throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 2 hours ago, Caledonian1 said: Might be "10 years out of date" for you but might be something new and worth a try for others.. There may be people who are 19 now that wish to reduce what they consider to be problem drinking - they were only 9 years old back when when you may have considered it a wothwhile exercise. I find it pathetic that you find it pathetic. I said I find the concept of showing off you’re not drinking on social media is pathetic - not the moderation of your alcohol consumption. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 2 hours ago, Caledonian1 said: I find it pathetic that you find it pathetic. I find it pathetic that you find it pathetic that throbber finds it pathetic. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 (edited) 3 hours ago, Leith Green said: The issue for me is I have been "hitting it hard" for about 40 years. My problem is not everyday, it is binge drinking - and some of those recent episodes have been messy. Giving up for a month is worth it when set against the alternative (potential divorce) - a shite hashtag, I know but is the truth. Yeah I am not into the binging as in I don’t drink and end up pished and rowdy or being on it for days on end. It’s more like clockwork for me ill want to start at 4-5pm whilst making dinner and combine beer and wine wine fairly steady til bed time sneaking in the occasional additional mouthful that I don’t let on about. I have got progressively better (or less bad) as years have gone on though every Christmas time for 10+ years I’d have drank every day for my time off but this is my 4 th night off it during my holiday and it’s not even down to my gfs nagging, it’s largely because I begin to feel my internal organs starting to reach failure. Edited January 5 by throbber 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Describing it as showing off is a leap and an assumption. It's not rocket science as to why people might do it who otherwise find giving up drinking entirely on their own too hard. Much like going to the gym with others or studying in a group, it's easier to stick to something when you're not alone in it. Dry January being "a thing" takes the pressure off of having to come up with your own schedule for sobriety and takes the onus of explaining your rationale to your peers away from you. It can be really hard to be out drinking with your mates as the sober one. You experience all sorts of resistance through interrogation and cajolery. Doing dry January doesn't necessarily get rid of that but the short timeframe and creeping commonality of the practice can definitely lessen it. So aye, more power to people for doing this. I'd love to develop the courage to come off it for a month or more. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 But you are not taking up a new hobby or embarking on any sort of difficult task you are just not consuming alcohol. Why would you need to feel part of anything for doing that? If you are wanting to knock the alcohol on the head why not just abstain from going out to the pub with mates until the month is over? I don’t know why other people have to come into the equation at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 I don't tell anyone when I give up something out of fear that I'll use rebelling against social expectations as an excuse to go back on it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 11 minutes ago, throbber said: But you are not taking up a new hobby or embarking on any sort of difficult task you are just not consuming alcohol. Why would you need to feel part of anything for doing that? If you are wanting to knock the alcohol on the head why not just abstain from going out to the pub with mates until the month is over? I don’t know why other people have to come into the equation at all. Some people might need the reassurance of other people being involved as a bit of a crutch. Some people just quite like doing things that other people are doing. Just because something can be done alone doesn't mean it has to be. For the vast majority of people drinking alcohol is a normal sociable activity that can be overdone occasionally. It isn't always a shameful vice that needs dealt with in private. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bairnardo Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 36 minutes ago, throbber said: But you are not taking up a new hobby or embarking on any sort of difficult task you are just not consuming alcohol. Why would you need to feel part of anything for doing that? If you are wanting to knock the alcohol on the head why not just abstain from going out to the pub with mates until the month is over? I don’t know why other people have to come into the equation at all. Tbf, I think you ought to point your ire at society for making the consumption of alcohol this big thing in the first place. That's the real issue. That having a drink, or not, has been made much greater than the sum if its parts in this country for as long as anyone alive can remember. One follows the other. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 52 minutes ago, throbber said: But you are not taking up a new hobby or embarking on any sort of difficult task you are just not consuming alcohol. Why would you need to feel part of anything for doing that? If you are wanting to knock the alcohol on the head why not just abstain from going out to the pub with mates until the month is over? I don’t know why other people have to come into the equation at all. That can be difficult for some 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Raccoon Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 I''m not going to comment on whether Dry January is a good thing or a bad thing but I'd bet at least 50% will miss the point and post about how shit faced they get on the first of February 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 1 hour ago, Bairnardo said: Tbf, I think you ought to point your ire at society for making the consumption of alcohol this big thing in the first place. That's the real issue. That having a drink, or not, has been made much greater than the sum if its parts in this country for as long as anyone alive can remember. One follows the other. Do you not think progress has been made in the last 20 years since you were a young adult? It’s nowhere near glamourised/normalised and dangled in front of todays youths like it was back then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy the Dug Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 4 minutes ago, throbber said: Do you not think progress has been made in the last 20 years since you were a young adult? It’s nowhere near glamourised/normalised and dangled in front of todays youths like it was back then. I read a report on Sky News yesterday that said almost one in four adults aged between 18 and 24 are either tee total or rarely drink at all. So I would be inclined to agree with you that massive changes have been made in the last 20 years. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bairnardo Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 7 minutes ago, throbber said: Do you not think progress has been made in the last 20 years since you were a young adult? It’s nowhere near glamourised/normalised and dangled in front of todays youths like it was back then. Yeah but in general attitudes towards drink in this country inflate it towards something it doesn't need to be. Progress has been made in the younger generation. Likely not so much in ours and older though. What's universally true though, is that social media is w**k. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 1 hour ago, throbber said: But you are not taking up a new hobby or embarking on any sort of difficult task you are just not consuming alcohol. Why would you need to feel part of anything for doing that? If you are wanting to knock the alcohol on the head why not just abstain from going out to the pub with mates until the month is over? I don’t know why other people have to come into the equation at all. Aye I think you're lacking in some insight as to the nature of addiction and underestimating how hardwired we are for connection. You're definitely underestimating how difficult folk find it to abstain from drink. Also, there are myriad examples of support groups for alcoholics, as well as stuff like weight watchers. Overeating, like alcohol over-consumption is a complex behaviour with deep and powerful roots. It's not enough just to decide that we're not going to drink as the roots of the behaviour are largely unconscious and are often responded to attachment wounds. It makes absolute sense that people would seek out fellowship when embarking on such an undertaking. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Alli Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Davy the Dug said: I read a report on Sky News yesterday that said almost one in four adults aged between 18 and 24 are either tee total or rarely drink at all. So I would be inclined to agree with you that massive changes have been made in the last 20 years. 18-24 year old are known for their honesty. Take cocaine as an example, never in my life (I'm 35) have I seen or been around so many folk 'on it'. I'll bet 90% of them never take it or rarely do. Edited January 5 by Derry Alli 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Just now, Davy the Dug said: I read a report on Sky News yesterday that said almost one in four adults aged between 18 and 24 are either tee total or rarely drink at all. So I would be inclined to agree with you that massive changes have been made in the last 20 years. I can quite believe it - i have also read things like people in that age group prefer spending time with their parents than going out etc. It’s down to a lot of factors I suppose, social media providing a wider variety of alternatives to getting pished and media outlets being more responsible for the way in which they portray alcohol consumption spring to mind for me. Also the rising costs in going out and the fact the 90’s are now a distant memory contribute just as much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy the Dug Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 1 minute ago, Derry Alli said: 18-24 year old are known for their honesty. Take cocaine as an example, never in my life (I'm 35) have I seen or been around so many folk 'on it'. I'll bet 90% of them never take it or rarely do. I don’t really see why you wouldn’t be honest about something like that at 18, I really do believe that the mindset of the Gen Z generation has changed. Never has there been more options for AF drinks when out socialising. 20 years ago when I was in this age category the main option to socialise with friends was the pub or clubbing. Now, you can go to a whole range of places, Top Golf, various mini golf places and that dart place that has recently opened (these are three I could just think of off the top of my head). Times have changed, and it’s only a good thing in my opinion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 I don’t think the 18-24 year olds that are being asked in these polls will have any reason to lie they are probably doing them anonymously. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbber Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 19 minutes ago, Bairnardo said: Yeah but in general attitudes towards drink in this country inflate it towards something it doesn't need to be. Progress has been made in the younger generation. Likely not so much in ours and older though. What's universally true though, is that social media is w**k. The younger generation not drinking might not even be down to any progress being made it could just be a societal shift. Maybe by time our kids are adults drinking will be cool as f**k again and people won’t want to use smart phones anymore. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Alli Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 10 minutes ago, throbber said: I don’t think the 18-24 year olds that are being asked in these polls will have any reason to lie they are probably doing them anonymously. Any time you go to the Dr, or did at that age - were you honest about how much you drunk? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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