The basis of AA was the Twelve Steps program, which outlines the group’s principles and methods for recovery. Uniformed members of the Salvation Army (“soldiers” and “officers”) make a promise on joining the movement to observe lifelong abstinence from alcohol. This dates back to the early years of the organisation, and the missionary work among alcoholics. Some common reasons for choosing teetotalism are psychological, religious, health,14 medical, philosophical, social, political, past alcoholism, or simply preference. Your most memorable experiences will have very little to do with the amount of alcohol present. One thing I’ve learned since I quit drinking is that great times stand out more in my memory.
Teetotal Lifestyle
They recruited other people in their community, even non-alcoholics, and held regular meetings in which they shared their experiences with drinking and sobriety. Over time, the Washingtonians attracted as many as 600,000 members, with chapters throughout the United States. Notably, they welcomed many groups that other temperance societies excluded, including Roman Catholics and Black Americans. 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.
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. 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. Those who had signed the pledge were asked to use a T with their signature to mean “total abstinence.” The T plus the “total” led to those who’d signed the pledge being called T-totallers or teetotallers. 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.
I use meditation, breathing techniques, and exercise to alter my state of mind almost every day. There are also a number of supplements, herbs, and drugs that are much safer than alcohol. I remember not knowing whether it was possible for me to have fun without drinking. Instead, it seems more likely that it was an old term of a type known as a “republicate.” Republication means to repeat sounds in a word, or similar sounds, often as a means to emphasize them. Turner may have used the word teetotal often, helping it to become more widespread, or it may have already been in use by the temperance movement, and Turner helped to cement it. This is a list of notable figures who practiced teetotalism and were public advocates for temperance, teetotalism, or both.
Teetotaler: Why are People Who Don’t Drink Called This?
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. I’ll do my best to convey how much fun the alcohol-free lifestyle can be. If you’ve landed here because you want to quit drinking alcohol and you’re wary of being ostracized, you’re in the right place. But that still doesn’t mean that the term was not used in England and that it was not already a known word.
Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide
I used to work with number crunchers who happened to be extremely bland. 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. “We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine.” Hi Margie, there are lots of new alcohol-free beverages available these days! 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 Story of Richard “Dicky” Turner
- Instead, the word “teetotal” or “tee-total” appears in a great many publications from 1830 onward.
- From there, the term came to be used more generally, for anyone who voluntarily committed to abstinence, or simply for a nondrinker.
- Alcohol is available in bars and clubs in the United Arab Emirates, the federation of seven sheikhdoms that includes Dubai, but the Muslim country has a large population of teetotalers.
- 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.
It was encouraged among the working class, whereas moderation was more readily accepted among the upper classes, who could afford wine. 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. I make clear that this was my personal decision How to Get Sober and What to Expect and I don’t judge anyone who drinks.
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When at drinking establishments, 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. A person who abstains from alcohol might choose tea as his or her alternative beverage, but the word teetotaler has nothing to do with tea. 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. 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.
