Nerd Church - How To Not Be a Jerk To Non-Drinking Guests

It's December - and nearly Christmas. 

This is the time of year that's traditionally filled with party-goers, many of whom will be drinking. But not all.

As a member of the non-drinking group for the last several years, I can tell you that these reactions are fairly typical:

• "But... WHY?!"
• *Stares at me for at least a minute without blinking*
• "I could NEVER do that!"
• "Oh come on, have some fun!"
• "Are you SURE?"
• "Are you like *takes step backwards* religious or something?"

I don't drink because I'm not supposed to on my anti-depressants.

Oddly enough, I don't always want to go through the history of my mental health problems with a friend-of-a-friend that I just met. Particularly if they're already acting like a douche.

There are many reasons people might not want to drink alcohol, including, but not limited to:

• Not wanting to mix their meds with alcohol (Hi!)
• They don't drink for religious reasons - and no, this isn't weird.
• They're a teetotal alcoholic.
• They're driving home AND DRINK-DRIVING IS BAD!!!
• They already feel a bit sick - do you really want to add alcohol to that mix?!
• Everyone else is drunk - someone has to take care of your friends *sigh*
• They don't feel safe in this bar/next to this creepy dude/with you (don't take it personally, they don't know you that well.)
• They just don't feel like it - AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.

So, what do you do with one of these weird non-drinking people like me?

Well, when you ask them if they want a drink, and they say no, this is what you do:

• You say, 'OK, do you want a Diet Coke/water/lemonade/whatever instead?'
• You don't ask them if they want alcohol again unless they indicate they do - asking someone who's already declined just makes it feel like you're pressuring them.
• You don't ask why. If they wanna tell you, they will. That's THEIR business, not yours.

And that's it! It's not rocket science. IT'S JUST NOT ACTING LIKE A JERK. Simple.

Go forth and be polite and compassionate my nerdlets!!!!

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Related Reading:

• Nerd Church - 6 Tips For Staying Productive While Feeling Cruddy

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• Nerd Church - Recovery...?