Recently I was pondering on why I hate alcohol. I realised there were personal, societal and religious reasons for this hate and that they all stemmed from how much I love people and how much I hate the damage alcohol causes to individuals, families, organisations and society itself.
Personal
I hate alcohol because:
- When I used to drink alcohol, I turned into a completely different person – and I hated that person. I became loud, silly, often argumentative and sometimes even sexist.
- When I used to drink alcohol, I hated how I lost control of myself and gave in to having sex with men I hardly knew. I was even raped while I was under the influence of alcohol.
- Now that I no longer drink alcohol I hate the effect I can see, smell and feel that alcohol has on others. They become different people entirely and, although sometimes it can be funny watching others being as silly as I used to be, in reality it is not funny at all – it is very sad.
- I hate how alcohol detrimentally affects my relationship with my husband, whom I adore. I find it hard to be with him as he is not his normal gentle, tender self when he drinks alcohol. This affects my connection with him.
I love my alcohol free life now. It feels very different when I attend events – yes, even parties – where there is no alcohol. I had a gathering recently without alcohol and it was so joy-full being able to talk to people without the influence and interference of alcohol – everyone simply stayed themselves and so we had true and meaningful conversations and loving connections. Everyone said how much they had enjoyed it.
Similarly, with other gatherings or when I am with people where there is no alcohol present I have observed a much deeper level of conversation and discussions and everyone seems so much at ease with themselves and each other. I am therefore able to connect with people at a much deeper level and I love feeling their essence (who they truly are inside) and how we are all equal in our essence. Everything appears so simple and loving and time seems to slow down somehow.
Societal
I hate alcohol because:
- Alcohol is a big factor in why men and women are in prison, especially for violence charges. It is estimated that about 80-90% of crime occurs under the influence of alcohol and drugs or is committed to feed an addiction (1).
- Alcohol is a huge contributor to road accidents and the consequent clogging up of our hospitals and the endangering of others’ lives, including those of our medical personnel.
- Alcohol fuels domestic violence, which is largely against women and children – domestic violence is escalating in New Zealand, which has the worst rate of family and intimate-partner violence in the world, even though it is estimated 80% of incidents are not reported (2).
- Alcohol causes arguments, brawls and altercations, between friends, family members and strangers.
- Alcohol can be a big factor in marriage split-ups. It can cause financial strain and can lead to violence, bullying and neglect.
- Alcohol related issues cost the country one heck of a lot of money – would this money not be more wisely spent on health, education and reducing poverty?
- Alcohol causes many health issues including liver disease, heart disease and some cancers. The recent May 2018 expert report released by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research on the link between diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer found that there was strong evidence linking alcoholic drinks to an increased risk of breast, colorectal, stomach, mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophageal cancers (3). As such, not only do these health issues cause much pain, grief and stress to sufferers and their families, and their employees/employers, they are also a huge strain on our health system.
Imagine what our society would be like if we didn’t have alcohol?
Many families would have more money to spend on essentials such as food, power, clothes and rent, which could improve their quality of life. Not as many school children would go to school hungry or be poorly dressed for the cold weather. We would have way less people in prison, which would not only mean more money in the national and regional budgets available for health, education and reducing poverty, but would also mean way less men, women and children detrimentally affected by being in prison. Not as many women and children would be injured, maimed or killed through beating and not as many people would be subject to psychological, emotional and verbal abuse. We would feel safer in our homes and on our streets. Our emergency medical staff would not be subjected to abuse by drunk people in hospital emergency departments, and our health budget would not need to include the huge amounts set aside to treat alcohol-related illnesses and diseases. Our police would not be put in as much danger, nor would they have to deal daily with drunken people or with domestic violence – one call every five minutes in New Zealand (2).
Without alcohol we would have more chance of returning to being who we truly are, living to our potential and with solid purpose in our lives. Our relationships could improve immensely without the influence of alcohol because they would be based on truth and love, without the damage caused by alcohol. We may even be more kind and loving to all we meet and our organisations would be more caring as a result.
In short, our societies would be far more loving, kinder, equal and inclusive of all, and our lives far more joyful.
Religious
I hate alcohol because:
- Drinking wine as part of communion in many churches is a bastardisation of the life and teachings of Yeshua (Jesus). After Yeshua commenced his teachings he would not have drunk any substance that was poisonous for his body. He loved himself and all of humanity too much.
- Drinking wine as part of communion in many churches is a bastardisation of the Last Supper, which symbolised the letting go of food and drink which does not honour and support our bodies.
- Because some institutionalised religions sanction drinking and some sects even manufacture alcohol, it normalises and enables the drinking of alcohol by their congregations.
Now I’m not perfect, so sometimes some reaction creeps in when I think about alcohol. But mostly I hate alcohol because I love humanity so much and I hate to see and feel the huge harm caused by alcohol.
You often hear the old “moderation in all things” argument as an excuse to keep drinking alcohol, i.e. “I only have one or two drinks a day – where is the harm in that?” The harm is that alcohol, a substance that is poisonous to the human body and to societies, becomes ‘normal.’ Children see their parents and other adults drink alcohol, so they drink it when they grow up. Indeed, many people believe they cannot ‘celebrate’ major milestones without it and so there is often a lot of pressure on everyone to drink to “help them celebrate.” So many end up drinking alcohol, not because they want to or because they like the taste (remember your first taste of alcohol? Yuk!): more so to ‘be social’ or to ‘fit in’ or to be “one of the boys.”
But… would you give a baby even a ‘moderate’ amount of alcohol? If not, why not? Let’s be absolutely honest: we all know deep down that alcohol is harming us and harming our societies.
Is it not time that we de-normalised the drinking of alcohol? There will come a time when the harm caused by alcohol will no longer be sustainable. A future without any alcohol is coming – how about we bring that time forward?
By Anonymous
References:
- co.nz. (2018). Qualified addiction counsellors not wanted in NZ prisons | Pundit. [online] Available at: https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/qualified-addiction-counsellors-not-wanted-in-nz-prisons [Accessed 10 Aug. 2018].
- Leask, A. (2016). Family violence incidents increasing. [online] NZ Herald. Available at: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11674698 [Accessed 10 Aug. 2018].
- org. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.wcrf.org/sites/default/files/Summary-third-expert-report.pdf [Accessed 10 Aug. 2018].
Further Reading:
The Abuse of Alcohol – The True Harm
Giving up Alcohol
Shopper Dockets & Alcohol Abuse – Is There Such A Thing As Responsible Service Of Alcohol?
469 Comments
Alcohol is still seen by many as harmless yet this could not be further from the truth.
I agree with you that alcohol does so much damage not only to the person drinking it but to everyone else in the vicinity and the after effects are just as unpleasant. I had to walk away from someone who was still very hung over from a late night drinking session as they were very rude and aggressive which was un-called for. So I left them to sober up and when I saw them some hours later it was obvious they couldn’t remember how badly they had behaved. I feel that alcohol and humans just don’t mix it’s a deadly cocktail pun intended.
Alcohol does so much damage, I know as I used to drink loads. I stoped when I realised the harm mentally and physically it was causing. There is no safe amount of alcohol.
So many reasons to hate alcohol, and they are all so true.
I never enjoyed drinking alcohol, so it was not a big part of my life; and I had a loud and clear message to stop drinking in my early forties, if I had one drink I would lose my balance and co-ordination, a very weird feeling, a bit like getting off a big roller coaster ride when younger, so my body clearly told me no alcohol.
Yes, I remember some friends behaviour completely changing into someone whose behaviour I didn’t like, when they drank alcohol ‘When I used to drink alcohol, I turned into a completely different person – and I hated that person. I became loud, silly, often argumentative and sometimes even sexist.’
Awesome article! I also hate alcohol, for many of the same reasons you do. At least 3 generations of my family were afflicted by its detrimental effects. I’ve also watched my beloved friends and partners ‘turn into somebody else’, somebody that’s not who I know, and somebody I don’t want to be with. There’s always a way to heal – we don’t need to check out, anaesthetize ourselves with alcohol to avoid the truth. Truth may be tough love for a while, but in the end it’s the kindest and most loving thing: who we truly are (amazing beings); the truth of our responsibility and how we’ve walked away from it; the truth of the mess of society and the fact that we collectively created it.
One of the best decisions in my life was to stop drinking alcohol and my liver has thanked me deeply ever since.
When you combine alcohol with a person the result can have the result of breeding a donkey and a horse… you get a jackass.
I had spent a good portion of this life drinking. I did it responsibly most of the time if that is even possible to make that statement as it is, a perfect example of an oxymoron. When I had to quit drinking to eliminate it as a cause of a medical problem for six months, I found it was just a method to numb myself from life. It was 15 years ago I was asked to choose to stop drinking and never needed to restart.
Giving up alcohol was easy for me because it didn’t agree with me anyway and it wasn’t worth feeling ill for days afterwards. I could never understand how my friends could drink every day but still manage to function. Now I am glad that I couldn’t even though I did try my hardest, the body had the last say.
We dont hate alcohol as much as we avoid dealing with the tension of the disharmony in the world or not living the truth of who we are.
This is such an important topic, and one that many people have a responsibility to feel on their terms but also to be open to the energetic presentation of the possibility of what may also be taking place.
I was never a big drinker but still advocated people drinking, it’s not until later in life that I now see the harm people choose when they drink and how our relationships suffer.
The use of alcohol is one of humanity’s symptoms for avoiding feeling all that we do feel. With alcohol (like TV, food, arguments, blame, drugs, sex…) we have a brilliant (awful) tool to numb, cover up and avoid all that we feel. If and when we do feel what we feel, it is the beginning of emerging from behaviours and patterns into the richness and magic of life and all the learning it offers.
I had worked in prison for many years and still remember the young man that was bounced out of a club for being drunk and disorderly. He stewed on being kicked out and decided to return and have a go at the bouncer that ejected him. The young man took a swing at the doorman that just stepped back quickly to avoid his fist. But, in backing up, he tripped on the curb fell, hit his head and died. The young man was sentenced to pre-meditated murder because he had chosen to return and cause bodily harm. He was 19 at the time. In this incident, how many people and families were affected by just one person drinking?
Gosh, Steve that’s pretty full on, but sadly this kind of thing is not a rare occurrence. Whether it is bouncers on the door, domestic violence or increase in dysfunction, alcohol is clearly not good for us.
One tragic story like this should make us all stop and think and think about the consequences of drinking. It is so utterly crazy that we don’t give it a second thought and continue to allow the drinking of alcohol.
I hate how alcohol affects people and changes them so they don’t know who they are or what they are doin. It is completely destructive to relationships and gets people dependent on it. It has no positive effects, it may get people to feel better temporary but simply delays us looking at whatever is happening.
Yes, we are crazy human beings, we use our savings to poison ourselves, and at the same time frequently behave in atrocious ways whilst under the influence of alcohol.
I passionality hate alcohol too, after wasting many years of my life drinking and being wasted. I see other young people doing this too and its such a shame, when we each have so much to give drinking alcohol just stumps our evolution.
As much as I liked the taste and so called enjoyed drinking alcohol I had to come to the obvious conclusion that it did not agree with me and my body, based on how I felt after and during drinking it. I also had to come to the conclusion that when I was drinking I was not really being the real me which I did not like either so I decided to stop. I still go out to places where there is drinking and a lot of my friends and family still drink which is up to them and cool with me. I know it is just not for me.
It is interesting that we can convince our mind we like something. But, if we go back to the first time we had alcohol, how did our body’s react? Why are so many drinks laced with something sweet? Mary Poppins said; a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down. What are we medicating with alcohol?
It is strange how people who drink alcohol expect everyone else to do so too. We are all free to make our choices, but people who drink get uncomfortable when there are non drinkers in the same company. Therefore they know there’s something that isn’t working in their lives but often don’t want to look at it.
Love the wisdom and responsibility shown here. This approach could be applied to any activity or social pass-time. We could take a moment to reflect and ascertain with honesty what the impact is on ourself as well as on others – is it supportive and inspires us to live the depth of love, openness, joy and responsibility that is our true essence, or does it encourage the opposite? We might well be surprised by some of the answers.
Why I hate alcohol is that anyone that does drink alcohol has an expectation that everyone else should drink alcohol too.
It’s true, you become the odd one out. For years I was the designated driver because I was the only one who didn’t mind not drinking but I can tell you it was never fun taking the drunk friends home of an evening. Like a lot of things I didn’t particularly agree with, I did it anyway.
If we knew the multilayered ill effects of alcohol before it was introduced surely, we would not have done so. If it were discovered now, in today’s world, it would not pass our tests for substances safe for human consumption and yet we carry on with it being a huge part of our way of life. Just look at how many isles are dedicated to the sale of alcoholic drinks in a supermarket relative to the total. It’s become big business and a significant source of revenue for some governments due to taxation. It seems that to some there is more at stake than health. The reals reason that there is no change despite this is because there is a very large market for alcohol – society still wants it despite the ill effects because it is used for people to try to cope with life, to take the edge of, to remain numb, to escape and ultimately not be who the truly are.
The duplicity of our dishonesty is very well expressed here. Child protection and safeguarding, rightly so, is very high on the agenda, especially in schools and even with alcohol the age for purchasing it has been bumped up to twenty something in recognition that young teenagers would be purchasing it from supermarkets. But if we were truly concerned about our kids would we really be reflecting that poisoning our bodies is ok to numb the effects of our choices and allowing them to drink alcohol in the family home?
The US is now slowly decriminalising cannabis because it provides a new stream of taxation. It doesn’t matter that it is not good for our bodies, it is just the new alcohol. Why fight it when we can tax it? Can we also add Vaping to this list that only has one bad thing in it? But, it is too new to have historical evidence of what vaporised vegetable oil does to our lungs which is the carrier for the Nicotine, that is a class A poison and taxed.
Forty years ago the UK prison service began issuing TVs to all inmates to give them something to occupy their time. Doesn’t, watching the TV have the same effects as alcohol with it’s numbing effects? It allows us to escape in our minds the walls that hold our body’s.
There is so much pressure for everyone to drink alcohol – often to make others feel comfortable with a choice they know is not truly supporting their own bodies.
Alcohol has become our Siamese twin that we live with and complicated to remove. Now the world is slowly legalising cannabis, discovering the new tax cash cow it is that outweighs the harm it causes. Instead of fighting it, tax it, this is a win-win for them, but the body loses once again.
I remember thinking alcohol solved my problems because they went away temporarily, so I can fully understand when people are overwhelmed, they turn to a drink for some respite. It isn’t until we stop drinking completely that we realise what a false friend it is. It solves nothing, nothing changes until we address the issues.
You can tell when a substance is ingrained in the fabric of our society when you read that ‘over 90% of adults in the UK drink alcohol.’ It’s going to take some time before people would want to walk away from this one.
It is interesting how something is normalised when the majority of people partake in the activity. Drinking poison to check out or take the edge off our choices can never be normal.
Superb blog that is much needed today – let’s look at what is happening in the world from the impact of this liquid on our world and the lives of the people damaged by it
If the truth be known and if people were willing to look at the harm caused by the consumption of alcohol, I doubt there would be a man or woman standing who hasn’t witnessed the negative consequences to family relationships, either with their own or others.
Can we just ask ourselves the question why we normalise, accept and actively encourage the consumption of a known poison?
How often do we normalise not just alcohol but many others ways living in order to remain complacent and in total comfort.
It really is quite crazy how we can think its ok to drink alcohol despite the fact it is a listed poison!
What I Love about alcohol is that it has given me a sense of what it is like to be totally disconnected from my body and now days sugar and overly sweet things have the same affect on me so if I can easily see the virtues of non-drinking, which was relatively simple now this feeling of disconnection is transpiring across many other aspect of my life so it is now up to me to eliminate any thing that disconnects me. You have got to Love that.
Given the impact of alcohol on our global society, it’s understandable that we hate it. Just looking at the harm it causes, with physical, emotional and mental health, harming family life and making societies sick. How do we numb ourselves to it’s impact? We have to make our eyes and awareness shut down to not see it.
Hating alcohol feels strong but coming from being someone who said they loved alcohol like myself, to now hate alcohol feels very good. It doesn’t give alcohol an inch to manoeuvre and manoeuvre it would if allowed to. One of the best things I have ever said to myself is “never will another drop (of alcohol) pass these lips”. No need for AA, Just feel the harm and the poison in your body and you can never want it again.