Three weeks ago, I quit drinking. Like many people, I never thought about drinking. I used to drink just on weekends, then it crept into weekdays with once, or twice, during the week. Next, this became one or two after work; each working day. From what I’ve seen, and I discussed with some of my friends and some of my co-workers, I wasn’t alone in this routine.
Alcohol affects me strangely. Generally, alcohol magnifies my mood. If I am in a good mood, then I tend to get happier. If I am down, then it makes me feel bluer. Sometimes, I just go for the drunk mode – I never really mean to start this way, but it happens (not that it takes that many to get me there). I hate to admit this, but I am just being honest here.
A few months ago, I subbed non-beer (alcohol reduced) during the week and sometimes on weekends.
I started doing this in the hopes of losing some weight. This didn’t work. I neither gained, nor lost the weight.
Eventually, I opted just to give up drinking altogether. Which brings me to the reason for this post.
I don’t miss the drink itself, but I do miss how relaxed I felt in social situations. More so, how more relax I was in socializing in big crowds.
I am social in smaller groups, or one-on-one, but not so great with bigger crowds or strangers. I suspect I am not alone in this awkwardness.
I went to my work Holiday festivities recently, I did not enjoy myself as much. I stayed an hour. I may have stayed longer, but I did not enjoy the food options as the choices were few, and not appetizing as last year’s buffet choices.
Still watching others drink when one does not part-take is not fun. I think this will be another issue that will make my not drinking more difficult. I have friends who do the non-drinking thing and they still socialize, but I don’t know how they do this without giving in; I guess they just do. Anyway, I think if this non-drinking thing becomes permanent, then I will just have to learn to deal with this issue in some way, or another.
—Robert Confiant 11 December 2016
