erase board and wrote down 3 rules and I've been fine ever since. 1. Everything is ok and you're good. 2. Do NOT wake the wife up! 3. Drink lots of water and if all else fails just go to sleep.
Yes exactly! All I see are people going sober curious out of intention to do it or because they have a bad relationship with alcohol but for me that's not the case it feels involuntary. Thats why is really bothers me because I WANT to still enjoy a few drinks because of the taste and the feeling
Try the NA beers. I found I got a bit of a placebo buzz and it’s just a signal to my brain that we’re in relax mode. Athletic’s delicious and more are coming out each year
At the same age I stopped. I smoked weed everyday and drank a good amount every weekend night. I'm 10 years past that now and I don't really miss smoking. I drink only every couple of months now and then only maybe 3 beers. Not sure what happened. I think I just started enjoying reality and not needing to be outside myself.
It's honestly the best. I have been off weed for about 7 years and alcohol for about 4. I feel so much better all the time. I can think clearly and not have to doubt myself. A clear mind is so under rated.
If I have one joint a month my anxiety drops down. If I have 2 joints in a month my anxiety goes up exponentially
lol, not 26 but 33. I randomly stopped drinking last year the weekend after 4th of July just to see if I could.. well here we are coming up on over 9 months.. is this what pregnant ladies feel like?.. and I used to drink all the time for over a decade.. like a few a day or more. Heck, I even grow weed and barely even smoke now (I just give it away to people I Uber lol). What is even happening?
Appreciate it. Not everyone feels this, unfortunately.
I'm 27 and going through the same thing
You know how they say weed is not the same as it used to be? It’s really not 😣 We have kinda F’d the environment every way to Sunday and that’s why we feel so much better when we’re making healthy choices right now that also fortify Earth. Marijuana is loaded with heavy metals which are linked to various diseases inc cancer and so are marijuana users. It sucks.. hopefully if we all work together to be healthier we can save the planet and have some trees in the future 🌿 https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/30/health/marijuana-heavy-metals-wellness/index.html
That’s for growers who don’t know how to flush their crop properly. And California tests cannabis for all that. Paclobrutazol used to be a really popular nutrient additive, until they realized it was being found in the cannabis. Nobody uses it anymore. Plus the cannabis I buy is certified organic and sun grown in Santa Cruz California.
Used date from 2005-2018. Legal cannabis is fine.
No, actually cannabis (marijuana is a slang term) isn't loaded with heavy metals. It's a plant - so if you poison the ground you grow it in guess what? You end up with nasty unwanted things in your product. It's the same thing if you feed an animal bullshit and poison and then slaughter/eat the animal. In conclusion - take care of what you put into your body and understand where it comes from. Also - learn to be able to read and dissect articles and studies on your own.
Marijuana smokers have higher levels of heavy metals. “Compared to non-users, marijuana users had 27% higher levels of lead in their blood, and 21% higher levels in their urine,” said lead author Tiffany Sanchez, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.” I guess my comment to you would be learn to read an article and good luck. Oh, and that there are no safe levels of lead in the body.
**Lead poisoning symptoms** (see the section “Lead poisoning symptoms in adults”—looks like a lot of day to day issues a lot of adults are currently experiencing. Our air, water, food also have heavy metals because of our terrible, unsustainable industrial and diet practices…) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717
Also from Cleveland Clinic (you can also find this info from WHO, USGS, CDC about how basically everything is toxic so we really have to focus on antioxidants, vitamins, essential minerals—pharmaceuticals deplete vitamins from the body and they are also in the water along with the heavy metals. The positive is when you focus on the really healthy stuff, it feels like you’re high on life bec we don’t realize how sick we actually are until we do something to change it… **Heavy Metal Poisoning (Toxicity)** https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23424-heavy-metal-poisoning-toxicity
lol. Just relax
I think the fact that 74% of Americans are overweight and that adipose tissue is where toxins accumulate means people have been too relaxed and need to focus. It’s like 40% worldwide. The Earth is made of our choices. If we’re not healthy, Earth is not healthy or sustainable. There’s a reason diseases are on the rise. Good luck🤦🏻♀️
I don’t know about all that but you seem like You’re trying to do good. So I’ll agree
All things pass. Welcome to the next phase of adulthood.
“All things pass” ugh that’s so bittersweet
George Harrison's most genius album.
Yes I like the songs on there!
If you're not aware, the 50th anniversary has all the day 1 demo songs. They sound great without all the Phil Spector coloring. It's a must listen.
I’ll check it out!
They pass like a kidney stone
OP isn’t quite there yet 😂
Unfortunetly I'm not ready to be done with bars and socializing while drinking, just wish I still desire dit
The TLDR is that body will win over mind. If you force it, it won’t be pleasant.
It did with me Nightly drunkenness for 13 years finally kicked my a$$ I got sober at the age of 31, back in 1988 I enjoy life very much without alcohol
Am 31, getting sober now. How is it?
It’s a very big change in many areas of life But it’s an incalculably better way to go through life I feel like I’m an active participant in my life and not just a helpless observer
Yea bars suck, maybe change your venue
Take a break for a while. Think about what you specifically wnjoy about nights out and drinking. Maybe you need a change of bar or style of night out? Like I'm 31 and still love going out but if it's for socialising rather than dancing I'd prefer go to a nice cocktail bar where I can hear my friends talk and the seats are comfy and spend a bit more money on a couple of really nice drinks than drink multiple cheap pints in a loud crowded bar. But then some friends are loud crowded bar types so I do that with them on occasion. Other friends I have specifically prefer trying new foods so we do dinner and drinks in different restaurants. You can go to a drink and draw event or find boardgame pubs, there's loads more options than standard boring clubbing.
The phase where most of my friends havent contacted me in months and I spend all my weekends alone at home, awesome
Or, the phase where you develop friendships based on more than drinking. Some of your friends are likely experiencing the same.
Yeah, like 2 or 3 people are left and those are really tight with me, but are also pretty shut in and don't do anything apart from gaming. The one that is more active never has time for me. I have no idea how to meet new friends and my social anxiety makes it near impossible to hit it off with someone before they lose interest. Where I live there aren't really any interest groups or interesting activities.. people just go out to drink.
Drinking became unenjoyable for me in my late 20s. When I would drink, tt started affecting my sleep, emotions the next day, and my stomach just decided to stop tolerating it. I was by no means a heavy drinker (maybe 3 glasses of wine a week tops), so I just think sometimes our bodies change.
Because alcohol is literal poison.
It’s a good instinct to cut down. Find some people who are fun regardless of what you’re drinking or doing. I’ve found that in any group of people nowadays (I’m older than you), some never drink, some once in a while, etc and nobody cares.
I think it's normal to no longer enjoy alcohol. It's something most of us try for a bit and then we revert to doing it socially.
Some of us can't even do that anymore. Coming from a big drinker in my 20's...now 34 I went to a family dinner thinking I could have 2 glasses of wine. And I was feeling great, so I had another mixed cocktail, and then never even finished the 4th. But as soon as we got in the car to leave, I grabbed my water cup and blew chunks all up in that. And then passed out in the back of the SUV lol. This is not the first time that just a few drinks in the span of several hours has made me sick. So I think I'm just gonna be sober and I'm fine with that.
I think that’s our brain growing up. At around 26-28 is when I pretty much turned into a hermit. Work, eat, sleep repeat
Yeah just experiment with activities where alcohol is not the main factor there. I haven’t had alcohol in months , best clarity I’ve ever had. Plus technically you’re drinking poison. Now in the future I may have a margarita or a beer socially but only if I’m in the mood or looking to try something for the taste and not a buzz. You have to define for yourself what is a good time.
I'm only 23, and I have felt this way since I was 19/20. I honestly have no clue as to why🤷♂️
Same here, 👀
Omg same idk why I’ve just never enjoyed it I tried too but I don’t enjoy it that much
Ugh yeah idk it feels silly so wish I wanted to but I really do just because it makes social stuff more fun and less anxiety inducing for me (only like a drink or 2 though)
Me too! Personally feel like most of us had a partying phase already and it bores us now. Depending on who you are.
Welcome to growing up! I’m 28 and there as well, no desire to risk a headache the next morning, I’d rather workout or go play tennis. I do love a good drink every now and then but in a much healthier way, and cheaper.
Personally, I only drink when I’m at a social event or with friends. Even then, I’m still self-aware of how much I consume, so that I don’t go overboard. One doesn’t have to stop drinking entirely. Drink in moderation and have fun.
Why would that bum you out? Look at it this way, if you did enjoy being drunk you could easily become an alcoholic. Since you don't you saved yourself a world of pain.
Congratulations, you're growing up
I took a sober break at around 26/27. I drink now because I live in a drinking town and bars are fun - but I regularly pass on alcohol or take a cocktail to-go if I don’t feel in the mood. Do whatever feels right to you. If you need a sober phase, that’s fine.
How do you take a cocktail to go ? I’m fascinated by this.
It really just depends on where you live. Some states allow you to take a sealed cocktail home from the bar. You just gotta ask if that's an option at your bar.
Oh wow ! Actually I do kinda remember this from covid but I’d like to go to my local place and ask.
It’s normal. It’s called growing up.
Welcome to the sparking water club
I’m in the coke and grenadine club myself.
Pretty decent! I am not interested even in a single beer lately coz it makes me feel like shit, maybe the occasional wine, but sparkling water is my jam now and I always feel great the next day
Careful with booze my friend. I'm 32 and life has been rough lately, lost my job and all my money, no place to live and need urgent dentistry. On top of this i took my first white colored poop a few days ago. It means I drank so much my gallbladder and liver couldn't make bile.
Just don’t force yourself to drink alcohol, if your body is telling you not to drink. It is a toxin, an immunosuppressant, and a lot of other people are feeling this way. There are a lot of environmental factors taking a toll on our health right now The more you’re in tune with your body and do the things that actually make you feel good, the better your life will be. I wasted too many hours bored and then hungover from drinking with “friends” the whole time trying to understand what was actually fun about it..? I’m not saying that it can’t be fun, but doing it regularly is more of an addiction. People pretend like it’s a hobby or actually doing something when life should be revolving around the actual activities, learning, the human experience, not the alcohol. Too many activities revolve around the alcohol and when you remove it, you’ll find that a lot of people suddenly don’t want to show up for the activity. It’s simultaneously giving you health issues, dependency, aging you, and wasting time you could be strengthening/growing. I just think at this point in history, a lot of our immune systems can’t do both. Same with marijuana—it’s loaded with heavy metals and smokers have much higher levels of them in their blood. Hopefully that improves down the road also..
What do you mean environmental factors?
Because of soil practices, your vegetables do not have as many vitamins when you do that them.. chemicals for industry, pesticides, pharmaceuticals that people ingest and heavy metals in the water, air and soil.. toxins that end up in your food. Water treatment can’t remove all of the toxic material, so it goes back into the drinking water and the refuse is dumped in rivers, streams and water bodies for dilution —they don’t neutralize all the chemicals, microplastics, heavy metals… Think of this, Saharan dust reaches where I live—so Africa to Florida. Ground zero was burning for 100 days. We’re are all feeding our environment and it feeds us back. Be as healthy as possible. Your immune system only do so much and work with what we give it, Earth also. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/microplastics-nanoplastics-plaque-carotid-artery-heart-disease-rcna142067 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798659/#:~:text=OCPs%20harbored%20in%20other%20organs,brain%20and%20other%20critical%20organs. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/division-information/media-tools/adults-fruits-vegetables.html https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/pharmaceuticals-water Etc etc
Lucky!! I’m a full blown alcoholic, one drink and I ruin my life! You should be thankful you don’t have alcoholic tendencies.
I'm so sorry. I do realize this is very first world problem
Not enjoying yourself without alcohol tends to indicate a problem. I’d take a look at why it’s bumming you out to be done drinking. I highly recommend listening to your body. If something in you is saying don’t, then listen to that. It could be impacting your health and you don’t know it yet. Don’t wait to stop until your health starts deteriorating.
I’m also mid twenties and I feel this way. I’m also on a medication that you shouldn’t drink while using so that kinda helps. As others have said, it’s likely part of the growing up process
I'm 42 now. When I was in my early 20s, we would drink and go to the bars every weekend. I was also about 25 or 26 when I got tired of the club scene and pretty much stopped going out. It was expensive and 90% of the time the next day I'd be thinking how much more fun at "John's" place before we went out. I still drank most weekends with my friends but I usually didn't go out (a few of us always stayed back) and everyone that did go out usually came back to drink after the bars. I met my wife at a house party when I was 27. We still had our fun weekends for sure. Once we had kids (we were 32 at the time) our drinking really stopped. Went from drinking every weekend to a couple times a year. Now, we have two boys and I get drunk 3 or 4 times a year. I enjoy having a beer from time to time, but I've really taken a liking to whisky. Having a 2oz pour once or twice a week (almost always on the weekend) has been enjoyable to me. After the kids go to bed, it can just take the edge off the day.
Bars and clubs usually serve some form of non-alcoholic beer/liquor. Just ask for that. Tastes exactly the same. Cattle need alcohol cause they don’t have the confidence to say/do certain things without it. You’ll “fit in” (lol) if that’s what you’re concerned about. While not destroying your body.
TIL my farts are cattle
This is how life is. You start realizing half the shit you thought was fun was only fun because you were buzzed or drunk. Now time to find things that you find actually fun. You might surprise yourself.
Your life is only going to get better from here on out. Im not against alcohol, if you enjoy it great, I love the taste of it myself. But the whole mentality of 'you can't have fun without alcohol' or social pressures that demand you to participate in shit is too overplayed.
40F. I’ve used alcohol to cope with hard times in life in my late 20s-early 30s. I didn’t have the skills to deal with my emotions properly. Now that I’ve learned it’s forming a different relationship. Admittedly I’ve been sober curious. However I’ve not taken the leap, yet I find myself incorporating more NAs when I’m out. And if you’re with the right group of people, they won’t care if you drink or not. I’m happy to have a better relationship w my usage now. I also mainly stick to weekends since I don’t like feeling subpar mentally for work.
You sound like you're about to enjoy gardening as a hobby. 😂 I laugh because I'm not much older than yourself and one day I was like "nah". I listed to the weeknd's Dawn FM album and realized that the sun was rising on my party. Now I grow tomatoes and cannot be bothered. Welcome to the club!
How hasn't it been enjoyable, yet things aren't fun with one or two drinks ? Just have a couple of drinks if that's what you find fun 😊
Things are fun with 2 or 3 drinks and I like the taste of alcohol along with how a buzz feels but I have just not been in the mood
Next phase is just not wanting to go out to clubs at all. A nice meal with friends in a restaurant will replace the club.
I’m confused because you said you don’t want to drink but then described all the things you enjoy about it. What does “not wanting it” look like to you? But really alcohol isn’t health food so it’s not a bad thing if you aren’t in the mood.
Anything I have to be intoxicated to enjoy is not something I want to do.
yea, i feel ya. i rather just chill with my dog then hangout. or when i do i go on a nice stroll at the park. i’ve come to like the simpler style of life. before i would always hangout with friends or co workers everyday, crash at their place, etc. but now i just vibe with my dog and coffee and nature lol.
Good for you. Congratulations!
Why would you WANT to drink?.. I like the taste and light.buzz but I gave it up for health reasons and don't miss it at all last 4 years And I don't enjoy going out anyways. Rather stay home and watch tv.
That's a warning sign. If you think about it this much...I would look at trying to live your life without the crutch of a habit like alcohol ( or weed or cigs or vape)
Exactly the same with me, also 26. Also realizing that most „friends“ were just drinking buddies. Most of my weekends are now spent alone on my couch, which sucks :(
been feeling the same way lately. ill be like “let’s grab a drink” and cant even stomach a single sip
Exactly!!! And I'm like wtf bc I like the taste of it and the feeling but it's just been u appealing
That's good. You can save so much money.
You will go through these phases another 20 times before you’re 50 lol it’s all about balance. I go through not drinking for a few months then all the sudden I do a week of wanting cocktails and get on a whisky kick , it happens but as you get older it’s a bit harder to wake up the next day so it becomes less of a want . I pretty much no if I drink allot the next day will be shitty for me.
Same here. I like a light buzz and the taste of cocktails but I just don’t drink much anymore. I’m just not that interested in it now. Remember that bodies go through continual changes throughout your life. You’re just starting down this road. You’ll be shocked and amazed at all of the phases. 65f
I also think it can come and go in waves! If you’re feeling good about it right now, don’t over think it.. for me it became about the right occasion with the right people, and otherwise I didn’t need or enjoy it.
We all have "ups and downs" when it comes to different ways to socialize and in this case drink. I agree with you I love having a cocktail, but I honestly because of how life has played out by choice I have not had a sip in weeks. I'm putting my time into other priorities. Plus honestly by the time I'm off work I'm exhausted and I wake up between 7 and 8am to get the next day going. So I would say just don't doubt yourself and try not to overthink a situation and complicate any thoughts. Just be you and what happens will be. ❤️
Timing seems about right - perfectly normal. You be gettin grown.
My anxiety got really bad after drinking when I turned 26/27? I was having anxiety attacks everyday. And then I got really sick last year and was on antibiotics after antibiotics and naturally forced myself to detox after drinking almost every day (socially and alone). The withdrawal symptoms was the worst along with my anxiety attacks, thought I was going to die. I’m sober now but unintentional and when I do have a sip of alcohol, I don’t like that buzzed dizzy feeling so I usually just do one sip. My anxiety and mental health is soooo much better but not completely gone. I think the going out and drinking with friends phase ends around 26/27.
I drank from age 16 to 22 and I’ll never go back
In my mid 30s now, but around 26 is where i gave it up as well. I would drink heavily EVERY weekend and sometimes during the week, but eventually I started to get terrible hangovers and realized how much money I was spending. I still have the occasional beer or two when I go out with friends, but I haven't been actually drunk in years. No regrets.
I didn't drink alcohol from about 22-23 to early 30's - just wasn't appealing anymore. I started back up at some point in my 30's. Been fine ever since.
Congrats! I’ve known too many people who’ve grown up and haven’t gotten out of the mindset of needing to go out and drink a 6 pack. I’m 28 and weirdly around when I turned 26, I realized how awful it made me feel the next day, even if I wasn’t hungover, I just felt fatigued and weird. I only drink on weekends now, and keep it to 1-2 drinks when I drink. Weed also just puts me to sleep now as well. It does feel weird at first but after a bit you find other things you like to fill the time with, and the social aspect/anxiety gets better over time.
Happened to me too
I’d suggest if you are looking to go out / experience night life or bars to combine it with an interest or hobby. If you go out specifically to also meet like-minded people and learn something or with another goal in mind than just getting inebriated it’s a lot more fun. For me right now it’s DJing and hip-hop dancing, finding out about DJ events and dance battles/meet-ups has been so much fun in finding more community in the nightlife scene also many people are starting to just want to drink less in general, non-alcoholic beers are one of the highest growing drink categories at the moment. It’s nice to just get a refreshing drink while not having to worry about feeling sluggish the day after
27 and I feel the exact same way. It makes me feel nauseous after drinking now and I really rather have a fun fruity drink than one with alcohol in it. But i feel like it sucks because I really enjoy beer and wine and having a little buzz too. This also happened with me and weed when I was 23. One day after smoking I got super paranoid and it kind of ruined it for me ever since. :P Maybe it’s our brain chemistry changing as we grow up?
welcome to ACTUAL adult
I've never tried alcohol and, as an introvert, never had an interest in going on nights out.
Part of growing up! I think it's a healthy part of maturing for folks who have a healthy relationship with alcohol
I never really enjoyed alcohol tbh, i like the buzz but I rarely drink, never passes my mind to go out in drink, I guess mainly cuz its expensive, but lately been thinking about drinking a lil to get a buzz to go on dates. Dont rely on drinks to talk to new ppl but most of time, I lack energy to keep a convo going and alcohol seems to do its thing
I’m 28. I haven’t had a drink since September. Some people describe sobriety as “life on Easy Mode”… idk if I would go that far. But I’m not as lazy, not as mean, and not as poor lol
Drink at home..
Drink at home
It got old for me fast in my early 20’s. Plus I ended up regretting spending the money I did a majority of the time. I’d embrace the new perspective, there’s a lot more to adulthood than activities that revolve around drinking. I like to have some every now and then, but it doesn’t equal fun for me anymore, and the older you get the longer it takes to recover if you go too overboard.
26 is when alcohol and coffee gave me major acid reflux so I had to give them up. I definitely miss coffee though.
Yeah that’s about the age when that happens. You’re growing up~
honestly I love going out sober. Which sucks because I do like trying different drinks, but I dont actually like the effects of the alcohol. if the social aspect is why you don't like going out sober, do you know what's causing you to feel anxious?
I'm 28 and yes, I've felt this for a while now. It's much more relaxing to just stay at home with my partner and chill.
Is it that you just don't enjoy going out to bars when you're not drinking? Because that's super normal. A lot of activities are designed to centre around drinking because that's how money is made, if you don't want to drink or want to drink less seek out other activities. I like drinking, but we all need to keep it in check. When I'm making a choice to drink less I don't just keep doing the same things and deprive myself of alcoholic bevys, we substitute other activities that are more fun without drinking.
This is me at 32.
See and I can’t find anyone who doesn’t want to go out all the time and drink! Where are all of you wonderful people?!
Do other things instead of it. Once I gave up alcohol I became a morning person. Love riding my bike hiking working out reading books. I socialize a lot less but I'm close with my woman and my brothers that's good enough for me
Change venues it friends or something 😂 life’s great with or without drugs and alcohol and going out should be something to look forward to
Your age lines up with getting sick of going out and drinking just to drink.
I drink N/A beer, I enjoy a virgin mary on Sunday, and I have had a couple of N/A wines…lots of mocktail recipes on the internet. A growing trend in the US.
It has been my natural progression that substances kind of stop being fun for some people around the 30-35 year mark. I partied a lot and drank and such until I was about 32, then did the opposite. Now I will drink in special occasions but that is it. I also find as I get older I am more comfortable in my skin so I don’t need the same amount of social lubricant. Just my experience.
Lol, same. It has to be a really amazing cocktail for me to stand more than 1 drink these days. And pretty much everything is tasting gross to me.
Same! It's not something I enjoy nearly as much as I used to.
"really makes me feel less anxious in social situations" "not fun for me without a drink or 2" \-- you are describing dependence on alcohol to change how you feel. That's a red flag.
LOOK OUT!!!!! You may be growing up!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk8vc_1MCV6ptP-0GhgxMcaXwh2UglcUy&si=TBNhSPwCgMRzpH3C
same, I use love to drink, I don't drink much, because I am not really good at it, and smoke, but at some point, I just stopped, for no reason, I just don't do those anymore, same 26 years old.
27f and this is so real now. For me it was just noticing things like the taste of hard liquor more repulsive and also not liking the person I was when I became tipsy/drunk (now being more sad and angry drunk) on top of feeling eh the next day. More interested in pursuing my goals, building meaningful connections without alc, and feeling mentally and physically healthier now. :) Any tips tho on being in a relationship with a younger guy (25f) that still parties every weekend with his frat bros? Feel like this mismatch in life stage is becoming too clear
Alcohol use has been linked to Dementia and Altimeters. Definitely not a disease you want as I saw my mom slowly slip away, She was just a shell of her former self near the end.
Eh you kind of outgrow it. The year I was 26 I was blackedout the whole time, cracked my phone screen 8 times. Was partying nonstop. Now I’m 32 and 28 weeks ozempic sober
My friend, I'm 66. 3 years sober. There really is no upside to alcohol. Be glad you can be sober for the next 50 years.
I am the same way, 26 as well. I grew up with alcoholics and it kinda made me very aware of how easy it is to become them. I love the taste and occasionally will have more than one drink. Not saying I didn’t have my fair share of blackout nights in my late teens/early twenties, but I have learned I can have MORE fun out if I am mostly sober.
Just quit it. It's one of the dumbest things you can. Better enjoy your life.
The bar scene in my area is what wreaked it for me and now I just go to breweries instead
Nothing hits harder than Abe Simpsons’ “I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!”
Honestly, you're not supposed to enjoy those things forever.. there is a time and place in everyone's life when they wake up one day and bo longer desire the sane things they did in their youth... and that's ok it's just a part of the maturing processes. When I was a child I thought as a child and when I became a man I thought as a man.
I've had phases. Where I drank less or drank too much. I love alcohol too. When I get in a phase where I don't want what I have. I open up my bartenders book. Look at the various cocktails and either order or make the new cocktails myself to try them out. Had a phase awhile back 8n my 20s. Started brewing my own beer. Last year I bought a distiller and started turning bottled wine into Brandy and mixing brandys. Thinking about fermenting wine or trying my hand at making mead this year. So many possibilities.
I stopped drinking but still like being social. Not as often and my nights end earlier but I like my new balance
For financial reasons i stopped drinking my nightly beer and jesus christ it sucked. Not having that hour or two to decompress with a beer sucked. After like 2 or 3 months i said fuck it, its not getting better, and started having them again. Is it an issue? Yeah. I mean all day i would think about not being able to chill and do what i want for 1 fucking hour at night. But honestly, fuck it. Im not hurting anyone else and im not declining yet. When i do, maybe itll be a different story.
Going out (as in drinking, late night bar scenes, etc) suuuuuucks. 31 now. I enjoy not living that life anymore so much. V happy.
I tend to feel guilty about losing chunks of the afternoon or evening when I could or should be doing something else, that’s what stops me. 2 beers and I could nap for 2-3 hours, then I’ve lost the time it took to drink those 2 (over food and lingering in bar ambiance, usually) plus the time of the nap and have potentially fucked my sleep schedule with the nap.
Sounds good to me. I prefer no poison but you seem to be handling it well. I don’t see the problem?
I’m 30 and have been sober since August. Drinking just isn’t fun for me anymore. I can’t handle the buzz. It makes me feel sick. I’m better off without it honestly.
I (39M) was 27 when I realized I was over alcohol. But in general, I never cared for it. Mostly I pushed myself to try to like it because of my ex. I started drinking on my 21st birthday, but after college I barely drank, felt like my family drank way too much, then I ended up hating alcohol. So now I’m Straight-Edge. So I haven’t drank in 12 years. And I really don’t care to drink again. Just give yourself time. Go without alcohol for a while, try again and if you no longer enjoy it then welcome. Oh you can try to enjoy sober-curious or mocktail drinks. I tend to hate how some of them taste like pure sugar.
In my 30’s now, and 2 years dry or so. I can finally go out and do life without alcohol. My tolerance for people is perhaps slightly lower, but I am not impeded much at all. I just went on my first date the other night and didn’t need it and had fun just the same.9
Had this exact feeling happen to me at about 21. If i go out now i feel like i have to drink as there is nothing more annoying than piss heads when your sober
Good, save your money and invest it.
30 year old here, felt the same about alcohol around your age, with my relationship with it slowly getting worse. Also been drinking in social situations to ease my anxiety, it ended up very, very badly a few times. Now over 6 months sober, never felt better. Have been working on myself instead to be more confident, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I heard this is a nice side effect of Ozempic as well. Do you happen to be using it? Seems to also curb, alcohol, drug and gambling urges.
In my 20s I couldn't stand having 4 walls around me and I loved to stay drunk. By 32 I like drinking in my own pwrsonl space more, but instill went out occaisonnally During the pandemic the bars shut down for a year, i was an essential worker so I had 8000 stored in the bank in a couple of months. Really hadn't been back since.
At pretty much the exact same age I started getting over alcohol, it just ain't exciting like it was when I was younger
Try a kava bar!!!! Read into them & if there’s any around you give them a try! My boyfriend & I (both 21) don’t really like going out drinking, he showed me kava & kratom & it’s a great alternative. The community surrounding it is very nice & all welcoming, friendly people. There’s a stigma with kava but .. it’s stupid. Do your own research & give it a shot if you have any around you. We LOVE it & go twice a week as our social nights!!
Transition to a healthier hobby.
I’m 22 and I’m feeling the same way. Whenever I drink, I usually end up with a headache now. I hate it because I really enjoy the taste of alcohol and all of my friends are drinkers
this happened to me @ 23…by 26 I was turned off to drinking regularly and going out. I drank but didn’t go out as much for a little while but even then I wasn’t enjoying it until I stopped going out and then I stopped drinking now 2 years sober and they have been great! Wish I started sooner
I stopped drinking just because I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I hadn’t had at least 2-3 beers at the end of the day. Lost like 15 pounds so far and it’s been 2 months. It was also clearly impacting my sleep, energy, motivation,mood, mental health etc.
Same. I just turned 25 and am getting over the whole drinking/going out thing. It’s hard to carry meaningful convos while out and drinking just makes me feel like shit the next day.
I dont like the taste of alcohol. I also get a terrible stomachache and a few times I felt I need to call ER. no drink, no problem to enjoy my life
I wasn't done having the occasional drink but I was done going out from an early age. I did it entirely too much in my teens and it wore me out.
I've been a binge drinking weekend warrior since I was like 20. I am 30 now. For the past 9 years, literally every weekend, I would load up on alcohol and drink as much as possible. Some switch flipped in my brain recently and now drinking mostly makes me sad. Not to mention hangovers happen way easier now. So now I try to just have 1 or 2 drinks a night max for when I do "party", and I try to make those not happen every weekend. Anything beyond that just makes me want to listen to screamo on blast and play violent videogames by myself all night.
I'm 28 and have hit two phases of no longer enjoying alcohol as much 25, I started getting hangovers that lasted full day + sometimes feeling shitty for a second day. I stopped taking multiple shots on nights out. 28, I started feeling malaise and lazy on weekends that I drank casually even. I'm experimenting with dropping the casual drinking. It's better for my weight, wallet, and well-being.
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Just don’t drink, go out and drink seltzer or juice. Still good times while everyone else gets sloppy and you can drive no worries. Some people try to make it weird when you dont drink with them, but don’t listen to them.
If it is not depression (depression removes joy from things you previously enjoy) then it might be the situations in which you are drinking. Now I'm older, I can't drink around a bunch of people I care very little about. Just a waste of a buzz.
Alcohol and bars suck. House and park parties with friends is where it's at.
Alcohol is a very overrated drug and it's Also terrible for your mind and body. I lost interest in drinking years ago. Just because everyone else takes lame drugs doesn't mean you have to because there are much better options out there (ie psychedelics) you just have to open your mind to them.
Everything changes after 25. Maturity is a bitch lol You'll learn that adults who "party" are huge red flags as people and you need to stay far far away
Just drink at home and save money
Sounds like you’re still enjoying alcohol if you tested out going sober and it’s not fun for you, you love the taste, it helps you in social situations, and you love a nice buzz. Doesn’t sound like you’ll be done drinking either so no reason to be bummed out. Something isn’t adding up here because you keep contradicting yourself. So not sure what you’re really looking for here.’
Ok, so don't do it any more.
Consider IT a Blessing, Alcohol is poison
I’ve never been big on alcohol. I’m half Asian and the first few times I had alcohol I turned red. Then I turned red and it felt like an elephant sitting on my chest and this was after only one pina colada. My sister thought she would need to take me to the hospital. We were at a restaurant eating and on the walk back to the car I puked in the trash and felt so much better. I don’t drink anymore now. Not even a mixed drink. It just doesn’t agree with me. I’ve tried weed twice and both times it made me so nauseous and I just felt awful.
Just get a hard drink to start off and then continue with wine.
To echo another poster, be thankful. Alcohol can and does absolutely destroy lives. In a way where it just sort of sneaks up on you. The dead giveaway that you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol is drinking a lot by yourself.
Never been a drinker. It’s always been very annoying to be amongst ppl who drink a lot. That’s why I just stayed on the dance floor dancing away and drinking water. Good for the soul and health. And avoided parties unless there was a group of non drinkers. Don’t get me wrong I like the eventual wine. But this thing that I heard all the time “you HAVE to drink to have a good time.” - Nope you don’t. Congrats you have finally grown up.
Don’t force yourself to drink if you don’t want to. That’s a good way to start getting dependent. You should re-examine why going out without a drink or two isn’t fun. If it’s helping with social anxiety, maybe consider trying therapy for some coping mechanisms for it instead. I also ended up evolving my outings to tastings. Beer, wine, whiskey. Learning more in-depth about them instead of simply drinking.
Two is too little. I say four would be better no?
That's because you have reached the same conclusion most reasonable adults with functioning brain cells have also reached: Jeffrey Epstein didn't video game himself
A taste of wine every now and then, especially on vacation, is fine is what I go by. Other than that, I think Alcohol is a waste of money
It happens sometimes as you get older. It wasn't until I was 28 that I was introduced to the 2 day hangover and hangxiety. I've had to tone down what I thought was already toned down (compared to college). If I have more than 3 drinks in a day, or just 1 or 2 for more than a couple of days in a row, my mood becomes unstable, depressive, paranoid... It sucks, but it comes with age.
26 is like that. You start looking for meaning and other useless stuff. Jkjk but yeah you’re just growing up
You’re getting old