Why do you drink?
 

I've been thinking about my reasons for drinking in the last few days. I've wondered why people drink, how much they drink, why people get drunk, etc.

I'm not a recreational drinker. It doesn't interest me to get out of my mind when I'm surrounded by a bunch of people. If I drink it's either alone (more on that later) or with one or two close friends. I say I drink alone, but not in the sense that I sit there on my bed with a bottle of rum and watch TV alone, generally I'm at my computer talking to people and talking on forums and the like.

When I drink, I tend to drink to get drunk. I know it's bad for me, but sometimes it just feels so good, and at this age and point in my life the after effects don't bother me. Sure, I might get sick to my stomach, but otherwise I don't feel wasted when I drag out of bed in the morning.

Why I drink, though, has been something I've wondered on. In the beginning I drank just because it was new and exciting - "Look what I can do" but lately it's evolved into something more. I've found that I tend to write a lot better after having a few glasses of rum; while it doesn't seem like it should make sense things just flow for me when I'm writing, and since I'm pretty good at touch typing I don't have to worry about typo's, so in the morning I can wake up and see a fairly coherent essay that doesn't feel mechanical. I feel like I'm writing something with a little more life in it when I'm a bit drunk at the time. Generally when I'm writing I can't get that overly corrective perfectionist out of my brain, so when I make him good and drunk I just get going and don't stop until I'm ultimately unable to clearly think near the end.

Anyway, I've always wondered why other people drink? Depression? Too party hard?

I drink because I like the flavor of a good beer or a nice glass of wine.I really savor each drink I take. I try live by my first sig. Life's too short to drink cheap beer!
Now that I'm a little older(48) I find I stop after 1 or 2. I just don't like being drunk anymore. I have little patience for really smashed people. I've seen close friends and family say such stupid and hurtful things when drunk. I just don't want to go there! Wow I never thought about it likes this, this eye opening. Thanks Gatorade Frost!

I don't get drunk. There are very good reasons for this that I'm not going to get into. Suffice to say they're there.

I rarely drink at all, for that matter. If everyone around me is having a beer I might indulge, but I won't drink more than one or two. I consistently have two beers when I'm out to shoot pool, because two beers is enough to help me relax and loosen up just enough to help my game out that extra little bit. Most of the guys I shoot pool with follow the same practice, for the same reason.

I dunno why really. In the beginning it was because of peer pressure, but now I drink because I like how it makes me feel.

I don't usually drink much unless I am going to get drunk though, because drinking too much beer wrecks my girlish figure.

I generally don't drink, I've had way too many bad experiences when I've been drunk, But when I do it's always recreationally. 'Cause I don't particularly enjoy not drinking when everybody else is.

There are many reasons why I drink.

I love a good glass of wine or a good beer with a meal. Especially when it has been expertly paired with the food.

Sometimes when I come home from work I like a nice gin and tonic or a pastis. It is a nice way to end the day and unwind.

When I am out clubbing (like I do this anymore) I like the effects of alcohol. I like getting drunk (not pissed). It losens inhibitions, let's me get a bit off the hook. I don't like going overboard. Getting smashed isn't fun. I just (well used to) like riding the wave.

I especially enjoy going to a pub and haning out with friends. Having a couple pints, talking shit to one another or getting intensely person or getting political... A pint is just a part of that... doesn't need to be, but I enjoy it's precense as much as some enjoy a cigar or a scotch.


...and then sometime I drink to remember and some times to forget.

I didn't drink for a long time because alcoholism runs in my family. When I first started, it was to get drunk. Period. I hated the taste, but I liked the way it made me feel.

Now, I drink mostly socially, and I've developed a taste for certain alcohols. I still do get drunk, but not nearly as much as I used to...and this is only at certain parties. I still like drinking a couple of drinks to relax on weekends and holidays.

I don't generally get "wasted" when I drink. I do get drunk sometimes but not overly drunk. I drink like once amonth and only get tipsy or a little more. I only really drink when I am going out to concerts or local shows and I dont have too many. I hate hanging around people that have had one too many and I have to take care of them, so I try and not be one of those people that becomes a burdon on someone else.

Why do people do things that are fun?

I generally drink to get drunk. Being drunk is fun, and I am a high functioning drunk, so I can tell where I'm at and when I need to stop. I like to get to what I call the happy zone... the sick zone is bad. :)

I drink, therefore I am.

Saw that on a poster a while back. Made me smile, but also reminded me to never take my drinking that far. I know when to stop - I mean I've been to my limits many enough times to know where they are.

I generally don't drink to get drunk. I do enjoy being drunk though :). I drink because I love the taste of what I'm drinking (a good beer or whiskey usually). I will never, ever drink something that doesn't taste good, no matter how much you tell me that the taste is 'acquired'.

I drink for two reasons, to get drunk with friends or to unwind by enjoying a good beer.

When I drink to get drunk, I do it to lower my inhibitions because I'm a somewhat shy person and I tend to think too much instead of just actng. Alcohol makes me feel braver and funnier and more attractive to the opposite sex. Given the choice, I would most likely give up getting drunk for having the courage to just be myself without the aid of a drug.

I don't drink alot. Well, I don't drink often. When I do drink, it's usually at a party, and I'll get fairly smashed. Not enough to be throwing up, or passing out, I know my limits and know when to stop, but I couldn't honestly say I've never fallen over.

About 4 months ago I went on a road trip with some mates. We drove around for 5 days drinking each night and recovering each day. Except I didn't drink after the first night. On the second day, I was still feeling the night before, but on the third day, I was all ready to go hard again, but ended up having quite a conversation with a friend of mine who doesn't drink. I didn't drink untill about 3 weeks ago, and that was a couple of beers while sitting around at a mates place.

I drink because I like the way I feel when drunk. Just slightly out of control, looser, a lot of fun when you're already having fun. I also enjoy the taste of some drinks, and dislike having to endure a taste to get drunk.

I never drink alcohol just for the taste of it.

I get drunk once (sometimes twice) a week because I enjoy doing it.

I like the taste of a really good red wine, especially the aroma of it... I love the taste of a really good beer... I love a good single malt scotch... A nice chilled glass of Baileys... A well made martini...

I like alcohol...

I don't enjoy getting drunk... I'm not comfortable with the thought of losing control of my inhibitions or not being completely aware of what I'm doing... I'm a very shy perso and having something artificial making me something other than what i am -- doesn't appeal to me... Yeah, I'm a stick in the mud... I also do not enjoy hangovers...

I don't drink much, but I love a good dark beer or fine wine as others have mentioned. I enjoy going to small pubs for the atmosphere although we don't go out much anymore. I typically only drink if a situation allows it. Alcoholism runs in my family so I attempt not to keep too much in the house. This weekend though I have vowed for the hundredth time not to drink again because of the horrendous hang over I got from a wine and cheese party. However, I know that I will most likely drink again.

I used to drink just to get drunk when I was younger. Now I drink to enjoy a drink, but I try not to get drunk. Depends on the circumstances I suppose because I have a hard time saying no and this weekend people kept filling my glass. I think that every once in awhile it is fun to loosen up and lose inhibitions, but drinking too much just leaves me sick and hostile. I have to watch that line.

When I was in college, I would drink so my inhibitiions would go away and I would not be shy.There were many times when this got out of hand.

When I was dating my husband, I drank to have fun. We would go dancing and stay up real late. Always a good time.

Now that we are married for 12 years, with 2 kids, I drink to relax. By the end of the day, after working and taking care of the kids I have just one drink, usually wine, to unwind. On the weekends, I unwind a bit more.

I second that one. I usually have a beer or two to make some of my social inhibitions fade away, so that I can be more talkative.

I rarely get drunk, and I assume that's pretty rare for a 22 yr-old. I like the taste of beer and wine, and hate it when I'm too drunk to taste anything. Can't stand hard liquor because it seems as if it's only there to get people drunk as fast as possible.

For me, alchohol is in the same boat as Marijuana. Similar effects. Acceptable in moderation.

I love the taste, I love the feeling, I love the look, I love the social aspects of it.

In the military, the social order revolves around the consumption of alcohol. If you work hard, a cold beer at the end of the day with friends and co-workers feels good.

Unwinding at the end of the day is better with alcohol. Trust me.

Then again, winding up at the beginning of the day is better with alcohol too.:lol:

I am a social person, and being around people makes me feel good. When people gather, alcohol is usually being served. It is part of our culture.

I definitely don't drink to get smashed. I hate being out of control, feeling sick, and dealing with hangovers. I also have a low tolerance.

On the other hand, I enjoy having a few drinks in social situations to help loosen me up. I important to me that I actually like the taste of a beverage to drink it.

When someone regails me with the massive volumes of booze they guzzled on the weekend, I usually think "I can't even drink that much water!".

At first it was to get as loopy as possible, but then high school ended.

Now it's completely a social thing except for the occasional bottle of home made wine on the weekend.

Of course there have been a couple of exceptions recently, but those involved in-laws so...

This is me too, except that a plain old beer is never my drink of choice.

I very, very rarely drink alone, if that happens it's because I can't sleep. I only like to drink around my friends, and preferably when dancing is involved, because otherwise I run the risk of falling asleep. :rolleyes: I've learned my limits, and don't exceed them anymore, really. I hate feelin' poorly the next day, and wasting a Sunday (usually) to recover. I never felt I had a good enough time to justify feeling bad afterwards, heh.

Being tipsy doesn't change me, it just makes me...*more*. Which is good enough! :thumbsup:

Why do I drink, let me count the ways. 1-beer, 2-Scotch, 3-Gin, 4-..........

I don't know if i'm lucky or unlucky:

1. i don't really like the taste of beer

2. I don't really like the taste of wine (cept for really good ones that generally cost too darned much, but overall, not a huge fan anymore)

3. I don't really like the taste of liquor....

4...it's sad, but i do like the taste of th girlie/fruity drinks. Gin and tonic is nasty to me, but a cosmo or pineapple martini is pretty good. Margaritas are my "drunk' drink of choice anymore bc i liket he taste of tequila, the sweetness of the drink, and the salt.

soo, that said, I drink beer to be social with someone after work when it's free
I drink wine bc my gf likes it and i kinda like ti when paired properly with food and i don't want to make her feel like she's being expensive
I drink tequila when i want to ...get friendly

Other than that, i don't really drink that much and i never have...

Don't know if that's sad or not. Drinking, apparently, is an art form and one that i'm missing out on.

Getting sloshed is something i've done maybe 5 times in my life, didn't like the next morning in about 80% of those cases...


My other real problem is that I get INSANELY tired after having just one drink. I'm talking TIRED, like can't drive home bc i'm half asleep tired. I can barely function when i have just a drink or so and i really don't like that feeling.

ah vell, guess you could call me a cheap date

Don't drink all that much. I drink because when you go clubbing, they offer you a drink with cover charge, and it'll be all so much a pussy to go for mineral water right?

So I take a beer. And drink it half way and leave it there. It's okay, I guess, but I'm not so much a drinker.

Occasionally I do get a lil too tipsy with stuff, but it's for social reasons, i.e. everyone is drinking and they have dragged me into it as well.

My friend, guys like us are in luck. Vodka and Everclear mix with just about anything and have little to no taste. :thumbsup:

I drink for effect.

Two reasons for me. One is to help me relax and unwind a bit at the end of the day. Usually just a beer or perhaps some nice liquor if I have anything good in the house.

The second reason is simply to be social. I don't drink to get drunk anymore simply cause I passed that phase. I don't like the hangover and I really don't like not remembering whether or not I had fun the night before.

remember the 5 or 6 incidences i said where i was totally trashed...

yeah, one involved mixxing everclear in 13 different varieties of shots...

and 3 of the others involved WAAYYY too much vodka...

I had no desire to drink until I was legal. Then, between the ages of 22-24, I drank to get drunk and even to the point of blackout. This happened until I had one traumatic and regrettable experience while drinking.

Since then, I have only really drank around safe people, enough to get tipsy occasionally, but nothing more. As a result I have developed an appreciation for finer alcohol and the sheer taste of it. This includes red wines, Belgian beers, sake, margaritas, and other things that go well with food. :)

I'm Australian - beer is almost like a religion here.

I don't drink to get drunk, I seem to have a vestibular (inner ear balance thing) problem that makes getting drunk not so fun. There isn't too much I like the taste of either, so I drink very little.

I generally don't drink, because I've seen how it affected my father when he drank, and because I did a remarkable number of really stupid things while drunk in college, so about six or seven years ago, I decided I'd just not drink anymore. It isn't meant as a judgement regarding those who do drink, it's just how I feel about my drinking.

I'm not always completely on the wagon, though. Sometimes I'll have a dollop of brandy in my evening tea, and once in a great while I'll have a little wine. Last night I was having a bad night, and had a couple of glasses of wine to relax me, and it worked, but now I'm regretting it because I don't like the idea of dealing with my problems by dulling them with alcohol, and I was a little more . . . a little less in control in chat than I'm comfortable with, and ended up saying something potentially offensive that I later regretted. Note again, I'm only talking about myself, and not anybody else in this thread.

Gilda

I had a similar experience: when I was 16 or so my younger brother got trashed with one of his friends at home and abused me and I took it far more seriously than I should have. So until I was almost 22 I was completely dry. Then one day that changed. It was kind of like an epiphany. My family laughs about that.

Now I drink because it makes me more socially aggressive, makes me feel different in a good way, and it makes me less likely to be offended by anything people say (to the extent that I am easily offended in the first place). I almost always drink around other people. But sometimes I will have a few shots of good vodka mixed with fruit juice or straight up goldschlager alone, usually to relax while talking to somebody on the internet. I do not consider myself an alcoholic because I often go weeks or months without drinking anything, and I do not drink just to drink. I bought $350 worth of strong liquors last September and still have the vast majority of it.

being that i have 70 days until graduation from ohio state with my undergraduate degree...yeah i drink. pretty much every weekend. espicially now thats its spring quarter here, there are so many parties. people start drinking at 2 in the afternoon and drink all day here. im not one of those, ill start around 10 and finish up when the bars close. being drunk is fun, but only on the weekends. i could never be one of those people that drink on the week days and then go to class all hung over and whatnot. same thing with work.

/sorry if this post doesnt make sense.... hung over :)

i drink mostly for the social factor of it. 5 or 6 close friends all sitting around getting tanked and shooting the shit is a nice way to spend an evening. also, i dont mind the experimentation side of it, seeing what i like and what i dont. so far, i seem to like good beer, whiskey, rum, and vodka

I drink because I'm Canadian? It's part of my heritage!!!

But really? My work involves screaming, fighting, idiots and morons. Behind schedule, big dollars, personal injury, and decisions that may cost millions. Although I never get to claim credit for THOSE decisions. I drink for two reasons. ONE, it helps me think about something OTHER than work. Two, it makes me tired and helps me sleep.

When I get home I don't want to be stressing about the fact that the plumbers haven't installed the base heaters so my control systems will be behind schedule and cost tons.

But, as an alternative, I have to say that MORESO than drinking, I cuddle my two young daughters and watch spongebob. Seriously. They laugh, I laugh, and I forget about everything. It's better than any drink or drug in the world. Make fun of me all you want but spongebob + a 4 and 7 year old is the best destress in the world.

i don't think its any different than any other drug except its legal, people use it to feel better for awhile, whatever the situation might be or the excuse given.

I really like writing while like this too, the words just flow, know what you mean.

The first taste of a beer is exquisite.
A nice mixed drink every now and again is a nice mellower.
A good swig of Aquavit can really take me to a happy place.

Last saturday night was really awesome. Sunday morning not so much. I think I need to find the middle ground.

I only drink in clubs and bars, and that is just because it is expected.

Coke and water is the same price as beer... I just have a problem paying 6bucks for a small class of cola.

In the States I'd always get cokes for free as the DD. But in Tokyo there are no DDs.