People who choose not to drink alcohol are often afraid they will “lose” all their friends, according to one teetotaller.
Marian Keyes recently shared after three decades of sobriety that she was initially fearful she would be left with no friends is she gave up alcohol.
“I used alcohol to make me not shy or make me not self-conscious,” she said.
Writer and broadcaster Keith Walsh said Ms Keyes often discusses her relationship with sobriety – and people are curious every time.
“I used to think Irish people were negative towards non-drinkers – I think they’re just really intrigued,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
“But it’s the fear if I give up the ooze, am I going to lose all my friends and be on my own?
“That's how we’ve always had fun, I don’t want to say it was our medicine, but it got us through tough times.”
People should take more seriously their fears about giving up alcohol, even if they think it’s just a part of socialising.
Mr Walsh, who gave up drinking alcohol in 2020, said a lot of people “lean on booze”, especially if they have mental health issues.
“If you get to the end of the week or you’re going through some tough times, it’s a medication,” he said.
“You can get it at the shop, and you don’t need to go to the doctor, and it might just get you through the night.
“I would never say to someone struggling to give up the booze.
“I would say go see a doctor, a therapist and then maybe see about giving up the booze.”
Reliance on alcohol
There's a difference, according to Mr Walsh, between taking a break from alcohol as a casual drinker and someone who is more dependent on drinking.
“If you're a casual drinker, it’s okay to give up for a few weekends or totally, but if you're drinking because you feel like you need it, you possibly do,” he said.
“That’s something to look at - don't take that likely, take it as a sign.”
New research from Drink Aware found that per capita alcohol use in Ireland in 2023 was 9.9 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 years and over, a 2.9% decrease from 2022.
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