[ekudamram]

I have been on antidepressants since October, and decided that I was going to cut out alcohol completely while on them. I have spoken to my GP regularly, and he told me that although it says to avoid alcohol while taking them, that occasionally having a drink will not send me into a spiral of deep depression (slight paraphrase) but are there any benefits to not drinking?

Is anyone here a teetotaller?

I'd like to talk to others who are in a similar position, or those who drink giving their views

I have no objection to those who drink, so please, if you think this is a 'oh look at me, I don't drink I think I'm better than you' thread, it's really not

[rainbow.panda]

I don't drink either, not for medical or religious reasons, just personal preference. Alcohol has never really appealed to me, it tastes downright awful and I'm always afraid of getting sick from it so I don't touch it. My family is determined to get me drinking before uni though, it's annoying because it seems like they don't respect my decision. Oh well, I may just have to compromise and try it out.

Not drinking means you'll never wake up with a hangover, you'll always remember exactly what you did the night before and no embarrassing photos of you will end up on the internet!

[Mr.Zen]

I used to smoke and drink, and have given up both recently. I feel, and look better since I have stopped. My skin is clearer, and, I just feel healthier. Obviously, I don't look down on people who smoke/drink but I do feel that not doing either is better than doing it. At the end of the day, do you. Try what you want, and if it suits you, do it. If you're not particularly keen, then don't do it. And don't give into peer pressure either, it's hard not to but you can do it.

[marsman13]

I would say without putting a long silly paragraph.....just have a balance, too much is of course bad just have some and you will be okay. Enjoy life man you only have ONE TO LIVE!

[TheRustaman]

(Original post by rainbow.panda)
I don't drink either, not for medical or religious reasons, just personal preference. Alcohol has never really appealed to me, it tastes downright awful and I'm always afraid of getting sick from it so I don't touch it. My family is determined to get me drinking before uni though, it's annoying because it seems like they don't respect my decision. Oh well, I may just have to compromise and try it out.

Not drinking means you'll never wake up with a hangover, you'll always remember exactly what you did the night before and no embarrassing photos of you will end up on the internet!

Alcohol is not confined to one taste, so saying all alcohol tastes awful is a nonsensical statement.

Drinking in moderation is fine. I agree that making yourself vulnerable to embarrassing actions is more likely, but that depends on your maturity.

[SnoochToTheBooch]

I don't really think anything about this...

[walterwhite123]

(Original post by TheRustaman)
Alcohol is not confined to one taste, so saying all alcohol tastes awful is a nonsensical statement.

Drinking in moderation is fine. I agree that making yourself vulnerable to embarrassing actions is more likely, but that depends on your maturity.

Agreed. Some alcohol (flavoured cider etc) doesn't even taste like it's got any booze in it.

[walterwhite123]

I've been on anti-depressants for a long time but still drink. Alcohol is a depressant so I wouldn't go overboard but it's worked ok for me.

[barkyface]

I stopped drinking while taking anti-depressants. I only take them over winter, but I found that I prefer life without a drink. I have more fun while I'm sober. I stopped drinking in October and had one night of alcohol since, which just bored me!

[SparksInTheSky]

I don't drink because of the taste - often I would like to though. Advantages? No hangover, no risk of doing something incredibly stupid and regretting it later. And honestly, when I see drunk friends rolling around on the floor or having incoherent conversations, it does make me wonder at the state of the world.

It is possible to have fun too - you can still go out, lose yourself and enjoy yourself. You can probably pretend to be drunk too, acting super crazy, but you don't have the hangover!

Though there's nothing wrong with drinking so if you want to and the GP says its ok?

(Original post by TheRustaman)
Alcohol is not confined to one taste, so saying all alcohol tastes awful is a nonsensical statement.

It may not all taste the same, but it all tastes awful to me! (apart from with mixers)

[willbee]

What about Alcopops? If you like fizzy drinks then there will be alcohol versions that you'd like... Kopparburg? Cheeky VK?

I personally like drinking as it relaxes me, but I can completely respect someone who isn't drinking. I think the problem for teetotal people I know is that if they go out they very often get saddled with looking after whoever got hammered / started crying / had a drunken domestic with their bf / went to hospital / etc. Generally I don't go clubbing with my teetotal friends; if they're coming out we go to a pub for a bit until the pub is closing then we move to clubs and they tend to go home. I only know one girl who doesn't drink but still likes clubbing. I think you need to be a bit intoxicated to enjoy clubbing at our local places because if you're not drinking you realise how grim it actually is and that can be a bit depressing... :-/

For me, clubbing is a big part of socialising, and drinking is part of that too. It's just what most of my friends do for fun. If you're teetotal though, there are loads of other things you can do: join a local sports club, drama group, whatever. The benefit to using these sorts of activities for fun and social stuff is that all the enjoyment comes from you, what you're doing and who you're with - you're not getting happy just because you've pumped your body with alcohol. Besides, these sorts of things normally see you improve at something or put on a show or whatever and you wouldn't get that sense of achievement from a night out. I know you probably have hobbies and that already, but a lot of people quit doing that sort of thing as they get older... It's good to enjoy a night out every now and again, but just reminding you if you are going teetotal; there's loads of other ways to have fun with your mates.

[walterwhite123]

(Original post by SparksInTheSky)
I don't drink because of the taste - often I would like to though. Advantages? No hangover, no risk of doing something incredibly stupid and regretting it later. And honestly, when I see drunk friends rolling around on the floor or having incoherent conversations, it does make me wonder at the state of the world.

It is possible to have fun too - you can still go out, lose yourself and enjoy yourself. You can probably pretend to be drunk too, acting super crazy, but you don't have the hangover!

Though there's nothing wrong with drinking so if you want to and the GP says its ok?



It may not all taste the same, but it all tastes awful to me! (apart from with mixers)

Alcohol doesn't have a taste necessarily though. Drink a Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime and tell me it tastes of alcohol.

[andrew_c]

I dont really drink much but i perfer alco pops.

[Kolya]

(Original post by SparksInTheSky)
no risk of doing something incredibly stupid and regretting it later.

Experience tells me it's perfectly possible to do incredibly stupid things without having drunk a drop of alcohol.

[py0alb]

There is a t-t-t-t-total society if you search for it. Feel sorry for ya though.

[Steezy]

I go for periods of not drinking. For example, my exams are in a month's time, I haven't drunk for a month & won't drink until after my exams. I like these periods as it keeps my mind clear, makes me feel healthier & more energetic. I also like drinking though, when I have a clear conscience and can go out with friends to enjoy myself.

Everything in moderation I say

[SparksInTheSky]

(Original post by Kolya)
Experience tells me it's perfectly possible to do incredibly stupid things without having drunk a drop of alcohol.

Haha that is very true. I was actually think of seriously stupid/mildly dangerous stuff though, like going to a club and ending up in bed with someone. Of course this will never happen to most people who drink, but I find it hard to believe that it could happen to someone who was sober, unless of course they wanted it.

[forgetamine]

I hardly ever drink alcohol and I could easily live without it. I'm quite embarrassing when I'm drunk and I can't handle alcohol very well. I get really bad hangovers even if I only have a little bit, I'll have a really bad headache the next day and I'll throw up all day. It's really not worth it..
I used to drink a lot a couple of years ago and it was fun but now I'm not interested in drinking anymore. I smoke weed and do other drugs that give me a better feeling than alcohol does and I don't get hangovers.

[Frey]

(Original post by ekudamram)
I have been on antidepressants since October, and decided that I was going to cut out alcohol completely while on them. I have spoken to my GP regularly, and he told me that although it says to avoid alcohol while taking them, that occasionally having a drink will not send me into a spiral of deep depression (slight paraphrase) but are there any benefits to not drinking?

Is anyone here a teetotaller?

I'd like to talk to others who are in a similar position, or those who drink giving their views

I have no objection to those who drink, so please, if you think this is a 'oh look at me, I don't drink I think I'm better than you' thread, it's really not

Like most things, take it all in moderation.

Your GP is right in saying that here and there is ok, but just remember, alcohol is a depressant drug too. If you are being put on anti-depressants, it may mean that the effect of alcohol (mentally in some ways) could cause more problems for you.

Bottom line is, although it can be enjoyable, it is literally a poison. You will feel much more awakened and refreshed during a morning when you have not been drinking alcohol the night before, it can harm your liver, can lead to premature aging and can make you overweight. So basically in the long term you could end up with a generally more healthy (both inside and out) you. Plus alcohol is expensive (or at least in the UK), think of all the other things you could spend it on. I like a nice cool cider/ bucks fizz, here and then, but it's not what makes/breaks my day, and if someone told me I couldn't have alcohol again or I'd die, I would happily go without it.

Like I said before, of course you'd be better (just like anyone else) being completely without it, but drinking it now and again isn't going to have serious serious health problem, unless you're unlucky. My main worry would be it affecting your mood/pills.

take care and good luck

[Kolya]

(Original post by Frey)
Like I said before, of course you'd be better (just like anyone else) being completely without it

While the OP's case is different because he is taking antidepressents, I really don't see why you say everybody would be better would it, not least because moderate consumption reduces cardiovascular and general mortality: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/121/17/1951.full