If you and your partner need a reason to go out for drinks, then look no further. Because it turns out that even science agrees — couples who drink together, stay together. That's right — while it's true that in some cases, alcohol is the source of many a stupid and totally avoidable fight, in others it may actually help more than harm in the bonding department.
According to a study published in The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Series, your drinking habits might be an indicator of your relationship satisfaction. The study looked at 4,864 married people— who had been married for an average of a whopping 33 years— and found that couples who drank together had less "negative relationship quality" over time. how could they tell? They looked at how often each person drank, how much they drank, and also how demanding or critical they found their partners. And when both partners drank — or both partners abstained — there was less of the negative interaction between couples than when only one partner drank, Interestingly, the results were "significantly greater among wives", so drink up ladies!
Honestly, to me it sounds more like this is as much about compatibility as it is about drinking. Even though I don't drink and my partner does and we're both fine with that, it's easy to see if one partner was a heavy drinker and the other didn't drink at all how tensions could flare up.
Though, like I said, I'm a non-drinker and am happily living with my partner who drinks, so you shouldn't let it hold you back on the dating scene "There are virtually no challenges non-drinkers face when dating, unless you're someone who relies on alcohol for liquid courage," Thomas Edwards Jr., founder of The Professional Wingman, tells Bustle. "A true advantage for non-drinkers is their minds are always clear enough to make consistently great decisions."
But a study like this also sounds like a fun excuse for you and your partner to head out for some cocktails, so if you want to celebrate this scientific breakthrough than you should definitely go for it! You can see how drinking is a good bonding experience— allowing you to chill out and unwind together, and just getting a bit silly. Just make sure that you're staying on the same page about it. Because as the science shows, one of you drinking and the other not drinking might exacerbate any existing tensions. So make sure that your cheers-ing together!
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