I never got into it and I feel like I’m missing a huge social part of my life. I’ve tried alcohol and it just tastes bad. Maybe if I had enough to get inebriated I’d feel different, but so far nothing about the experience of drinking has been good. Also I grew up around Baptists who don’t have drinking in the culture, so maybe that’s part of it? My parents never had alcohol in the house and there was never beer/wine at family gatherings. I never even saw a full glass of beer in person until I was like 23.

Bars are too loud and there’s too much expectation to drink, parties have the same problem, drinking at home alone sounds sad. I go to concerts and I’m the only person without a huge glass of beer. People hand me drinks and I’m like “nah” and they get mega confused.

What do I do

Is this the opposite of a problem?

  • baritone_edge@lemmy.mlEnglish
    17·
    6 months ago

    I feel like people here are focusing on the alcohol part of the post and not what I believe to be the primary issue: social life.

    I felt the same way as OP. I got around it by asking the bartender to make my drinks without alcohol on the sly and tipping really well. Usually he’d ask if I was an alcoholic or in AA, I’d just answer vaguely. Never met a bartender yet who wasn’t happy to accommodate. He’d also put water into a red solo cup instead of a drink once the bar ran out of glasses. By that time if I was asked what I was drinking, I’d look at my cup confused and then laugh I don’t know.

    It’s not a perfect system, it was actually quite expensive. Sometimes you’d get a different bartender because it was busy and I’d get an alcoholic drink. I’d sip on that until I could slip back to the bar and leave that drink and reoder from the bartender I had arrangements with. Sometimes he’d let me swap the drink at no charge.

    Once the night got going it was easier to say things like “no this is my sixth drink” even if it was only the second or third. The trick here is not to stay with the group the whole time. Wander off to the bar, pretend to go hit on someone, and go to the bathroom to keep things moving.

    Aside from thoserecommenddations, I’d suggest looking into other forms of social gatherings. You can usually find some group that goes dancing (not bar or club but actual dancing), board games, hiking/running/biking, swimming, etc. Even if you’re only slightly interested the social aspect can be the relief you may be seeking.