I stopped drinking alcohol some years ago. Before that I hardly consumed any alcohol at all for many years, but in my college years and maybe some years after that, I drank socially like "everybody else". But I gradually kind of got tired of dealing with the bad feelings (physical and emotional), so I drank less and less.
And maybe because I drank less and less, even one beer often just made me feel kind of bad, so then I just stopped altogether. Anyway, I'm curious if this has happened to anyone else? And how do you go by it socially? What do you order at a bar? Maybe I'm a little afraid to go to places that has an "alcohol culture", even if there are some places I would like to go. I don't want to drink, but at the same time I don't want to appear weird about it either.
I don't drink any more for the same reasons. There's plenty of people who don't drink at all due to whatever choices like religion, health, etc.
If people ask I just say "nah I don't drink because of health complications" 99.9% of people don't push any further. I just order water or a soda if I'm feeling it. What im drinking isn't anyone's concern.
The weird part is thinking you're appearing weird. Literally noone cares. Go have fun.