Discussion Drinking

[Cyc]

Anyone else drink alcohol? Why or why not? Whats your favourite drink? For me it's vodka with lemonade, I can never say no

 

[Blackthorne]

I used to. Why? Because it's fun of course. Dry red wine, Scottish whisky (single malt) and the occasional dark special beer. Now I can't anymore which pretty much sucked the joy out of my life.

I wasn't even a heavy drinker: only when I met up with friends did I drink and then way less than when I was younger.

Then again if the cardiologist who diagnosed me (an intern no less, not even a real specialist yet) is to be believed alcohol is basically pure poison. She actually had the nerve to imply my illness was my own fault... Funny since no-one explained to me the risks of drinking alcohol even in moderation and back in the day the medical opinion was that a few glasses of red wine was actually healthy.

 

[Cyc]

Aw I'm sorry to hear that. I only drink with my friends, it's pretty much the only way I socialise irl these days. I don't really like wine and with beer I only like a couple brands

I used to rely a lot on alcohol as it was one of the very few things that made me happy. I stopped drinking as much though because a couple of my friends became concerned for me

I think there's more awareness around drinking now, I've noticed less people drink now. It's still quite normalised here in the UK tho

 

[a65b]

Anyone else drink alcohol? Why or why not? Whats your favourite drink? For me it's vodka with lemonade, I can never say no

i love vodka with lemonade too! but sometimes i just drink it straight when i dont care about taste and just want to numb myself

 

[Cyc]

i love vodka with lemonade too! but sometimes i just drink it straight when i dont care about taste and just want to numb myself

I used to do that but now I can't drink vodka neat anymore :/ my tastes have changed

 

[Pluto]

 

[Alpacachino]

Yeah, I drank a lot for a short period of time. Funny how it crept up on me. Because my entire life I can count the number of times I had drunk alcohol and it was always socially. I never had a problem before, but this time I tried using alcohol as some sort of numbing agent for something that happened in my life.Not a good idea.

Didn't like myself on it. So I gave it up.

 

[a65b]

I used to do that but now I can't drink vodka neat anymore :/ my tastes have changed

immeadiatly eating something salty after gulping the vodka makes it tollerable imo

 

[Cyc]

Yeah, I drank a lot for a short period of time. Funny how it crept up on me. Because my entire life I can count the number of times I had drunk alcohol and it was always socially. I never had a problem before, but this time I tried using alcohol as some sort of numbing agent for something that happened in my life.Not a good idea.

Didn't like myself on it. So I gave it up.

I've been there before. Using it as a coping strategy fucks you up

 

[Blackthorne]

Aw I'm sorry to hear that. I only drink with my friends, it's pretty much the only way I socialise irl these days. I don't really like wine and with beer I only like a couple brands

I used to rely a lot on alcohol as it was one of the very few things that made me happy. I stopped drinking as much though because a couple of my friends became concerned for me

I think there's more awareness around drinking now, I've noticed less people drink now. It's still quite normalised here in the UK tho

Thanks. I've had over 20 years and quite some fun with alcohol so I shouldn't complain. My life as a student basically centered around it. My then best friend took it upon himself to 'teach' me how to drink and we ended up downing a bottle of wine and a bottle of vodka mixed with energy drink every Friday or Saturday. Looking back probably not the best choice but then again we were young and foolish.

I did read the younger generation is wiser when it comes to alcohol: good for you. We simply didn't know any better. Just like the generation before us thought smoking was harmless.

For me alcohol use was always social. Thankfully I never did use it to cope with unpleasant feelings or situations.

I believe drinking to feel happy can lead to dependency so your friends were probably on to something. Smart decision Cyc. Alcohol can't replace human contact and genuine happiness but it can enhance already pleasant situations. Like a good meal, good music and pleasant conversation with a friend. Which is how I did it the last 15 years or so. Not even every weekend. I have other risk factors like a thyroid disorder and hypertension so I doubt drinking is what caused my medical issue.

 

[Alpacachino]

Smart decision Cyc.

When I see the username i think of something like this..

Alcohol can't replace human contact and genuine happiness but it can enhance already pleasant situations.

The problem is it exacerbates emotions.If you're sad, it depresses you further. If you're angry, it makes you go into a rage. I don't really care much for alcohol anymore, but from time to time I think about it. Music hits different. Movies are way way funnier. I mean, I'm looking at the same movie scene sober and I'm wondering what the hell I found so funny.

 

[vyvanceandvodka]

i alcohol
i seltzers and ciders even though they make me gain weight lol. I drink too much for sure.

 

[Blackthorne]

When I see the username i think of something like this..

The problem is it exacerbates emotions.If you're sad, it depresses you further. If you're angry, it makes you go into a rage. I don't really care much for alcohol anymore, but from time to time I think about it. Music hits different. Movies are way way funnier. I mean, I'm looking at the same movie scene sober and I'm wondering what the hell I found so funny.

Well yes that's why I avoided using it by myself, as an easy fix. A friend of mine used to call alcohol 'the dumb drug'. At the time he was into psychedelics, XTC and those things thinking he learned profound lessons from them. He wasn't wrong about alcohol but to think drugs will lead to enlightenment seems rather unbelievable. I learned in life there are no quick-fixes.

I still enjoyed a few glasses of fine wine or single malt though. Different sort of experience: it's actually about the taste, the smell, the history and the sheer quality of it. Not about the alcohol content. That's the way alcohol should be enjoyed imo: good quality, in moderation and in good company. I wish I learned that sooner.

Since I don't plan to remain on this earth for longer than I need to and I have much bigger problems it's not that big of a deal but still. I wish I could have one more night with my good friends talking and enjoying the best wine and whisky we can afford. In theory it should be possible since I've been told if I ever have to have surgery or dentistry the blood thinner I take for my heart condition can be stopped for a couple of days (taking it with alcohol is a recepy for disaster) so I could arrange it for one night and kill myself the next day in a hotel.

Of course that would necessitate telling them. I think I can trust one of them (we'll see on Wednesday whether that's actually the case) but the other became rather sad when I told him about my heart condition so maybe it would be best to keep him in the dark. I don't want anyone telling on me. Even if it's with the best intentions.

 

[bluemoirai]

I used to prefer low-alcohol drinks like cider or beer, but it was when I started drinking to drink away stress that I understood why people like the "burning" effect of alcohol.
Now I love sangrita with tequila! It not only spoils the heart, but also hits the stomach harder than other alcohol. And instead of vodka, I always recommend trying zubrovka, it has a delicate taste of hay, cinnamon and vanilla, but is still quite bitter.
And I admit I'm an alcoholic, lol, although I drink less often than people who are usually called that.

 

[Blackthorne]

That used to be our poison of choice when we were students painting the town red. Good times. And probably some brain damage too, lol.

I used to prefer low-alcohol drinks like cider or beer, but it was when I started drinking to drink away stress that I understood why people like the "burning" effect of alcohol.
Now I love sangrita with tequila! It not only spoils the heart, but also hits the stomach harder than other alcohol. And instead of vodka, I always recommend trying zubrovka, it has a delicate taste of hay, cinnamon and vanilla, but is still quite bitter.
And I admit I'm an alcoholic, lol, although I drink less often than people who are usually called that.

According to the medical profession pretty much everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. If I'm not mistaken the official limit is two drinks per day for men and one for women. I never drank every day but when I did I sure as hell didn't stick to two drinks an evening. Otherwise what's the point?

That being said it's been a long time since I last got drunk. No point in that either. The golden mean.

 

[vyvanceandvodka]

Yeah, I drank a lot for a short period of time. Funny how it crept up on me. Because my entire life I can count the number of times I had drunk alcohol and it was always socially. I never had a problem before, but this time I tried using alcohol as some sort of numbing agent for something that happened in my life.Not a good idea.

Didn't like myself on it. So I gave it up.

I relate. Going through this now. I hope my medication change will help.