17 years old and don't drink alcohol

Scoobydoo, I  would feel sick and be utterly exhaustedl for several days afterwarrds, partly hangover but also extreme fatigue from coping with the crowded clubs and pubs; loud music, bright lights and the sheer effort of constant masking. So not just the drink.

Ben

Several reasons why I don't drink.

1. I find it very difficult to even enter a pub or club due to anxiety.
2. At home I never buy alcohol to bring home because of the cost, I prefer fruit juice, Lucozade or bottled spring water, tea coffee.

Well I like alcohol, but only on my own terms. I have a glass of decent wine with my evening meal, but don't like drinking more than that.

So if out, I prefer apple juices and the like, in summer, maybe an alcohol-free beer or shandy. Or lemon juice.

Remember, it's now said to be carcinogenic. I've noticed it's sometimes frowned upon not to join in with heavy boozing, but I'm surprised there aren't places near you that try to buck the trend. I don't know where you are based though 

It’s for the best really, I used to drink like a camel, to keep up with my ‘friends’ at university. 
To drink for the sake of peer pressure is to forget the face those who brought you up rightly.
I followed my own advice and became anybody's fool.. it’s probably for the best that you don’t drink.

I don’t drink any alcohol, I haven’t done for many years , I’m 49 now. it’s kind of okay to ask for tea or coffee in bars nowadays, at least it is in Bristol. 

what was it that you didn't like when you was drinking alcohol? 

autileaf

I drank for while when I was in my early-twenties because everyone else did and I wanted to fit in.  I hated it so much that I had stopped by my mid-twenties.

I'm now an OAP and haven't had alcohol for over forty years.  Yay!!

Ben

my one irl friend who doesn’t drink is the only person that I feel I can have a proper catch up with haha. Would be good to have other friends who don’t drink :) 

I agree, there are various reasons why I don’t drink and I don’t feel like I should have to explain it to people. I don’t know why people can’t just accept these differences that don’t really matter. 

had to search up what teetotal meant haha but yes that is a good idea :). wouldn't be in the present as i'm currently still at school but when i turn 18 yes

If you and Autileaf are from the same neck of the woods then you could meet up for a catch up since you are both teetotal.  I think that friends should accept each other for who they are.  

thank you for your reply. i'm sorry that you feel like that :(. you're not an outcast here. 

I’m 20 and never drink. I don’t even like going in pubs and having a soft drink. I’m always the odd one out and people do think it’s weird. I don’t care, I always felt that I didn’t want to drink when I didn’t want to, just because everyone else does. I do feel like an outcast at uni because of not drinking, it’s awfully unfair that it’s the common view that people who don’t drink are weird. I guess my advice is to do things that you do like doing instead and keep yourself busy. Most of the time I focus on keeping busy in the day and then later on at night when people are drinking, that’s my downtime. I know it’s unfair, but unfortunately it’s hard to change peoples minds about it. 

Alcohol is popular because it reduces social inhibition so it can make it easier for a group of people to feel 'partyish' and relax around each other. But you don't have to drink excessively, or at all :)  I know people at my uni who are popular/sociable and don't drink. People are usually preoccupied with they are drinking and don't pay much attention to what you are drinking.

i think its because alcohol eases social anxiety and gets people talking more, which helps with social situations and gets groups of people talking to one another easier in ways which they wouldnt without the influence of alcohol.

thank you

It does seem the norm to want to drink alcohol, or ‘get wasted’. I don’t see the point. I hated it as a young adult, and barely drunk. Of course I tried a few things, and didn’t enjoy the upset stomach, headache or hangover (even though I only had 1-2 drinks).

I can feel the alcohol run through my body as soon as I’ve drunk some.
I’m 48 now. I know what I can tolerate, and also what I enjoy, thought it’s still rare for me to have a drink. When I do, I savour it. A glass is suffice. And it last for ages.

This may be appealing as I know you like researching autism anyway.

Find a social group you feel safe enough with to unmask. When you search for universities to attend, you could specifically look for societies for autistic/neurodivergent people. 

The University of East Anglia has a society run by and for autistic students:

https://www.uea.su/opportunities/society/autismsociety/

I hope this is helpful. 

thank you!