Teetotalism: Significance and symbolism

This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. 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. There are several common origin stories, which I will report here along with some speculation as to the credibility to each one. I make no claims to knowing the exact origin of the word, and one or more of these stories may have some truth in them.

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• Teetotalism is defined as the practice or advocacy of complete abstinence from alcohol and its related products.
• 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.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, developed as a fellowship group for alcoholics seeking recovery through total abstinence.
• It is sometimes claimed that he put the “tee” at the beginning for the general reason described above, as emphasis.
• This approach is rooted in the belief that avoiding alcohol leads to better health and well-being.
• When at drinking establishments, teetotallers tend to consume non-alcoholic beverages such as water, juice, tea, coffee, non-alcoholic soft drinks, virgin drinks, mocktails, and alcohol-free beer.

Not drinking alcohol can improve liver function, reduce blood pressure, and decrease the risk of alcohol-related diseases. 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. 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.

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Also, some Hindu and Buddhist sects, and some Mennonite and Pentecostal groups. Methodists in English and American history often taught abstinence but rarely do that currently. In the Victorian era, many in both the Evangelical and Unitarian movements taught at least restraint, if not temperance and teetotalling.

Practice

Recovery might involve therapy, emotional support, and sometimes medications to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings. According to Jewell, “By constantly explaining the T was for Total, we were directly called the T-totalers, and this was the origin of the word five years before it was coined in England.” CTC does concede that the term may have been popularized in England, though. We’re here 24/7 to help you get the care you need to live life on your terms, without drugs or alcohol. Talk to our recovery specialists today and learn about our integrated treatment programs. Although “to teetotal” (t total, t-total) simply means “to never drink,” it meant something more specific when it first came to be used.

• More likely, teetotal was simply a misspelling of teetotal, which caused people to believe that it had something to do with tea.
• “We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine.”
• Recovery might involve therapy, emotional support, and sometimes medications to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
• Informal annual events such as “Dry January” or “Sober October” also encourage participants to abstain from alcohol and promote their abstinence on social media.
• A teetotaler is a person who abstains from consuming alcohol in all its devilishly delightful forms.
• That teetotal was a long-established Lancashire term was backed up by other contemporaries.

In other words, temperance began as a movement calling for abstinence from hard liquors like whiskey, rum, gin, etc. Wine, beer, and cider were often accepted and even recommended as a good substitute for hard spirits. Turner spoke of “signing the pledge.” Stories are also told that Temperance Societies would have people sign moderation pledges or total pledges. Those taking the total pledge would place a “T” after their name so that they became known as T-totalers, and later, teetotalers.

What Don’t Teetotalers Drink?

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. The idea that Turner made an impassioned speech on total abstinence after wandering into a meeting one day seems to be an invention. It is sometimes claimed that he put the “tee” at the beginning for the general reason described above, as emphasis. Still another claim is that Turner didn’t invent the word, but that it was an archaic word from the Lancashire dialect. At the beginning of the temperance movement, most temperance societies didn’t see anything wrong with wine, beer, or cider. Landmark Recovery was founded with a determination to make addiction treatment accessible for all.

Religious or Personal Beliefs

When at drinking establishments, teetotallers tend to consume non-alcoholic beverages such as water, juice, tea, coffee, non-alcoholic soft drinks, virgin drinks, mocktails, and alcohol-free beer. Some make this decision based on religious beliefs that forbid intoxicating substances. Others avoid alcohol due to a past history of substance misuse or to support a loved one’s recovery journey. It is not known exactly when, why, and where this movement first began, but most early histories do indeed seem to place the first “teetotal society” in Preston, in 1832. The Preston society did begin using a total abstinence pledge in 1832 and it did teetotalism meaning become known as the teetotal pledge.

Origin of “Hair of the Dog” for a Hangover Cure

The practice gained traction in a cultural climate that increasingly recognized the detrimental effects of alcohol on health and social behavior. Teetotalism often became intertwined with various social and political movements, advocating for broader reforms in drinking culture and public health. Over the years, it has evolved from being primarily a moral stance to more of a personal choice intertwined with wellness and lifestyle decisions. People believe the term “teetotal” originated in the 19th-century temperance movements in the UK and the US.