You can navigate the social dilemmas posed by not drinking in a culture obsessed with alcohol. Most importantly, you may just discover some new ways to enhance your personality and your health. While I’m totally in favor of going sober, I’m not one to preach against mind alteration.
It’s a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
Their idea of a good time was to go out to go to a club and finish a few bottles of vodka while barely talking to each other. Although “to teetotal” (t total, t-total) simply means “to never drink,” it meant something more specific when it first came to be used. I was certainly not under the influence of strong drink, for I was then, as I have been for forty-nine years, a teetotaler.
Where Does the Word ‘Teetotaler’ Come From? And More Questions From Our Readers
Teetotalism, the practice or promotion of total abstinence from alcoholic drinks. It became popular as part of the temperance movement in the early 19th century in Great Britain and North America. Unlike temperance advocates, who promoted moderation in alcohol consumption or abstention solely from hard liquor (distilled spirits), people who practice teetotalism, known as teetotalers, abstain from all alcohol, including beer and wine. Some common reasons for choosing teetotalism are psychological, religious, health,[12] medical, philosophical, social, political, past alcoholism, or simply preference. When at drinking establishments, teetotalers (or teetotallers) either abstain from drinking totally or consume non-alcoholic beverages such as water, juice, tea, coffee, non-alcoholic soft drinks, virgin drinks, mocktails, and alcohol-free beer.
Dictionary Entries Near teetotaler
It wasn’t that I needed alcohol, it was that my body wanted sugar, didn’t have enough magnesium to feel relaxed, didn’t get enough sunlight (vitamin D), and my brain didn’t produce enough serotonin and dopamine. At a wedding only a few months after I quit drinking, it was tough for me to sit there feeling mildly subpar while my friends laughed over shots. This moment soon passed though, and I had a great time at the rest of the wedding because I was with great people.
Women formed their own Washingtonian chapters, Martha Washington societies, and called themselves “Marthas.” By the late 1840s, most Washingtonian chapters had stopped meeting owing to declining membership. Teetotalers in the 19th century who belonged to temperance societies typically signed a pledge promising to abstain from alcohol. Research has shown that there is cannabis marijuana drugfacts national institute on drug abuse nida no safe level of alcohol consumption. Some studies have found that moderate drinkers outlive teetotalers, but these did not account for the fact that many heavy drinkers quit drinking too late and then die early. Also, some people who seem boring at first are simply reluctant to open up. Try to see this as a challenge you can solve rather than an intractable problem.
teetotalism
Read on if you want to know what it takes to navigate modern society without drinking AND without sacrificing your fun, independence, and dignity. Not only did I refuse to sacrifice my social life, but I’ve had more fun these past three years than I ever did as a drinker. Unlike many sober people, who see alcohol as a mischievous devil permanently perched vanderburgh house on their shoulders, I see alcohol as a moot substance. I drank way too much for a decade before quitting about three years ago. From there, the term came to be used more generally, for anyone who voluntarily committed to abstinence, or simply for a nondrinker. A friend of his had been dining with a man who was both a teetotaler and a non-smoker.
I make clear that this was my personal decision and I don’t judge anyone who drinks. 99% of people will respect you if you’ve given up alcohol because you once had a problem, as long as you don’t preach about it. In reality, it makes drinkers self-satisfied and easily entertained by boring things. This is not an ideal state of mind for special occasions, which are best spent with people whom you find genuinely uplifting and interesting. The only total solution is to take total control of your life so that you don’t have to spend your leisure time with people who aren’t worth your time.
- Teetotal and teetotaler first appeared with their current meanings in 1834, eight years after the formation of the American Temperance Society.
- Another quite silly, origin claim is that the “tee” started as “tea” and referred to drinking tea (or other beverages) instead of alcohol.
- In the 19th century, the Preston Temperance Society in England and, later, the American Temperance Union encouraged a pledge of abstinence from intoxicating liquor, as part of the temperance movement.
- However, Dr. F. R. Lees says that Turner did not coin the term, but only applied it.
- Instead, Turner was induced to sign the pledge and then later became a well-known temperance advocate and speaker, who probably made many impassioned speeches.
A reinterpretation of temperance total may have contributed to its linguistic origin and development. “We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, port, wine, or ardent spirits, except as medicine. Assembly of God, Baha’i, Christian Science, Islam, Jainism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS. also known as the Mormon Church), Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Christ, Sikhism, Salvation Army. Also, some Hindu and Buddhist sects, and some Mennonite and Pentecostal groups.
At restaurants, teetotalers either abstain from drinking or only drink non-alcoholic beverages. It might include water, juice, coffee, tea, non-alcoholic soft drinks, mocktails, and non-alcoholic beer. Welcome to my free guide for new or experienced teetotalers and having fun without alcohol. The benefits of becoming a non-drinker are too numerous to list, and life without alcohol is a matter of mindset.
Informal annual events such as “Dry January” or “Sober October” also encourage participants to abstain from alcohol and promote their abstinence on social media. Members of temperance organizations sang songs, organized marches to shut down saloons or pass prohibition laws, circulated pamphlets about the cause, and gave speeches on the moral problems caused by drinking. Teetotalism was embraced by some religious groups and moral reformers as the answer to the problems of poverty, unemployment or work absenteeism, declining church attendance, crime, and domestic violence. It was encouraged among the working class, whereas moderation was more readily accepted among the upper classes, who could afford wine.
Opinions changed, and one reason for this was that it became known that non-spirituous liquors did indeed contain alcohol, only at a lesser volume. You could get drunk on any of it, and so you have to abstain from all of it. If such a term had been coined by one man during one speech, then we could not expect to see it appearing much in print in the years directly following its coinage. The temperance movement still exists in many parts of the world but has less political influence than in the 19th and 20th centuries.
There are numerous reasons why a person might choose to become a teetotaler. They can include health and medical concerns, family or social influences, philosophical or political ideologies, past alcoholism, and religious beliefs. To be clear, I don’t make any excuses for why I don’t drink – unless I’m temporarily trapped with a belligerent drunk, which has happened once in three years. I simply say that I used to drink too much, so I quit, and now my life is much more enjoyable.
More likely, the “tee” that begins the word teetotal is a reduplication of the letter “t” that begins total, emphasizing that one has pledged total abstinence. Teetotal and teetotaler first appeared with their current meanings in 1834, eight years after the formation of the American Temperance Society. But that still doesn’t mean that the term was not used in England and that it was not already a known word. People often invent origin tales of this sort when somewhat archaic words are used, and then a similarity is noticed, such as the “T” meaning total and total abstinence pledgers being known as teetotalers. Whereas many temperance groups lobbied for prohibition, the Washington Temperance Society, whose members were known as the Washingtonians, emphasized individual reform over societal reform. The fellowship group for reformed alcoholics was founded in 1840 in Baltimore, Maryland, by six men seeking to help one another and others to maintain their sobriety.
In history, women becoming teetotallers was often an expression of religious values, or was based on general social reform principles. In the modern world, some women become teetotallers for such reasons, and others because of a past history of alcoholism or alcohol abuse. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘teetotaler.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
That teetotal was a long-established Lancashire term was backed up by other contemporaries. “Khamr” is the word for all intoxicants that Islam prohibits, and Hinduism and Sikhism also require abstinence from alcohol. People’s religious beliefs may influence their decision to be teetotal. The teetotalism movement began in Preston, England, in the early 19th century. My alcohol cravings went away because I tackled my nutrition proactively. I also ramped up my workouts until my physique became a point of pride.
For those of us who enjoy an alcoholic beverage, it’s best to keep in mind that most activities in moderation aren’t harmful. This includes heading out to a restaurant or bar for a night of drinking. I also remind myself that alcohol doesn’t have a monopoly on mind alteration. If you’re anxious, tired, or depressed, look into nutritional supplements that can repair your physiology. If you still can’t seem to feel your best without alcohol, don’t give up! Something on the list in the previous section, or elsewhere on this website, may be able to help you.
I sometimes bring my own because I get them online and they’re not yet in bars or restaurants. Dram Apothecary CBD sparkling water (their Beauty Bubbles are great) and Curious Elixirs (I get them shipped monthly) are great ones to start out with. The information we provide while responding to comments is not intended to provide and mdma ecstasy molly drug withdrawal symptoms: what you may experience does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The responses to comments on fitrecovery.com are designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition. Below is a list of mood-enhancing substances that are safer than alcohol.
Stephen Morley was the editor of the “Mowbray Phoenix,” a teetotaler, a vegetarian, a believer in moral force. In Dublin, the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart (Pioneers) was founded in 1898 by another priest, James Cullen. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.