Irish teetotalers - what's it like?

woodoo

realies wrote: »

“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald


That's what happened to me.
Best decision in my entire my life was to stop drinking alcohol.

What do you do to pass the time?

Shakespeare's Sister

When I used to drink vodka (don't go near it now - hellish hangovers) with orange, people, reasonable folks among them, would always ask, in bewilderment/disgust, "Don't tell me you're just drinking orange?!"
I think they just mean "What are you doing punishing yourself by not drinking? Don't deny yourself fun!" but it's still quite bizarre for there to be such incredulity at someone not drinking alcohol. I think though that that's because I drink. Whereas if I wasn't a drinker, they wouldn't say anything as they wouldn't expect me to be drinking anyway.

Sunnyisland

woodoo wrote: »

What do you do to pass the time?

Everything I ever wanted,

for me sitting in bars as much as I could just ruined me,it was like Groundhog Day after night after day.

Cantona's Collars

woodoo wrote: »

He may have had to give it up and is not dealing with his sobriety well. There are plenty who don't. Its not always a happy ever after when people get sober. That workmate just sounds like life is pretty miserable for him sober. I think gazza is one of those he cant deal with life sober. Maybe someday he will bit its not looking good.

He was never a big drinker before,methinks "whipped by the missus" might actually be the real reason.Anyhow,he seems to have accepted his fate but I don't like the comments thrown in now & then about how I enjoy my free time.Even when I do stuff that doesn't involve beer but it's for my enjoyment it seems to be met with some resentment."Jaysus,it's well for you to have the time for that" is the usual line.I told him recently that he needs a good night out on the lash with us,that was immediately dismissed.

miss no stars

zerks wrote: »

He was never a big drinker before,methinks "whipped by the missus" might actually be the real reason.Anyhow,he seems to have accepted his fate but I don't like the comments thrown in now & then about how I enjoy my free time.Even when I do stuff that doesn't involve beer but it's for my enjoyment it seems to be met with some resentment."Jaysus,it's well for you to have the time for that" is the usual line.I told him recently that he needs a good night out on the lash with us,that was immediately dismissed.

He sounds like a right streak of begrudging misery.

JokerD

I've never drank and the reaction from people is almost disbelief. I've just no interest in it tbh. Some people think that either yourself or someone in your family has had a drink problem and that's why you don't drink. You also get those that think you're the type who'll be telling everyone the next day what they got up to; well that couldn't be any further from the truth.

I also get lots saying fair play to me but I always say back that I don't think it's a case of fair play to me as I don't ever feel temptation to start drinking.

Women's reactions can be strange sometimes, I know there has been girls suddenly put off when they heard I didn't drink. It's just such a part of culture in this country so it's a shock to the system. Whether they think I'm boring or it's a case of them feeling weird drinking in front of me I don't know. Either way they'd soon realise it didn't matter and would see that I'll still be having the craic until the end of the night.

FloatingVoter

There are a lot of people in this country who don't drink because of a problem wither with themselves or a history in the family. A lot of people in every country for that matter. Its a legitimate enough assumption and people always like the interesting assumption. You don't drink because you don't care to is just too easy.
As for people being upset about you remembering what they were up to - I've spent decades either drunk or around drunks and on about five nights something worth remembering happened. The rest of it was just entertaining boredom. Even in very interesting circles, nothing much happens when drink is involved.
The guy who is cheating on his wife with her brother - well they waited until everyone else was drunk so they could sneak off together. And nobody noticed. But they all spoke of how bad their hangovers were and what mighty craic we had and how we'll never drink again.

Juan More Time

I ran out of beer about three months ago, and never quite got round to replenishing the beer shelf in my fridge since. Does this make me a teetotalar...;-)

czx

The majority of people who claim to have have no interest in drink must have an underlying reason. If they are indifferent then what's to be lost in trying a drink?

FloatingVoter

czx wrote: »

The majority of people who claim to have have no interest in drink must have an underlying reason. If they are indifferent then what's to be lost in trying a drink?

I've no interest in ballet. They've no interest in drink. I'll not be wearing a tutu and they won't be having a drink unless they want to.

4zn76tysfajdxp

czx wrote: »

The majority of people who claim to have have no interest in drink must have an underlying reason. If they are indifferent then what's to be lost in trying a drink?

I guess this is an example of people who drink showing suspicion towards teetotalers.

czx

Royce Great Couch wrote: »

I guess this is an example of people who drink showing suspicion towards teetotalers.

Why? I just think its odd so many people here simply have no interest in drinking without any reason. If they have a reason then fair enough. Claiming they have no interest for no reason seems strange.

czx

FloatingVoter wrote: »

I've no interest in ballet. They've no interest in drink. I'll not be wearing a tutu and they won't be having a drink unless they want to.

You have a reason for not having an interest in ballet though?

FloatingVoter

czx wrote: »

You have a reason for not having an interest in ballet though?

Yes...I'm 39 with a bad back and hairy legs. My dreams are dashed.

ballsymchugh

czx wrote: »

You have a reason for not having an interest in ballet though?

some people are just indifferent to things, including drinking alcohol. why the big deal? i have zero interest in drinking alcohol. i stopped making excuses about it years ago. now if someone keeps bugging me about it i just walk away, or click ignore.

czx

ballsymchugh wrote: »

some people are just indifferent to things, including drinking alcohol. why the big deal? i have zero interest in drinking alcohol. i stopped making excuses about it years ago. now if someone keeps bugging me about it i just walk away, or click ignore.

Some people are indifferent, but I'd say the majority have a reason not to drink. It's too ubiquitous an activity for the majority of non-drinkers to claim they are indifferent. A negative experience or an expected negative reaction are likely reasons.

ballsymchugh

czx wrote: »

Some people are indifferent, but I'd say the majority have a reason not to drink. It's too ubiquitous an activity for the majority of non-drinkers to claim they are indifferent. A negative experience or an expected negative reaction are likely reasons.

so if you ask the question and they say no reason, are you going to keep bugging them until they give you a made up answer?

languagenerd

I'm 22 & don't drink; the worst thing is feeling like you have to justify it to people.

I've never made a big deal of it or been judgmental about drinking; I'm often the one who organises the night out & I'm nearly always among the last to go home. But people are always suspicious, like they think you're judging them or memorising everything stupid they say while drunk to use against them. Or when you say you don't drink, they assume you're boring and/or super-religious...

I find the first time I go out with a new group that I nearly have to "prove" myself and after that everyone is fine with it because they realise I'm not any of the above. It's just unusual I guess, but it is hard to shatter those misconceptions sometimes...

FloatingVoter

czx wrote: »

Some people are indifferent, but I'd say the majority have a reason not to drink. It's too ubiquitous an activity for the majority of non-drinkers to claim they are indifferent. A negative experience or an expected negative reaction are likely reasons.

Its ubiquitous if you're surrounded by it. I had a cousin who was a serious swimmer in his teens (Olympic level). That amount of training meant booze and fags were out. By the time that ended in his early 20s the whole peer pressure thing was gone. Now he drives a taxi and doesn't drink. Simple as that. When everybody else was doing it, he couldn't. When he could, his livelihood meant it was better not to start.
Dodge the underage drinking cult in your teens, avoid it in college in pursuit of good grades and you can make it to your mid 20s without touching a drop.
I'm writing this half-cut myself. The bad example myself and various other relations were setting probably also decided his course in life.

czx

ballsymchugh wrote: »

so if you ask the question and they say no reason, are you going to keep bugging them until they give you a made up answer?

I don't care if someone drinks or not.

I just thought it was strange that so many posters have claimed that they have no interest in drinking, despite never having drank. Some may be indifferent, but I doubt many of those would be posting on boards about having no interest in drinking.

czx

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Its ubiquitous if you're surrounded by it. I had a cousin who was a serious swimmer in his teens (Olympic level). That amount of training meant booze and fags were out. By the time that ended in his early 20s the whole peer pressure thing was gone. Now he drives a taxi and doesn't drink. Simple as that. When everybody else was doing it, he couldn't. When he could, his livelihood meant it was better not to start.
Dodge the underage drinking cult in your teens, avoid it in college in pursuit of good grades and you can make it to your mid 20s without touching a drop.
I'm writing this half-cut myself. The bad example myself and various other relations were setting probably also decided his course in life.

If he's a taxi driver in Ireland I'm sure he feels it's ubiquitous!

ballsymchugh

czx wrote: »

I don't care if someone drinks or not.

I just thought it was strange that so many posters have claimed that they have no interest in drinking, despite never having drank. Some may be indifferent, but I doubt many of those would be posting on boards about having no interest in drinking.

you don't care, just think it's strange? as the previous poster said, a lot of people have no interest in something they've never tried out. it just doesn't float the boat.

i thought the thread title would kinda draw a higher than average amount of non drinkers to the thread!!

FloatingVoter

ballsymchugh wrote: »

you don't care, just think it's strange? as the previous poster said, a lot of people have no interest in something they've never tried out. it just doesn't float the boat.

i thought the thread title would kinda draw a higher than average amount of non drinkers to the thread!!

I'm glad it didn't. They're over in the non-drinkers forum (and a very well run and worth visiting part of the universe that is). Most people including pissheads like me can well accommodate our sober friends. And hopefully vice versa. Those that can't aren't worth knowing. If anybody is a teenager and feel pressure is being put on you to get drunk with the lads and ladettes...give it 5 years - they'll grow up.

Kingdom

I would like to share....

I started drinking, full on, at 15. It's only now, nearly twenty years later that I've fully realised and come to terms with the harm it's caused me.

I didn't have a huge alcohol influence around me either, parents never went to pub, and drank very moderately at home. It should have been clear very early on that drinking wasn't compatible to my personality. It wasn't that I'd land myself in hospital, but way too many important decisions or time stamps were affected by booze. I attended part of my leaving cert drunk, I had been a very good footballer and student, but regressed badly. It wasn't until my marriage was really on the verge of collapse and the implications that would mean for a young son that forced me into confronting issues I had. Alcohol consumption stopped, but I tried to keep up my previous social life. I can honestly say it was the most lonely point in my life.
People in this country do not understand

a) non-drinkers
B)problem drinkers
c) alcolohics

Irish Social life is centrered around the pub. I actually like the taste of beer so I would have drank non-alcolic beer and some of the reactions from bar staff, friends, a strangers and others were often cruel and more often than not upsetting. As someone else has already mentioned I found myself increasingly isolated to the point where I hinesdtly felt I had no friends from what was previously a very wide group. I would contend that of that group of people nearly all have a problem with alcohol, but not what Irish people consider a problem.

Going to matches took on a different vibe; even family gatherings with in-laws wasn't off- ,limits for being slighted. I can specifically remember one Xmas day in my MIL's house where on the daughters asked a room of 12 including kids in individually what would they like to drink, except me.

Thankfully I'm married and have kids, because I would dread going out "on the pull" as a teetotaler because from my experience Irish people generally can't comprehend and do act suspicious of someone who stops drinking. It's f**kinfg disgusting if you ask me, and the day can't come quick enough whereby cafe's open later.

As it happens one of those friends also now appears to be unable to drink any longer and I am really curious to see how he deals with it, because he would have a serious consumption issue.
What I found incredible while not drinking, is how expensive it is to drink minerals or non alco beer, and just how quickly people descend into utter ****e talk.

This is the view of someone who was a teetotaler but is also a problem-drinker.

WilyCoyote

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Its ubiquitous if you're surrounded by it. I had a cousin who was a serious swimmer in his teens (Olympic level). That amount of training meant booze and fags were out. By the time that ended in his early 20s the whole peer pressure thing was gone. Now he drives a taxi and doesn't drink. Simple as that. When everybody else was doing it, he couldn't. When he could, his livelihood meant it was better not to start.
Dodge the underage drinking cult in your teens, avoid it in college in pursuit of good grades and you can make it to your mid 20s without touching a drop.
I'm writing this half-cut myself. The bad example myself and various other relations were setting probably also decided his course in life.

Hello Dublin. Are you reading me?
How come Ireland (with all it's unhealthy lifestyle choices) is 1 year and 8 months further up the longevity chart than the country with the greatest medical care in the world?

I put it down to lack of stress, fat bacon spuds and plenty of the auld gargle.

But, I must add, that people who don't party too much, don't play dangerous sports and don't really have too much craic socially, live 18 months longer - in the Nursing Home.

WilyCoyote

As for Kingdom above ........ you sound like a real depressive. You can't be from Kerry!

Irish Guitarist

I'm 38 years old and have never had the slightest interest in alcohol. I tasted it when I was younger, didn't like it and decided not to force myself to continue doing something I didn't like.

Despite the fact that I've gotten by perfectly well for almost four decades without alcohol my older brother seems to think I'm missing out on something. Anytime there's a family get together he asks me if I want a drink. If I say "no thanks" he'll keep asking if I'm sure. Eventually I'll say I'll have a Red Bull and then he'll try to convince me to have alcohol and say "it will take you out of yourself". Actually I'm perfectly happy in myself. Or at least I would be if people weren't trying to shove alcohol down my throat.

What really pisses me off is when I tell someone I don't like alcohol of any description and they start listing off alcoholic drinks that I'll definitely love. "Have you ever tried Bulmers?". "You'd have to like Baileys". "How about wine? You'd like that". My brother has even gone so far as to spend five or ten minutes telling me to take a taste of his wine. Eventually I just took a sip to shut him up.

Another thing that pisses me off is that around the time when that 'neknomination' thing was the latest craze my brother was posting loads of stuff on Facebook about saying no to peer pressure.

Last time my family went out I sneaked a bottle of Tesco cola in to the restaurant so I would have a full glass anytime anyone asked if I wanted a drink.

WilyCoyote

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I'm 38 years old and have never had the slightest interest in alcohol. I tasted it when I was younger, didn't like it and decided not to force myself to continue doing something I didn't like.

Despite the fact that I've gotten by perfectly well for almost four decades without alcohol my older brother seems to think I'm missing out on something. Anytime there's a family get together he asks me if I want a drink. If I say "no thanks" he'll keep asking if I'm sure. Eventually I'll say I'll have a Red Bull and then he'll try to convince me to have alcohol and say "it will take you out of yourself". Actually I'm perfectly happy in myself. Or at least I would be if people weren't trying to shove alcohol down my throat.

What really pisses me off is when I tell someone I don't like alcohol of any description and they start listing off alcoholic drinks that I'll definitely love. "Have you ever tried Bulmers?". "You'd have to like Baileys". "How about wine? You'd like that". My brother has even gone so far as to spend five or ten minutes telling me to take a taste of his wine. Eventually I just took a sip to shut him up.

Another thing that pisses me off is that around the time when that 'neknomination' thing was the latest craze my brother was posting loads of stuff on Facebook about saying no to peer pressure.

Last time my family went out I sneaked a bottle of Tesco cola in to the restaurant so I would have a full glass anytime anyone asked if I wanted a drink.

Do you not like the taste of all these alcoholic drinks ........ or the result?
Straight answer please.

Hotfail.com

Don't understand why people go so mad on drink tbh, 3-5 pints is grand every now and then but I don't get why some people (besides alcoholics) drink a shítload of it every second night.

lanos

IMO, whenever I meet somebody who has never drank, they inevitably turn out to be boring sods.
They lack a certain spark.
Sorry if that offends some people here

P_1

czx wrote: »

Some people are indifferent, but I'd say the majority have a reason not to smoke. It's too ubiquitous an activity for the majority of non-smokers to claim they are indifferent. A negative experience or an expected negative reaction are likely reasons.

Really?

Honestly if someone doesn't drink then in my eyes they don't drink. None of my business what they do or don't do at the end of the day.

Ave Sodalis

czx wrote: »

I don't care if someone drinks or not.

I just thought it was strange that so many posters have claimed that they have no interest in drinking, despite never having drank. Some may be indifferent, but I doubt many of those would be posting on boards about having no interest in drinking.

I've tried it, it's rotten and completely pointless for me. Most other nondrinkers would agree.

WilyCoyote wrote: »

Do you not like the taste of all these alcoholic drinks ........ or the result?
Straight answer please.

I may be reading it wrong but you sound awfully defensive. Does it matter?

lanos wrote: »

IMO, whenever I meet somebody who has never drank, they inevitably turn out to be boring sods.
They lack a certain spark.
Sorry if that offends some people here

There are three types of nondrinkers: those who still do everything drinkers do minus the alcohol, those who don't have any interest in the whole scene at all, and those who are bitter and resentful of drinkers. You must be unfortunate enough to have only met the latter group. We are most definitely not all "boring sods" (although the definition of boring was never really defined by drinking habits for me)

Flippyfloppy

P_1 wrote: »

Really?

Honestly if someone doesn't drink then in my eyes they don't drink. None of my business what they do or don't do at the end of the day.

True. I bet czx goes around asking people 'why don't you smoke? Why don't you knit?? There must be a reason?! Why don't you do drugs? Why don't you spin decks?? Why why why why why why there must be a reason (paronoid head) sh!t I don't even ask 40 year olds who've never learnt how to drive why. I just let it be.

Why can't you? There must be a reason, why why why

FunLover18

I tell people I have no interest in drinking but the truth is I have every interest in not drinking. I dare any regular drinker to go out sober and find me one drunk person they don't find irritating as ****. I've never once seen a drunk person and "thought that looks fun" or "he's so cool, I want to be him". Then you hear people talking "oh what a great night last night" "really, what happened?" "oh I can't remember so it must have been good haw haw haw". The drinking culture baffles me, I do not understand it at all.

Remmy

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Ireland is full of non-drinkers. You could class them in three groups

- those who never drank and never will
- those who actually do socially drink -ie. a sherry at Christmas (NOT I only get pissed when my mates come over).
- those that have had to give up due to chronic alcoholism.

I was in the first group until I was seven. Then spent the next three years in group two. After that it went pearshaped and I'm now ducking in and out of group three.

Ha I guess that makes me a social drinker then . I like a class of red wine with a nice meal or a glass of whiskey with my Dad at Christmas etc but that's about it. In the past having any more than 1 or two drinks left me really down in the dumps for a few days. I don't know why I should willingly pay to feel like that.

Grayson

sup_dude wrote: »

I may be reading it wrong but you sound awfully defensive. Does it matter?

It sounds snobbish and in some ways it is. I'm a vegetarian. Every so often I'll meet someone who says they're a vegetarian who doesn't like the taste of meat. It's nothing to do with animal rights or not wanting to kill an animal for food. That's weird to me because it means that if you disguised the taste, they'd eat it. Or maybe they'd eat foods with meat by-products.
In my head a vegetarian is someone who says they're never going to eat meat, not someone who says they just aren't eating it because of the taste.

To put it another way. I love coffee. but I know loads of people who hate it. they will however not think twice about knocking back a red bull or coke. In that case it's the drink tehy dislike, not the drug.

NTMK

Grayson wrote: »

It sounds snobbish and in some ways it is. I'm a vegetarian. Every so often I'll meet someone who says they're a vegetarian who doesn't like the taste of meat. It's nothing to do with animal rights or not wanting to kill an animal for food. That's weird to me because it means that if you disguised the taste, they'd eat it. Or maybe they'd eat foods with meat by-products.
In my head a vegetarian is someone who says they're never going to eat meat, not someone who says they just aren't eating it because of the taste.

To put it another way. I love coffee. but I know loads of people who hate it. they will however not think twice about knocking back a red bull or coke. In that case it's the drink tehy dislike, not the drug.

heres the thing though not everyone goes without for some idealistic reasons.

Im a teatotaler for a variety of reasons but none of them are because i think drinking alcohol is wrong. i dont care what other people do

The taste is one of the reasons. ive tried various different types and i can always taste the alcohol coming through. i dont see the point when i can get a soft drink for have the price that i like the taste of.

ianobrien

I'm another poor sod who doesn't drink. The primary reason started off being taste (we were encouraged to try it at home growing up). Then in college I saw the results of drinking (paying a lot of money for a headache) and that turned me off drinking to get drunk.

Now if asked to I drink I generally just say I have tried most of them and dont like them. I have gotten a few answers of "I was like that but peer pressure took over". It doesn't bother me if I'm asked and still go on nights out etc.

I HATE the term teetotaller as I hate tea!

Paperduel

FunLover18 wrote: »

I tell people I have no interest in drinking but the truth is I have every interest in not drinking. I dare any regular drinker to go out sober and find me one drunk person they don't find irritating as ****. I've never once seen a drunk person and "thought that looks fun" or "he's so cool, I want to be him". Then you hear people talking "oh what a great night last night" "really, what happened?" "oh I can't remember so it must have been good haw haw haw". The drinking culture baffles me, I do not understand it at all.

Alcohol can make people feel good, very good. At least initially. It's simple.

Grayson

NTMK wrote: »

heres the thing though not everyone goes without for some idealistic reasons.

Im a teatotaler for a variety of reasons but none of them are because i think drinking alcohol is wrong. i dont care what other people do

The taste is one of the reasons. ive tried various different types and i can always taste the alcohol coming through. i dont see the point when i can get a soft drink for have the price that i like the taste of.

I think it's still possible to dislike the effect of the drug as opposed to the taste. I've done other drugs in my time, I can state that all of them tasted absolutely disgusting. Most i will never do again, and it's got nothing to do with the taste

Calina

czx wrote: »

I don't care if someone drinks or not.

I just thought it was strange that so many posters have claimed that they have no interest in drinking, despite never having drank. Some may be indifferent, but I doubt many of those would be posting on boards about having no interest in drinking.

Do you harass non-smokers this much about not smoking?

I don't get the idea that people necessarily have to drink so it's a question of you know, trying every form of alcohol just to find one you like. I know some people do it but why should I?

No one is required to drink alcohol and the fact that a lot of people in Ireland do it doesn't actually change that. Same way as no one is required to go to Mass and a lot of people still do it.

lanos wrote: »

IMO, whenever I meet somebody who has never drank, they inevitably turn out to be boring sods.
They lack a certain spark.
Sorry if that offends some people here

That's alright.

Invariably people who get drunk are completely tedious both when they are drunk and when they are comparing the number of drinks and the extent of their subsequent hangovers.

anncoates

I started drinking at about 16 or 17 for a while but then didn't drink until I was about 22 or 23 but now I do love a decent beer but don't drink spirits or wine.

To be fair, I don't really recall people ever putting pressure on me back then, even in college. And I was more than happy to be out with pissed people, didn't bother me.

holystungun9

I think the biggest effect it had was on a slow start to my sex life. I think many people (not a fact, just my impression) get to have way more experiences, even if they are just drunken fumbles and guys in particular can get off with someone they wouldn't do when sober just for the experience and know that they can blame it on drink if anyone takes the pi55 about it.
Some folks here are completely going to take the p1ss here but I have turned down sex either because a girl was too drunk or she just wasn't someone I was into. When you are stone cold sober you know when you are taking advantage or not. When you're drunk I think most people would just go feck it and add another notch to the bedpost.

P_1

I drink on occasion but I hate getting mouldy. Certainly wouldn't badger people for not doing so if that is their choice.

SimonTemplar

The worst thing about not drinking is realising how absolutely annoying or moronic family/friends/coworkers become as the night goes on.

agent graves

ianobrien wrote: »

I HATE the term teetotaller as I hate tea!

noooooooooooooooo... tea is awsome

Shakespeare's Sister

czx wrote: »

Why? I just think its odd so many people here simply have no interest in drinking without any reason. If they have a reason then fair enough. Claiming they have no interest for no reason seems strange.

Why do you need a reason? I have no interest in lots of things - there's no particular reason, I'm just not drawn to them.

foxy farmer

Publicans hate teetotallers and pioneers coming into their premises. The regulars consider them as spies for drink driving. Local publican refers to them as "ceiling inspectors". He says they come only for the music and dancing, sit in a group on their own, nursing a glass or 2 of mineral for the whole night, watching certain people and studying the decor.
I was one of 64 apprentices with a large semi state firm back in th 90s. On the first day the instructors asked out of curiosity who drank. As all hands went up he asked instead who didn't drink. 4 hands went up. When I finished 4 years later I was the only one left. The other 3 had become seasoned drinkers in the meantime. Had my drinks dosed on several occasions but I'd cop the taste. Bar staff in night clubs would short change me thinking I was half cut but I'd check the change straight away and challenge them. Happened several times.
Tbh I wouldn't go out with a woman who drank. The smell of alcohol on their breath would turn me right off unfortunately. Trying to find a teetotal woman isn't worth the hassle. I know of a few but you'd want to have a gold tip to get in there, their standards are so high!

beks101

I find the less I drink, the less interested I am in nights out, etc. Which at 29 is no real skin off my nose, the hangovers are atrocious anyway and I can think of better ways of spending my time.

But I think the social scene in bars, pubs and clubs is insufferable particularly in Ireland and England if you're a teetotaller. Being surrounded by drunk people when you're sober is as a big a headache of a social experience as I can think of.

Shakespeare's Sister

Yeh if I was in a situation where I couldn't drink, I would head home when people are starting to get pissed. You're not on the same page as everyone else if you're sober and a bunch of them are drunk. You're excluded. Not in a malicious way, but just by virtue of being in a completely different state of mind.