# Drinking alone **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412 "2012-04-30T14:28:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/1 "2012-04-30T14:28:59Z")
While looking through the current thread about drugs ([this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=650114)), I noticed a couple comments and I started wondering. What are people’s thoughts on drinking alone and the stigma it seems to have attached to it? I’ve heard it said several times that drinking alone is a sign of alcoholism or of a social problem or some such, but I’ve never really seen the sense in this. I live alone and will have a beer or a glass of wine with dinner a few times a month (rarely having more than one drink and never drinking to get drunk) and that’s about the extent of my drinking aside from special occasions. The whole stigma about drinking alone strikes me as one of those things people who don’t drink would come up with (similar to the time I was told that you’re probably an alcoholic if “you convince yourself you like the taste of beer”.) How about you? Thoughs? Opinions? Experiences? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/2 "2012-04-30T14:31:37Z")
When they say “drinking alone”, they don’t mean drinking- they mean\* drankin\*’. Not the same. Having a glass or two with dinner by yourself is not the same as sitting down and getting drunk by yourself, the latter may indicate a problem. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/3 "2012-04-30T14:37:00Z")
One glass leads to another. What can I say? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/4 "2012-04-30T14:38:25Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > When they say “drinking alone”, they don’t mean drinking- they mean\* drankin\*'. Not the same. Having a glass or two with dinner by yourself is not the same as sitting down and getting drunk by yourself, the latter may indicate a problem. I’d generally agree with that, but I’ve heard the whole “drinking alone means you have a problem” thing in response to mentioning my own levels of drinking, as though having one beer over the course of a week makes me an alcoholic or something just because I was alone at the time. I’m wondering if anyone else has run into this interpretation or has any opinions or explanations. For example, the thread I referenced contains this (underlined by me, for emphasis): > [@Have you not been interested in drugs or tried them but not liked them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-not-been-interested-in-drugs-or-tried-them-but-not-liked-them/620397/14): > > I really like to drink, but getting drunk is something I consider a leisure time activity, and it’s hard to find the time to spend at the bar, then operating at half capacity the next day. I’m so sleep deprived most of the time that often turns into quarter capacity. Now here’s something interesting that occured to me while writing this, I’ve never had a drink by myself, always in the company of others. I even poured myself a drink at home one time and didn’t drink it. I suppose it’s just a pattern, but it doesn’t seem to make sense to drink alone. It’s pretty clear this is talking about “having a drink by myself” rather than “getting drunk by myself”. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/5 "2012-04-30T14:39:54Z")
I agree with Alice. I live alone and there is a bottle of wine sitting on the kitchen counter. A nice Shiraz as a matter of fact. I will probably drink a glass this evening while listening to the sounds of dusk next to my stream. Alone. I think that the social stigma against drinking alone has more to do with why alcoholics drink alone. They do because total dependence on alcohol leads to isolation from other people. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/6 "2012-04-30T14:52:07Z")
I have a liquor cabinet full of alcohol and a fridge full of beer, but just can’t drink by myself at home. The thought of drinking never even enters my mind when home alone. However, I can sit by myself at a bar, and drink expensively forever. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/7 "2012-04-30T15:09:55Z")
I sometimes drink alone. Usually with nobody else. You know when I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself. ---
**Author:** ![highrollinwooded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@highrollinwooded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highrollinwooded)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/8 "2012-04-30T15:27:18Z")
I drink alone, when my hubby doesn’t feel like drinking with me. I find it soothing to jam old music on Youtube and reminisce via Facebook and phone about good times growing up with my cousins, and more recent excusions with friends…this is just me… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/9 "2012-04-30T15:36:13Z")
> [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](#): > > I’d generally agree with that, but I’ve heard the whole “drinking alone means you have a problem” thing in response to mentioning my own levels of drinking, as though having one beer over the course of a week makes me an alcoholic or something just because I was alone at the time. > > I’m wondering if anyone else has run into this interpretation or has any opinions or explanations. > > For example, the thread I referenced contains this (underlined by me, for emphasis): > It’s pretty clear this is talking about “having a drink by myself” rather than “getting drunk by myself”. As I stated, I think it’s just a pattern for me. Drinking has always been a group experience. I’m not really into beer or wine, I primarily drink vodka straight, and it’s not the kind of thing where you have one to just relax a little, although I do often stop by a local establishment just to say hi to people, and I’ll have one drink just to be polite (to the owner). I think getting drunk alone may be more of a sign of a problem then just having a couple of beers or glasses of wine. But I’ve also known people with serious drinking problems who may not have been drinking alone, though there’s no way for me to know. ETA: I’d probably have just one or two drinks when I’m out more often, but I’m a little paranoid about getting pulled over. So going out to a restaurant, I might have one drink before dinner, but I won’t drink afterwards if I have to drive. That also cuts into my drinking because to get drunk I need to make sure I have a ride home. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/10 "2012-04-30T15:43:41Z")
So sitting on the porch and having a nice cold beer after I mow the lawn makes me an alcoholic? I guess I need to go tell every other guy on my block we all have a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/11 "2012-04-30T15:44:56Z")
There’s a whole, long laundry list of “you’re really an alcoholic” gotchas of which drinking alone is only one. I disregard every one of them. AFAIAC, the only mark of being an alcoholic is not being able to choose not to have a drink. We have a long history in the US, one which is heavily influenced by various religious groups, of stigmatizing the consumption of alcohol. These “signs of alcoholism” are specifically for the purpose of making you feel bad about drinking at all. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/12 "2012-04-30T15:54:03Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > We have a long history in the US, one which is heavily influenced by various religious groups, of stigmatizing the consumption of alcohol. These “signs of alcoholism” are specifically for the purpose of making you feel bad about drinking at all. Historically, most groups that have been against the consumption of alchohol sucked. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/13 "2012-04-30T15:56:04Z")
I never drink alone. That’s one of the many reasons I have dogs. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/14 "2012-04-30T16:04:12Z")
I only drink with friends, that’s why I drink alone. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/15 "2012-04-30T17:07:31Z")
It’s an inaccurate phrase for “drinking in secret” – which is \*much \*different. Who cares if you’re solo? But if you _have to be_ solo to drink your fill so as to keep others in the dark, that’s clearly problematic, and it’s a sure-fire sign that you need to consider taking that first important step to finding a solid drinking buddy. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/16 "2012-04-30T17:23:45Z")
I think its baloney. I think the more important factor is whether you get shit faced drunk or not, how often you do it, and can you quit/cutback/not do it when it shouldn’t be done for various reasons. If anything, I’d argue the person that only gets drunk with others has the bigger problem than the guy home alone watching wrastling all night. Why do they need to be liquored up to be around people they like and doing interesting things? Least the guy at home is probably doing cause he’s bored as crap (and knows getting drunk there isn’t likely to cause all sorts of possible problems). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/17 "2012-04-30T19:12:11Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I only drink with friends, that’s why I drink alone. Stop taking your schizophrenia meds, and you’ll be surrounded by friends. And if you really want a couple of beers, go out and get them. If you’re an introvert who still craves beer but doesn’t want to go through the effort, you’re a bad person. Go pretend to not want to be alone, like everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/18 "2012-04-30T19:40:54Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I think its baloney. I think the more important factor is whether you get shit faced drunk or not, how often you do it, and can you quit/cutback/not do it when it shouldn’t be done for various reasons. I’ve always said it’s important to distinguish between a drunk and an alcoholic. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/19 "2012-04-30T19:56:21Z")
When I drank I drank alone quite often. I would have a glass of wine when cooking in the evening and almost alway had wine or beer with meals, alone or not. I had to quite drinking a couple of months ago due to a medical condition not caused by drinking but for which drinking is contraindicated. I miss it a lot. I never got drunk, but it certainly was an enjoyable part of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412/20 "2012-04-30T20:01:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’ve always said it’s important to distinguish between a drunk and an alcoholic. _Low hanging fruit_ The difference is, alcoholics go to meetings! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-alone/620412.md?page=2)