I found it hard to cut back on alcohol at first - not because of the alcohol itself, but because of the stigma around not drinking.
There were two sides to it….
The first was people assuming I’d been to rehab, detox or labelling me an alcoholic because I no longer drank. This often came with a sense of pity, feeling sorry for me and “poor you”.
When I explained that I wasn’t drinking because alcohol was making me anxious, less productive, I was becoming more health conscious, wanted to focus on the gym, pick up my camera more and ultimately, be happier…
The same persons reaction would change swiftly from a sense of pity to the suggestion I had a superiority complex and that I thought I was better than them.
Through working in alcohol treatment and being a non-drinker, people tend to understand when someone has to stop drinking because they’ve accessed rehab / detox.
But when someone says they stopped as a proactive way to improve their mental health, wellbeing or overall quality of life…. it can be interpreted as a judgement on everyone who still drinks.
And this tension doesn’t really exist anywhere else…
If someone joins a gym we don’t automatically assume they’ve been diagnosed with a disorder that means they have to exercise, or that they have a superiority complex. We generally accept that they probably want to feel healthier, stronger or happier.
When someone quits smoking we see it as a positive health decision and don’t automatically assume they judge people who smoke.
We’ve come a long way over the past decade in building social proof around not drinking, and for many young people (especially Gen Z) alcohol non-use no longer automatically carries the assumption that you’ve been to rehab or detox.
How long will it take for that same shift in perception to become normal across older generations, or has it already?
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