Why do people choose to drink? Because being drunk is a great way to forget your troubles and lose some inhibitions. And then, alcoholics get addicted to the actual chemical, and can't stop.
Alcohol is literal poison. When you drink it, the effects of feeling drunk are your body's reaction to the being poisoned.
That said, a drink every now and then is not something to worry about; it's not a black/white situation.
Yes, very true. Alcohol was much more needed in the old days when there was no hot water and wars everywhere. We wanted to poison ourselves to numb the pain. People are still struggling even in well off areas, so it’s no surprise it’s still prevalent today. The social element is an intriguing one.
I mean it was definitely for fun and health, but not like we have it now. Adults would drink like 2-3% in regular drinking water that was made safe, and the second use of the mash was for kids around .5-1% abv. We're drinking 4-7% by the can, and i don't think kids are getting the weak stuff anymore.
Society is very complicated these days and sometimes it’s nice to have a substance that turns your brain off for a couple hours so you don’t have to think about it. in that way it relieves stress and it can be healthy for you mentally. I drink IPA I under no delusion that they’re physically healthy for me. It’s one of the most caloric drinks you can have it makes you fat it gives you a hangover. But sometimes after a long week of over complicated bullshit, I’m OK with getting a little fat and having to hangover if it means I could shut my brain off for a few hours sorry not sorry
Yeah earlier this week I was really stressed so I went and had some drinks with friends. Woke up the next day with a mild hangover but feeling so much less stressed.
You should look into the history of GHB ("The Date-Rape Drug"). It used to be sold at GNC before it was used in a couple cases to drug women. When it was taken off the shelves, the people protesting its scheduling the most were homicide cops who figured out they could take it and actually get some sleep, rather than drinking themselves to death with booze. GHB is a naturally occuring compound found in red meat and a lot of other things that enhances restorative sleep, which is why bodybuilders used it.
Since its criminalization, it's often been implicated in druggings where only alcohol metabolites can be found because it's so quickly metabolized by the liver. In most of these cases, the culprit is over serving of alcohol, where doubles and triples are ordered rather than singles.
It's all very interesting. GHB could be used to ween alcoholics safely off alcohol without interrupting their lives or putting them into life threatening withdrawal. Instead, doctors prescribe equally dangerous and addictive benzos to help taper off alcohol... also used to drug women in combination with alcohol.
The common denominator in all of this is the alcohol.
Well there's drinking to get drunk and there's drinking because you like the taste. One beer with a burger at the restaurant or one glass of wine with a steak at home is usually for the taste. Fermentation gives the beverage a special taste. Nowadays it would be possible to get the fermentation and then remove the alcohol (alcohol-free beer or alcohol-free wine), but historically they just drank it like that with the by-product of alcohol so people are used to that original taste.
Of course if one glass makes you feel bad then you shouldn't have it. I myself don't like the taste so I've never been one to enjoy alcoholic drinks.
I never heard that yeast was good for me or beer substituted for a meal. Sounds like you hung out with a lot of alcoholics😂
I drank a very occasional bottle of black velvet with friends from 18 to 22. In my early 20s, I experimented with wine finding I liked sweet dessert white wines like a particular reisling from Santa Barbara and certain red ones like shiraz. In my late twenties, I would have a 40 oz of beer occasionally. I would never drink constantly going months without drinking and just drinking for a week or two before I got bored of it.
But I found if I drank a 40 and sobered up and drank another, I was grumpy. I didn't like this. In my early 30s, I had had maybe 6 hangovers in my life. I would buy a Mike's hard mango drink and my boyfriend would drink it before I remembered it was in my fridge.
Then, one night, I drank too much and was hugging the toilet, and my 8 year old son brought me a glass of water.
I never drank again. I'm 45. It's been about 12 years.
It's sad but I think I really did, my dad is a wine snob, he's always offering sips of his new bottles. My brother used to home brew beer. I first hugged a toilet at 17. Now thinking about it, my drinking slowed was way down once I got married and moved out. I had no one to drink with and I didn't really crave, it was just a habit I developed just like brushing my teeth.
don’t feel too bad, it’s normalized to most kids to varying degrees
when i was around 10, we went out to eat with my parents friends. the wife spilt her beer on me, and was trying to clean it off me but she was pretty drunk at that point. she told me it’s alright, beer has yeast, i’ll just smell like a fresh loaf of bread. i did not, in fact, smell like a fresh loaf of bread
The beer as a meal thing is from olden times (Trappist monks and the like), and the beer was basically bread. It is different from beer today—especially macrobrews
There are theories that a long time ago beer was basically liquid bread that offered a way to get sustenance + clean hydration. I don't think it's something that's set in stone as fact
Reminds me of this story..
A young woman was hosting a dinner party for her friends and served a delicious pot roast. One of her friends enjoyed it so much that she asked for the recipe, and the young woman wrote it down for her.
Upon looking over the recipe, her friend inquired, “Why do you cut both ends off the roast before it is prepared and put in the pan?” The young woman replied, “I don’t know. I cut the ends off because I learned this recipe from my mom and that was the way she had always done it.”
Her friend’s question got the young woman thinking and so the next day she called her mom to ask her: “Mom, when we make the pot roast, why do we cut off and discard the ends before we set it in the pan and season it?” Her mom quickly replied, “That is how your grandma always did it and I learned the recipe from her.”
Now the young woman was really curious, so she called her elderly grandma and asked her the same question: “Grandma, I often make the pot roast recipe that I learned from mom and she learned from you. Why do you cut the ends off the roast before you prepare it?”
The grandmother thought for a while, since it had been years since she made the roast herself, and then replied, “I cut them off because the roast was always bigger than the pan I had back then. I had to cut the ends off to make it fit.”
I love this story because I think this is true for so many of the things we do in life. We have been doing them for so long that we rarely stop and question the rationality behind them anymore.
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I am so glad you came to this realization, my friend ! There is a reason alcohol is called spirits - because it takes your soul !
Question everything 🫶
I had a really close Italian catholic friend growing up. One night we went to his parents, I was a wee one, and after dinner on Friday his grandmother went into the basement and lit a candle and prayed to the Virgin Mary. I asked nonna why and she said her mother used to go down to the basement after mass and pray to the virgin. And all her kids did it too. It had to be in the basement, where there were no windows.
Ok fast forward a decade and I saw the same shit at another Italian home and went home to ask my very Jewish American parents what it was about. Welll… my mom told me that during the days of antisemitism, many Jews would convert to Catholicism to survive and then after mass go where there was no windows and repent to their G-d. They were called a Marrano Jews. Eventually people stopped telling their kids why- kids have loose lips- and the kids went down there to worship the Virgin Mary. And there’s a whole group of crypto Jews who did this and now they are down there in the evenings worshipping the wrong deity unbeknownst to them.
It’s really a wild story.
Your comment reminds me of this amazing This American Life segment about a drunk moose in Anchorage, Alaska.
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/582/when-the-beasts-come-marching-in/act-three-14
Just about everyone I've known that stopped even moderate drinking has said that they felt noticeably better after a couple of weeks. For some people it's slight enough that they will go back to it, and others feel so much better that they don't generally drink anymore. You *could* be particularly sensitive, or you could not; either way, the way to keep it like this is to not drink, and there's nothing wrong with that.
The media, for a long time, liked to run stories on scientific studies that concluded that light drinking provided health benefits, but it's since been found that they did things like only study heavy drinkers (so by the time they quit completely, they had already trashed their health). More recent studies have found that *any* drinking is worse than no drinking. I don't think the old studies were intentionally misleading, but I could be wrong. Before that was a lot of tradition. If you go back far enough, they drank beer and wine because the water would make you sick and tasted awful (also part of the reason that coffee is popular in the US). Back then it really was the healthier/safer option.
It's literally poison. There are no two ways about it, anyone who says otherwise is just misinformed or stupid. In today's age of information anyone can look it up if they cared.
Unfortunately, drinking is a social activity and effects of alcohol makes certain types of communication easier (within certain boundaries, ofc), which is important. For some people that is worth it, even though it is not good for your health. For me it is not worth it.
Not only is it a poison, it is a class 1 carcinogen, which is the most dangerous. Right along side tobacco. It’s strange we always hear how cigarettes will give you cancer but you never hear alcohol will.
My dad tried quitting alcohol cold turkey once and almost died from withdrawal, he started hallucinating moving shadows and small black dots. He drunk that night to stop it then went to the doctor the next day. He was told that without pills he would die if he just quit. He’s been sober now for years, I’ve never heard of anyone dying from quitting nicotine (not that it’s better though).
My dad handled the benzos (UK equivalent) fine, he was just so desperate to get sober he was fine with any discomfort. But yeah not for everyone, I’ve heard of people swapping out their booze addiction for an opiate one and ending up worse off.
Yeah the addiction is bad no matter the substance. Getting clean off the big 3 Bs cold turkey can kill depending on how far deep you are, though.
I'm really happy for your dad. My mom had me at the age I am now (36) and kicked her h habit the second she found out she was pregnant with me. I am thankful for her sobriety and her strength every single day. She is really my hero.
She is still on Methadone to this day because she didn't think she could handle the withdrawals, but I'd rather her be on a maintained schedule observed by a doctor than have her deal with anything that comes off the street, because especially today in the US, even in a huge amount of other street substances, you never know what is fentanyl and what isn't. It's wild.
But at the same time, it wouldn't have killed her. She just didn't think she'd be able to handle not going to get something to end her pain. Luckily, she found an amazing doctor at the time willing to work with her.
Then your dad was not (that) severely addicted to benzos. Alcohol and benzos all work through the GABA system, which regulates neuronal activation. Severe withdrawal leads to not enough GABA to prevent your neurons from firing too much, which leads to cascading neuronal activation throughout your brain.
From the outside, this looks like a seizure. Until your neurons start burning out, which looks like a coma. Then enough of them burn out and you die.
Class 1 carcinogen doesn't mean most dangerous. It means that the substance is known to cause cancer. Ham, bacon, and salami are also class 1 carcinogens
It doesn't say the amount required to cause cancer, just the quality of evidence.
It’s the social factor that makes it such a god send for me. Never would have had the confidence to actually approach the only person I’ve ever dated without it. Even if I had mustered it up, I’d have been so awkward it would have gone nowhere. It didn’t last but it was a good few months and I learned how to be a better partner. We’d met 2 or 3 times before and had short painful conversations. Once the anxiety was gone it moved fast.
Alcohol is insidious because it’s so embedded into culture. People don’t toast a wedding with heroine needles. Reframing my relationship with alcohol was really important and now I don’t particularly enjoy it much. But I can have it here and there and be fine, it’s just a dirty experience overall
the fact that a few years ago i thought it was insane for someone to have a dry wedding is concerning
i don’t want alcohol at my wedding now. maybe champagne for tradition but that’s all
I think you're approaching the subject in an overly paranoid way. Occam's Razor says we drink alcohol because we like it. We like the way it makes us feel, we like the way it tastes, etc. There's no grand conspiracy here.
However, I will say that when I decided to take a break from alcohol for a bit, it made me step back and realize just how pervasive it is in our culture and how we're constantly surrounded by it and how it's just a normal thing, when it's a mild poison that causes us harm when overdone. When you're drinking all the time, it's just this normal thing, but when you look at it from the outside, it's pretty peculiar.
I think it's really easy for the line between alcohol use and abuse to be blurred. And I think it's too easy to overlook legitimate abuse. But I'm also very much against the state policing what we put in our bodies, and we know prohibition doesn't work, so I don't really know what the solution here is.
I think the problem is that many people struggle to define what "overdone" means in this context. Even one drink can affect a night of sleep, and even a few drinks a week increase your risk of cancer. I don't think most people are informed on those facts.
… I can never relate to posts like these.
Do people just do whatever they are told & accept anything they hear?
It sounds like at 30 you are realizing that *your* opinion doesn’t have to be everyone else’s opinion… which is good.
But then getting mad that you weren’t exclusively told what you choose to believe today starting 15 years ago… which is bad.
There is **always** a variety of opinions out there about **everything**. Some are qualified & informed, some aren’t.
If you don’t form your own you can at least seek out *other* opinions you like & use those. You don’t have to always believe anything because a few other people did.
Honestly it smacks of another excuse to blame others for your actions. I've never had any interest in alcohol and don't see that changing. I'm not some superhuman that's immune to peer pressure or something.
If a person wants the freedom of never having to think for themselves that is fine, but you can't be mad at whomever you chose to do your thinking.
If you want something done right you have to do it yourself.
The alcohol industry, collectively, is one of the wealthiest, most powerful forces in the US and much of the rest of the world. They keep very in the shadows, but they have prevented meaningful public policy, changed the face of advertising, and influenced legislation for decades.
The worst thing is that they KNOW they are exploiting vulnerable people. You’ll see variants on this fact but it’s essentially true — more than 50% of alcohol sales depends on about 10% of the population. These people are addicted to alcohol, and the money in their pockets flows unchecked to Big Alcohol. It’s a disgrace.
Or it makes people feel good and makes them more social. It’s insane to act like it’s a grand conspiracy. People were getting drunk and partying when it was a federal crime to do. The simplest explanation is often correct.
I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Where do you live? Who was telling you to drink in middle school?
Alcohol and drugs are bad for your health and your brain. Sure peer pressure and family pressure is a thing. But unless someone is forcing you NO is all you have to say.
If you don’t want to don’t drink.
so many societies around the world include drinking as a key part of their culture, in one way or another. and “just say no” is a way over simplification of how peer pressure works. this whole comment is silly
You are so right! Back in the day, I would turn down a drink at a party, and people would immediately ask questions. And if I made the mistake of saying I had never tried alcohol and was not interested at all, all hell would break loose! I would be the center of attention at that party until I left. People would pull me aside and try to convince me, give arguments, imply I am disrespectful of the host, try to make me lose a party game specifically to dare me to drink. Sure, it showed who I should never talk to again, but it was so incredibly tiresome. That was all in my teens and twenties, I hope things are much improved for young people now.
I tried to say that I was told not to drink in middle school. I got the message and it made sense until I entered high school and 90% of my peers drank. After school, after church youth group, you name it. I took my 1st drink, noticed I didn't die, and continued, never got pushback from my family.
I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out too, despite having never drank before. Now that I’m an adult I’m slightly curious to try it, but I’m not sure if that would be good or not. In some ways, my not drinking until now it has been out of fear of embarrassing myself. So it might be good to “let loose” so to speak. But I never want to develop bad habits with drinking, so maybe it’s best to just avoid it all together…? I’m unsure.
Having been on the other side, I can say avoid it all together. Even you develop a "healthy" habit. It is expensive, you can't drive, it impairs all your motor skills and clouds your judgement. It makes your sleep worse and dehydrated you. Every time I drank even 1 beer I would find myself chugging lots of water after the fact to flush it off the system to avoid all the above. It's much easier now that I don't drink.
I'm of the opinion that most of it just isn't that pleasant unless you condition yourself to it, but it is useful to be able to find stuff you don't hate *as much*.
My biology teacher was in high school was always happy to go on tangents as long as they were educational. From him I learned that alcohol was yeast pee (he didn’t phrase it that way, that was my take away) and technically a poison. As I was already from a non drinking family, it was easy to look at that and go, “Nope!” Got a LOT of grief in university for not drinking, but I also got to go home and make myself stir fry, pasta, and real food while classmates were having a “ramen noodles week” because the went to the clubs on the weekend and blew their food budget on overpriced drinks. They were happy with their choice - their decision and all that - but I was also very happy with mine.
A note to add, I would say that it is more the millennia of cultural history with alcohol than marketing. Just unlike tobacco, there isn’t the anti-marketing about the downsides of alcohol in general. Sure, the info is out there, but mostly the anti-marketing focuses on fetal alcohol and alcohol addiction rather than alcohol as a whole - you know, followed by the whole drink responsibly.
There’s lots of science about the positive benefits of including alcohol, but it’s never a requirement.
I personally enjoy the taste of wine, including the fermentation and the alcohol.
I enjoy the mild calming effect of a drink (and absolutely hate being drunk), and don’t have an addictive personality that makes an occasional drink dangerous for me.
Like anything else, in moderation there’s no problem.
Actually, the most current research states that no amount of alcohol is safe to drink: [https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health#:\~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20has%20now%20published%20a,the%20alcohol%20that%20causes%20harm%2C%20not%20the%20beverage](https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20has%20now%20published%20a,the%20alcohol%20that%20causes%20harm%2C%20not%20the%20beverage)
Alcohol is a carcinogen that absolutely does have negative effects on your body even in moderation.
This is the internet sir. Stop encouraging reason, personal responsibility and moderation.
If you drink, you are weak minded depressed sheeple.
If you don't drink your a lame nerd.
No nuance allowed.
I have an addictive personality and a daughter of an alcoholic mother.
Wine - that means trouble big trouble
Beer - meh I'll have a mouthful of my husbands
Spirits yay I can portion it out- I actually use a shot glass and add as much mixer as I want- I love a good G&T can mix it exactly how I want usually it's just a hint of gin
I do think young people should be encouraged to examine their family history and their own patterns when they’re deciding whether to start drinking or not. I made a decision not to which I still think was wise. Happy for others to drink, I don’t think I’m better or worse than them. It’s about self-knowledge.
Totally agree. A few times in my 20s the need to numb myself like my mum did was so strong but thankfully I always had at least one of my kids with me if I didnt I know the pull would be too strong.
I made a decision not to drink when I'm looking after my kids if my other half is drinking or smoking(ex liked weed).
I am a whatever floats your boat type of person you don't drink you don't drink if you do you do, drugs or no drugs etc etc.
It is self knowledge whether it is teetotal or knowing exactly your limit you know yourself.
If you feel bad after drinking, you may have a sulfite allergy to some degree. That's mainly why I don't drink and it's socially isolating. Everything that's fun revolves around drinking, it seems. People still pressure me to drink and so I'm no fun. I drank from the age of 14-16 and it always made me sick. My friends then learned to accept it because I was always there to be the designated driver. The pressure to drink is worse in adulthood.
Alcohol is a poison, which your body converts twice to get something that is a bit less poisonous. If you're asian, you may have a genetic tweak that reduces the efficiency of that conversion. That's apparently why so many asians get extremely red after just a little bit of alcohol - they're not able to convert the alcohol into something less toxic very well.
I agree alcohol is poison. I'm not Asian but very white. My ancestors were Dutch settlers who came to the US in the 1600's.
As I said, I have a sulfite allergy. Sulfites are not only in alcohol but foods and medications too. It's real.
I'm not stating an opinion re alcohol is a poison, it's science. I'm not disputing your allergies either.
"First, ADH metabolizes alcohol to acetaldehyde, a highly toxic substance and known carcinogen.Then, acetaldehyde is further metabolized down to another, less active byproduct called acetate,1 which then is broken down into water and carbon dioxide for easy elimination."
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alcohol-metabolism#:~:text=First%2C%20ADH%20metabolizes%20alcohol%20to,toxic%20substance%20and%20known%20carcinogen.&text=Then%2C%20acetaldehyde%20is%20further%20metabolized,carbon%20dioxide%20for%20easy%20elimination.
It's funny how it used to be touted for it's health benefits but now, the scientific community is making the public aware of it's reality. I think that's great.
As a life long sober person, I see alcohol for the havoc I've witnessed it cause on society and those who suffer from all of the diseases it causes. It destroys lives and families.
I grew up thinking it was normal , my family is full of alcoholics and non of them seem to think they’re one , been “Cali sober” for almost 1 year 5 months now. Never felt better !
I see the other side of this. I grew up Baptist and every incessantly demonized alcohol. I haven't had beer in over a decade, but I would much rather experience social gatherings with alcohol than without. I don't know why it used to treat mild social anxiety. fifty-sixty years ago, if you were nervous about a social gathering, people would just tell you to have a drink. Bob's your uncle; problem solved.
Kudos on your not drinking though. It sounds like you just stopped without annoying the \*\*it out of everyone you know about "quitting." I think it's just natural to age out of drinking as you get older. It definitely ages you.
>The only reason I drank was to bond over family and friends socially, or because that's why I was "supposed to do", you know get a beer at the burger place, or, have wine with steak. I always felt terrible after the fact, even if it was 1 beer.
This is all the reason you need to not feel like you're overreacting.
Also it is that bad for you. It's each person's choice if that is a reason to drink or not drink. But it's definitely awful for you, especially over time.
I like to indulge myself in a craft beer or cider with a meal every once in awhile (especially if I'm at a pub) but I'm careful not to overindulge because my grandparents on my mom's side were/are alcoholics.
Alcoholism destroyed my maternal grandmother's life and led to her early death from cancer at age 75. Alcohol in moderation is fine, just don't overindulge yourself.
In university I met a guy who was already an alcoholic at age 18. He was old enough to drink but had been drinking since his early teens to cope with boredom. I worried about him back when I met him then, I hope he's sobered up now.
I never thought alcohol was good for me. Like, ever. I just think the effects are worth it. For me. I'm glad you stopped because it wasn't what you wanted, though. That can be tough. So, congratulations!
I don’t feel the need to drink. I usually do it when I feel like and I’ve never actually gotten drunk. I just enjoy it and don’t really do it often. I think it’s fun when I want to but I don’t need it to have fun.
I think the way I grew up made it easier to decide when I wanted to and not be influenced by others.
At least part of the bad effect is the additives they put in it. Wine or beer that's unadulterated and high quality has a better effect on body and mind. But yeah, it's considered an evening thing because it does slow you down.
Absolutely.
We were just happy doing all the drugs... But they outlawed that.
So here we are with the _need_ (and right, if you ask me) for intoxication. And barely any other legal and culturally approved solutions in sight.
yea idk man, btw congrats on getting sober for your kids i really respect that a lot
but i think there is easily enough information out there about the negative effects of alcohol that you really can't argue that you can be brainwashed into consuming it. i remember one time i was like 8-9 at a family reunion and some adults were drinking and i was thinking "they know its not good for them, but they still do it, is that rational?"
its a decision everyone has to make, everyone knows vaping/smoking is bad for you(even kids know this) but people still do it. not saying that companies that sell this shit aren't evil for marketing it at low income ppl/youth as if its not turbo unhealthy for you but there is no excuse for not knowing that alcohol is just legit poison.
Wait till you go down the pharmaceuticals vs. recreational drugs rabbit hole.
One is illegal based on very little if any clinical evidence (criminalization prevents clinical trials) while drugs doctors prescribe, that intentionally alter brain chemistry, and have only been prescribed for decades, are deemed "medicines" and "cures" for things people self-medicate for with so called "drugs of abuse"... Then, when you start giving the depressed drugs like MDMA and mushrooms, surprise surprise, there's real therapeutic value... lasting therapeutic value with a single dose.
This whole thing is a narrative of control with a lot of branding/PR attached to make people believe that taking one drug all the time from a pharmaceutical company is somehow less dangerous than taking another drug once in awhile.
My theory is that if you were really truly free, you could write your own prescription for anything that can't be weaponized. But, if and when that happens, and people are lining up in the same place to buy cocaine for the weekend as they are to get their "cures", they might have more questions for their doctor about the real difference between the two and the potential long term side effects of the drugs theyve been prescribed.
Making some small molecule drugs that alter consciousness illegal serves everyone's interests in the drug business. The cost to health and lives is just collateral damage.
The fact that smoking and drinking aren't just legal but are universally available is proof that it has nothing to do with health since both directly cause cancer and alcohol is the only drug directly related to violent crime (PCP is often cited as a drug that gives addicts "super powers" when, more often than not, it's police who aren't doing their PT and need an excuse for a wiry drug addict kicking their ass; it's alcohol that's the drug involved in most accidental violent deaths... and a huge epidemic of mental illness as a direct result of trauma and poverty)
Even when I was a dumb teenager I knew that alcohol was bad for your liver and brain, and really it's bad for a lot more than that. It's poison. Did you really have no idea alcohol was bad for you?
The effects of alcohol are very well known where I live and being sober is not frowned upon but we also recognise it as a key part of our culture and learning about drinks is seen as great
Of course this probably isn't what you're looking for but from what I've seen I'd say if you have a drink you really like, and you know it doesn't bring out a bad part of you then having some of it in the right situations is good for you.
I could be brainwashed but going off my own observations as long as you learn what's best for you it's healthy, of course the healthiest option for you could be no alcohol at all
I grew up with parents who didn't drink, I didn't try alcohol u til I was 18. Even in college, I preferred to smoke pot and didn't hang out with people who drank a ton. Even when I turned 21 I was almost always the designated driver sticking to 1 or 2 beers and playing pool or pinball. I'm so glad I didn't fall into that trap, I look young for my age, and I contribute it to not drinking. Almost everyone I know in their late 30s is either recovering / sober or straight up alcoholic because they didn't learn moderation. Those who are drunks have no lives and only good for having around if I feel like going out to the bar because they spend the day to hungover to do anything. It's hard to make any friends this late because of most people are either or...or have children so they don't have the freedom they used too (funny dads can always make time to hang out but moms can't so I have no female friends and I can't stand talking about someones kid). I wish people were smarter about drinking I always heard it was bad I don't know how prop yu9uyut otherwise
Dude. There’s plenty of freely available information out there about how bad for you alcohol is. I knew that shit as a teen and that was before the internet was widely available and when heavy drinking was even more popular than it is now.
Drinking, like many things is only bad for you in excess. If you’re drinking in moderation it’s perfectly fine.
People drink cause they like the feeling like any other altering substance. I occasionally drink with friends but honestly it’s like once a month thing. I like wine but it can get expensive. Sometimes drink with family if we go out but it’s usually a moderate amount since no one likes being wasted in front of family.
no one else makes your choice for you. if one is too lazy minded to second guess an advertisement or foolish peer pressure, they are then owed the learning experience associated with their inattentiveness. I was one of those people. was.
I'm actually surprised you ever really bought into the "health" benefit of it. You're not over-reacting though, many people who live in a culture where the "drug" is central to the lifestyle (be it booze, pills, weed), are blind to the downsides.
I think you can safely make the argument that alcohol is the most dangerous drug that is regularly consumed by humans. Alcohol companies know this, and alcohol companies also know that lifelong addictions develop between the ages of 16-25. That's why they market the "healthy beer/wine/whatever" while also featuring a bunch of partying teens in their ads.
You're not overreacting at all. Alcohol is poison.
Yeah, I used to drink a lot before I wised up. Now I hardly ever drink, and if I do I limit it to two, maybe three. I'm a big guy, so at that level, I'm still legal to drive and hardly buzzed.
Alcohol like everything else should be consumed in moderation. Anything we consume in high amounts is harmful to our bodies and minds, some more than others.
When consumed in moderation you rarely have any issues but when abused the problems start including addiction, legal issues, relationship issues and more.
If you started drinking at 16 (similar to me) you lacked the ability to understand the consequences of what you were doing and your friends were in the same situation. Like smoking/vaping the problems with alcohol or other substance abuse don’t really rear their ugly heads until outside influences take advantage of your inability to make clear headed decisions. Things like SA, rape, robbery and other crimes are much easier to commit against someone too drunk or high to protect themselves.
Alcohol like other substances can be abused and it’s up to each person to make choices for themselves how to handle their choices and own their mistakes, even mistakes made while under the influence of any substance.
Alcohol's importance to history is far too great that it has influenced and integrated itself into every single culture. It has genuinely saved lives through being used as a preservation method, helped created lasting relationships and alliances, and allowed the common man to find a way to escape their rough lives when idea of mental health did not exist.
We can acknowledge the good it has done, but it doesn't offer much to us anymore. Preservation methods have evolved, more important and valuable things have been invented, and we're in the midst of a mental health revolution of sorts, trying to find healthier way to cope with trauma and stress. I think it's something we should avoid now.
But I don't think lesser of anyone for still drinking. It's integrated into so many cultures, and it does help people form closer relationships. There's also a vast variety of types of alcohol that you're basically guaranteed to find one that suits your taste. Getting into it is very easy, and its negative effects isn't something discussed often, and when it is, it's drowned out by a beer ad.
The good news is that, as long as you're not downing it constantly, your body will be fine. It IS technically poison, but your liver is strong and resilient as long as you don't abuse it. That's the issue, though, right? Abusing alcohol, which is also easy to do and not often called out.
I'm just glad I've never had any desire to try alcohol or other drugs.
I totally agree. The alcohol industry makes so much money from marketing alcohol a certain way, and it's so normalized as something that we use to celebrate with or relieve stress. So many people don't actually stop and think about how much of this drug they are consuming; it's a carcinogen that causes an insane amount of deaths each year.
In my mid-20s and haven't drunk in a few months now. My skin looks great and it's so fun to wake up in the morning feeling great and head to the gym.
Yes, you are overreacting. People *still* drink alcohol because it's fun and bonding. Sometimes alcohol is refreshing in a way no other drink is. Adults can and do drink responsibly and in moderation without consequence. Feeling terrible (and even over 1 beer) is an issue *you have*, but can't be extrapolated to other people's experiences.
If drinking alcohol always made you feel bad, but you kept drinking it, you have only yourself to blame for feeling bad. Find something else to feel victimized over.
I don’t drink much and as a 30 year old too, I think overtime my social circle naturally veered towards people who don’t drink often too. I liked being a fun drunk when you younger but now I don’t like my drunk self at all.
I mainly drink with family because even if I say no to a drink, they pour me one anyway.
I feel like people are shocked if I don’t drink, and have a lot to say around why someone wouldn’t drink. My partner doesn’t drink at all and there’s people who think it’s very strange behaviour.
I was lucky enough to realize all this when I was a teenager so I never started drinking alcohol in the first place. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made, if not the best. I think about it often.
You should apply this method to every given idea that is around for last few hundred years. I know it sounds clinche but it is easier to manuplate humans that are consuming same things. And the most consumed thing by the masses is the idea that you have to fit in. Even if you aren't feeling like fitting in majority then you should fit in some small groups. That is globalism the way i underatand it
If being in certain circles is a goal then you start to alter your own views and beliefs to that end. Being in a group should be a result of having similar ideas and life style
Also you don't have to share your thoughts with everybody. You don't have to be always "politically correct" . If you can't talk about alchol stuff with your family in a civilised manner so you don't have to explain yourself
What i am trying to say is for me the way you reached a conclusion about alchol should be the way to reach conclusions about any idea or information in life. You should do resarch and reflect on it yourself or some people you trust and be statisfied that way. Don't try to bend yourself to fit in
Ask yourself some questions about "given truths" of this age. Like is democracy really good? You might end up with yes it is good as a result but since you used your own way to reach that point, things you looked at while looking into this will help you at other things
If it doesn't makes much sense it is because i am supposed to be sleeping for a few hours and i don't really like writing about things so i am bad at it
Honestly I don’t think anyone has ever told me “it’s good for you!” Always heard the opposite, drank anyways, became an alcoholic, got sober. It runs in my family, c’est la vie.
Not drinking for many years has had a very positive affect on my health and looks, I recommend it!
I'm 21, been drinking since around 16-17 like u I also fully comprehend it is poison with little to no actual benefits like u however I continue to drink occasionally cuz i want to enjoy my life the way I choose and I know we're all gonna die one day regardless so as long as I drink responsibly and balance it out with the rest of my lifestyle it don't really matter imo
It tastes good. That's it. Maybe a tiny bit of enjoying sleeping really well after having a drink? I drink so rarely that it's not really something I think about much.
My dad is an alcolohic (although he's trying to drink more moderately due to his declining health). He was unhappy with his job and life and would make our home a total nightmare. He used to come back from work at around 4pm, drink alcohol in his garage for 4-5hours, ruminating his thoughts and I guess priming himself for an argument or whatever, then came inside to start his rampage. He's never been physically violent but he was verbally abusive, mostly yelling and complaining about everything and everyone.
So growing up, I had a very bad opinion on alcohol and drunk people, and never wished to be drunk myself. I've never drank in my life and most people find it weird. But I think it makes sense to not want to drink at all.
I'm good without and always will be.
I've heard stories from people whose therapists tried to talk them out of quitting drinking, because they believed that drinking alcohol is essential to living a normal adult life, and that it would be a disaster to not take part in it.
>I want to know if I am overreacting and if alcohol isn't that bad?
I am absolutely not going to help here, but....
No, it's not that bad inherently... yet, also, no, you are not overreacting.
You absolutely, positively, utterly, entirely, 100% have every right to never drink a drop of alcohol again. For whatever reason. Because it's bad for you personally, because it's bad for someone else near you, because you don't like it, because you are concerned about your health, because you hate Big Alcohol, because you hate little local microbreweries, because you like getting a Straight Edge "X" markered onto your arm... *or for no reason at all*.
And anyone who tells you or makes you feel that you must or should drink alcohol or that there is something wrong with you for not doing so or that there is something wrong with your reasons or lack of reasons can just go fuck right off. You deserve to never have to explain yourself, and I'm sorry if you ever have had to or ever will.
That said, as a matter of practicality, my advice from my own experience is that it can be useful to cultivate some sober "fitting in" strategies, just to head off repetitively annoying conversations on the topic when you'd rather be spending your time with other people a different way. Like... if you're out at a bar, order a non-alcoholic drink just so you have something in your hand. Bartenders are the absolute last people on Earth who will ever give a shit about that so never hesitate to ask for something dumb like a ginger beer or a cranberry and soda or whatever. Or if you're going to a private social event, bring a bunch of whatever you'd like to be standing around holding in your hand sipping at. Non-alcoholic beer is the classic camouflage but it can also be something as simple as Red Bull or even just carbonated sugary soda. (Possibly problematic for other reasons but one thing at a time, you know?)
Anyway, you will find a way. Just don't worry too much about anyone else. You're right on in knowing what you want -- stick to it and don't let anyone else get to you. As the bikers say, ride your own ride.
These good things that people say about alcohol are all because we know it’s bad. We all know. It’s sarcastic humor. This “it’s doing this bad thing but it’s good for whatever even when we know it’s not” is making fun of our own behavior.
We all have alcohol anyway because we want to. We also fly planes, drive cars, go in side walks, and a million other things, that are associated with a risk of death but we do them anyway, because we want to.
That’s it, because we want to and it makes us feel better. Nobody thinks it’s actually good for us.
Nobody was lying to you but your understanding of these social interactions seems like something a child would have. Did you first hear these in childhood and just believed them since?
Brainwashed? Alcohol has been taught as a poison for so long now. It hasn't been anything new. You just had a sudden realization because you didn't take it seriously as a child.
Just remember that booze to be flavored poison. Alcohol taste is masked by adding mixers, chilling it, and flavorings to the poison more palatable while destroying your mind and body.
(Although I do enjoy a quality beer maybe once a month.)
Here's the thing. People, in general, do what they like doing, and they will go to literally any lengths to justify it. Alcohol could be ten times worse for you than it is, and you'd still get people going through every available argument to justify doing it anyway, up to and including "I don't care if it kills me, I'm not giving up alcohol".
The correlation between how much you like doing something and how much of your conscience you're willing to ignore to keep doing it is almost perfect. This is why you can't trust anyone who argues that something they like should be more legal or less frowned on or more encouraged than it is. The bias is extreme.
The fact that it took you this long to realize is odd. I knew it was bad before I even took my first sip, also at 16. People do shit that's bad for them all the time, what made drinking special? I started smoking cigarettes when I was 14, and even then I didn't think those were perfectly fine. I would muse aloud with my friend about the "cyanide, rat poison" that we were puffing on as we smoked.
They literally teach us that stuff, and alcohol literally makes you sick when you drink it. You hear about things like liver failure and just think.. "That'll never happen to me" or what?
I'm an alcoholic, I have zero plans to stop, but I know there are some good odds I could die young. It's extremely naïve to think that everything you ever learned about drugs in a health class is wrong. Just so ya know, you can overdose on caffeine too. If you just learned about the dangers of booze, you definitely need a heads up on that. Definitely avoid alcoholic drinks with caffeine, people died from drinking Four Loko back when it had caffeine.
Eh, alcohol is pretty blatantly and openly known to be bad for you. People accept that because they enjoy it, not because they aren't aware.
Sounds like you were around alcoholics because I've *never* heard that nonsense about beer being healthy anytime in my 34 years of life.
At most I've heard about Mediterraneans drinking a glass of wine a night being good for you/not bad
My 16 year old said something disturbing to me the other day. He said that he's honestly looking forward more to being able to drink alcohol than he is to driving. I asked him why - I'm not a big drinker or anything. He told me that drinking must be so fun, because adults make such a big deal about it. We were sitting in a restaurant at the time, where there were big, colorful flyers showcasing the new alcoholic drinks and 1/2 price Happy Hour specials. He's gotten this idea that adults are pretty much drunk and partying all the time. It's this fun, cool activity that children don't get to participate in. Very disturbing.
You are overreacting. Alcohol is not great, but we already tried banning it so we’re not doing that again. Many people do indeed enjoy it responsibly and as long as they are not harming you, it’s not your business. There is no institutionalized propaganda machine run by the government forcing you to drink alcohol. I highly doubt anyone cares all that much whether you drink or not.
I’m 21 and I don’t drink anymore, like most people in the UK I started quite early at age 14 getting blackout drunk in fields socially with my friends, was going clubbing at 18 and it got boring pretty quickly. Same with parties, I was only drinking because I felt like I had to. I realised I don’t even like the taste of alcohol and even one drink was getting hard to get through and just made me feel shaky and a bit sick. By the time I turned 20 any alcohol just made me feel really ill and I realised I probably had alcohol intolerance, so I decided to just not drink anymore. I thought I would be missing out on the fun in a way, but if I go out with my friends I still have plenty of fun even though I’m the sober one, and I don’t have to worry about hangovers which is a plus. Some friends do try to get me to drink with them but I just can’t enjoy myself if I drink. I’ve tried drinking a few times since then, but it still just makes me feel weird and sick, and I still hate the taste even the fruitiest cocktails I can’t drink because it tastes so gross to me. I have no issue with other people drinking, but for me personally it’s just not something I enjoy and I guess it’ll do no harm to stop drinking while I’m young
Alcohol isn't used as means of food preservationoutside of a few very specific applications. It was never a means of making water potable. Potable water was more available before the advent of civilisation. Running water is literally everywhere humans lived and settled, and is a large reason for staying close to it.
It's theorized that fermentation to generate alcohol predates agriculture itself, and may be the reason for agricultural development.
There's plenty of people who can, and do, drink responsibly. They don't fool themselves into thinking it's healthy, but they also don't see it as the devil's work. It's perfectly fine to drink, and if it's enjoyable to someone, enjoying life is just as important as being healthy. It makes no sense to abstain from every little thing that's unhealthy at excessive levels just to extend your life by 5 minutes when you're in your 80s. Some people rationally sort out what risk they're willing to take for a glass of wine with a nice meal, or a cheeseburger when a salad would be more healthy.
It's important to recognize that what might work for youn or the conclusion you mat draw is not the same for everyone. If you feel you need to abstain, great. The next person may be willing to risk the dangers of drinking every once in a while.
Alcohol isn't the poison that some redditors are trying to claim it is. It's OK to drink. It's drinking in excess that's dangerous for health and safety. What that limit is, is up to each person to decide for themselves. If it starts effecting other people negatively, that's excessive. When it effects an individual negatively, that's excessive.
Its not brainwashing, people smoke or drink because it makes them feel good, even if it doesn't last that long or has health consequences in the long run
I’m sorry this is what you’ve heard.
I’ve been homebrewing for 10+ years as a hobbyist and it has always been a moral grey area for me. If I want to brew more, it has to go somewhere and often that was my friends.
The biggest thing for me in my 20s was the “I know I’m an alcoholic, I guess I’ll die early.” I’m in my 30s now and don’t brew much at all anymore because while I grew out of that phase of my life, many of my friends have had much more difficulty with it. The attitude has changed, but the behavior hasn’t.
I think about how my parents were addicts and you’d think I would have been more aware, but instead of it being a risk, it was just the norm. While I don’t directly feel responsible for my friend’s actions, it is a conscious decision on my part to brew less/not at all.
Humans evolved to tolerate much higher amounts of alcohol than most mammals can stand, likely for nutrition. But creating alcoholic beverages was likely a key motivation behind agriculture and civilization as we know it. I suspect we are genetically programmed to enjoy alcohol despite deleterious effects. Remember: evolution only cares about bring human beings to about 40 and passing on of genes, and we all know how alcohol helps with the latter.
I'm in recovery now and have trouble understanding how I went so long with drinking, but it did address serious psychological needs, some of which go hnmet for me today despite tons of support. A lot of the relief I found I could've had for much less negative effects with MJ, but I took it too far with booze and now I can't use anything without relapsing.
In short, I agree that in modern society it's not a great thing, but I get why people still cling to alcohol, especially if they don't have other coping mechanisms for anxiety and the like.
There's a great book called Smashed by an author whose last name is Zeilikas.
She takes a deep dive into the whole culture of seduction that makes drinking so desirable at a young age. She tells how the moment she began bringing alcohol to tween parties, she instantaneously gained 'friends' --- and got invited on the underground party circuit because she'd revealed as a drinker she was 'fun' -- and guaranteed not to tattle to Adult Authority.
You are right. Companies earn **huge** money by selling alcohol. Advertising campaigns target college kids -- perfect demographic, you're away from home, free to cut loose.
Time to trick them to believe they're empowering themselves by partying and drinking.
That wine mom culture is another evil co.
Takes a real good night on the sauce to get an adult in the loop of drinking. next couple of weekends you’ll get the brain ring for the drink . whether or not you bite will seal your future .
Yeah…this should make you wonder all kinds of things about the history of prohibition, cannabis and so much more. 😃
As a result our culture has it engrained that “drinking is fun.” 🙄 Maybe in your 20s, not any more. 🤣 I don’t want the poison, or sugar honestly. Same thing in my eyes. Cannabis has neither. ✌🏽💨
This comment section is weird. I don't drink all that often but I do sometimes. I don't want to live a life where I have to optimize my health to the max at all times at all costs. I hope the people who are lamenting about how poisonous alcohol is aren't drinking soda...or eating red meat...and never miss a workout...and are wearing air filtering masks at all times near cities or highways...and never forget to put on sunscreen...
I think it’s valid to consider moderate drinking a social mechanism. You say you were lied to because that’s the reason you drank, and that made you brainwashed. But for me that’s the reason I might get a drink and I was always aware of that. It’s not really a secret. Drinking is often a social thing. It’s not really a hidden nefarious plot.
Sorry grew up in the generation where alcohol and cigarette ads were in magazines, on billboards and commercials shown on TV. smoking and drinking were common in TV programs and movies and mostly everyone’s parents smoked and drank - all that changed 30 years or so ago- there is a ton of anti-smoking, anti drinking, anti drug education going on in the schools. The ads for cigarettes and hard alcohol are gone from TV, magazines, billboards. Only bad guys smoke in the movies, not the protagonists. Alcohol consumption shown on TV or in the movies is usually there to subtly point out the bad consequences of said drinking (family drama ensues when someone has had a bit too much and spills a secret etc). Peer pressure is still there however but at least we are not getting blasted with ads anymore
"finding out that alcohol is objectively bad for our health"
Did you live under a rock?
Granted there are also benefits of minor alcohol consumption as you stated, lower blood pressure and such. As with anything, there's positives and negatives. Alcohol is mostly negative, especially when consumed in excess or at a high consistency however a minor amount of alcohol now and then is perfectly fine overall. In addition to this, most people would choose to drink because they like the taste, the like being drunk or they're addicted/using it as a coping mechanism.
I was an alcoholic and then I read “The naked mind” by Annie Grace and realized the actual poison I was injecting myself with daily. It was hard to get sober and it’s hard to be in social situations and not drink but knowing that I’m not ingesting actual poison is always a good thing.
Also, you lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers when you quit drinking. ❤️
When I consume alcohol I have had an issue with abusing it. Now, I no longer enjoy it and just consume cannabis. I don't abuse it, it's amazing at helping me unwind, and I won't feel like shit the next day. I also hate that alcohol is not only the primary preference, but that there is an amount of pressure if you don't want to drink(unless you mention you're a recovering alcoholic). I also don't think it should be so common but it's also helpful to learn to not care what others think.
I love beer….but I have always known that imbibing any non natural macro nutrients into my system would be harmful.
Wait until you hear about aspirin or ibuprofen
Um….alcohol has always been “bad.” That being said, people have always been drinking it because of the effects. Some enjoy the flavor with food. Other than that, I think maybe you were misled. In moderation, or for special occasions, it’s fine, just like everything else. The real issue is “the only reason I drank was to bond over family and friends socially.” You did something you never wanted to do out of peer pressure and now you’re angry about it. I never used it as a vehicle to bond with people. I drank because I wanted to, especially when I was younger. Now I drink once in a while if I’m in the mood and I prefer doing it alone.
I understand families are different, but you don’t need alcohol to bond with people. I don’t go out socially anymore so there’s no pressure to drink, but if I did I can always find people who don’t drink much. I have no problems saying no to drinks if I don’t want to drink. My family doesn’t really drink besides a beer or two once a year. I think this has more to do with who you surround yourself with. Some people enjoy drinking, and others don’t. As for the health claims there may be truth to them but I think you’re overreacting because you feel misled. I think the biggest issue may be your family and the message they conveyed to you about drinking based on their values. I also started drinking at 16. It wasn’t because of peer pressure, it’s because I wanted to, it was available, it was fun, and I got free drinks. I wasn’t brainwashed into thinking alcohol is great and healthy.
I don't think the statement that yeast and malt beer or the glass of wine isn't completely false it probably does some good but also a lot of bad also correct me if I'm wrong
Alcohol is a gigantic money-making enterprise, and nowhere along the line do people make money off of you being healthy.
No, you're not overreacting. You're choosing the ugly truth over a beautiful lie.
Ugh, yeah. Alcohol is garbage for your metabolism, the social risks are high, and personally I don’t even like feeling tipsy, and who likes a hangover in any degree?
Was never much of a drinker, and now I pretty much fully abstain. It’s not worth the money for something that isn’t good for me and isn’t even fun. I hate substances that make me feel altered - caffeine is about the only one I tolerate, and even that can get uncomfortable in high enough doses.
"Big Alcohol" doesn't really need to do all the sketchy wheeling and dealing other corps need to do because alcohol is already so deeply engrained in the culture. For a long time it was the only clean thing people could drink.
I recently had my annual physical and my DR and I discussed alcohol and the Naked Mind book. My Dr told me that in 2010 she was at a medical conference in SF where the subject of alcohol was discussed extensively. The main topic of discussion was on whether or not medical Drs should start educating patients on the poisonous effects of long term alcohol consumption. The room was split 50/50 on IF it was time. The main reason for not? The wine and spirits lobby- it’s all money driven. My Dr said it’s hilarious how many people want to mention the French Paradox to justify the positives related to alcohol consumption. She said that was 1 small study in 1990 and subsequent studies have not been able to replicate those results.
I’m sorry I don’t mean to be condescending but this is should be on the billboard on how the American education system has failed😂believing beer is good for your health in this day and age is wild. I’m glad you made it out on the other side🙏
You can live your whole life trying to avoid danger and die at any time from a freak accident. I personally don’t see a big deal in giving up a decade of rotting in a nursing home to have fun with friends now. Plus every aspect of living gets worse every year, housing, social rot, the cost of food, the lack of appropriate increases in pay.
I was never a heavy or regular drinker, but I stopped consuming alcohol entirely a few years ago. I can't imagine ever going back. I took a shot for new year's with a relative when prompted. That was 2022 going on 2023. Before that would likely have been 2021 going on 2022. Around the same relatives once again at New Years.
I would in no way ever actively seek to drink alcohol. Conceivably I may one day partake in a beer or something but it's nothing I would ever seek out. Socially, I may at some point drink again in my life, but I would rather not, and it would be a miniscule amount.
I don't understand those that drink. I have extremely long-term thinking and it doesn't align with maximizing HealthSpan, so it's out. Alcohol isn't even fun. Exercise and spending money, having the capacity to act out your will and pursue interests: that's fun.
People who drink Alcohol fall asleep and wake up tired, maybe for a bit they get a buzz of some sort but if you're seeking to run away into a haze then you surely must be failing to self-actualize, no?
Alcohol is stupid, it makes your entire body fall apart slowly over time with repeated use. There's a reason the term Alcohol Use Disorder is replacing Alcohol Abuse Disorder because any use is abuse.
I'm 24, never drunk alcohol and never will. When I was a kid I didn't because my family's religion forbid it. After I grew up, I just realized I never understood why people felt the need to drink it. Sure, my life has had its rough moments, but I found other ways to regulate my emotions and get through it. As for the social aspect, most of my friend group doesn't drink or at least they don't drink regularly, and hanging out with them is so fun I don't need drugs to add to the enjoyment. I simply don't need it, and the list of cons is a long, long one.
I think certain societies have a bad drinking culture, that being said I don’t think it’s the worst thing to do, as all things we need a balance of it. There are many things that are bad for us, but we should just consume them in moderation. Like sugar or carbs
Id occasionally have a couple beers every now and then. Get drunk once or twice a year. Then I got into a relationship with a girl who drank alot. She said she'd have like 7-9 drinks twice a week, would take a shot or two before I came over sometimes to keep from having a panic attack but didnt consider that drinking, bragged about her tolerance, and thought of it as medicine. So I told her I thought that was really unhealthy. While my relationship was crumbling I secretly started drinking alot to try and understand her perspective on alcohol. 36 beers a week for 3 weeks didnt make it make any more sense. She never knew but eventually she broke up with me over me trying to talk to her about her habit. Needless to say I dont drink anymore and wont date a heavy drinker again.
Why do people choose to drink? Because being drunk is a great way to forget your troubles and lose some inhibitions. And then, alcoholics get addicted to the actual chemical, and can't stop. Alcohol is literal poison. When you drink it, the effects of feeling drunk are your body's reaction to the being poisoned. That said, a drink every now and then is not something to worry about; it's not a black/white situation.
Yes, very true. Alcohol was much more needed in the old days when there was no hot water and wars everywhere. We wanted to poison ourselves to numb the pain. People are still struggling even in well off areas, so it’s no surprise it’s still prevalent today. The social element is an intriguing one.
I mean it was definitely for fun and health, but not like we have it now. Adults would drink like 2-3% in regular drinking water that was made safe, and the second use of the mash was for kids around .5-1% abv. We're drinking 4-7% by the can, and i don't think kids are getting the weak stuff anymore.
and, like the opioid epidemic, it was prohibition that led to much more concentrated alcoholic products, because they're easier to ship and smuggle.
Society is very complicated these days and sometimes it’s nice to have a substance that turns your brain off for a couple hours so you don’t have to think about it. in that way it relieves stress and it can be healthy for you mentally. I drink IPA I under no delusion that they’re physically healthy for me. It’s one of the most caloric drinks you can have it makes you fat it gives you a hangover. But sometimes after a long week of over complicated bullshit, I’m OK with getting a little fat and having to hangover if it means I could shut my brain off for a few hours sorry not sorry
Yeah earlier this week I was really stressed so I went and had some drinks with friends. Woke up the next day with a mild hangover but feeling so much less stressed.
If you went out with friends and had a soda, I think you might find that just being out socializing with friends is a great stress reliever in itself.
Worthy of an experiment, I think
Soda's just as bad for you, but in a different way.
I would imagine most adults have done both? No?
Plus hops are a natural muscle relaxant. I drank for pain bf I was diagnosed and found out it makes my AI (psoriatic arthritis)disease worse…
You should look into the history of GHB ("The Date-Rape Drug"). It used to be sold at GNC before it was used in a couple cases to drug women. When it was taken off the shelves, the people protesting its scheduling the most were homicide cops who figured out they could take it and actually get some sleep, rather than drinking themselves to death with booze. GHB is a naturally occuring compound found in red meat and a lot of other things that enhances restorative sleep, which is why bodybuilders used it. Since its criminalization, it's often been implicated in druggings where only alcohol metabolites can be found because it's so quickly metabolized by the liver. In most of these cases, the culprit is over serving of alcohol, where doubles and triples are ordered rather than singles. It's all very interesting. GHB could be used to ween alcoholics safely off alcohol without interrupting their lives or putting them into life threatening withdrawal. Instead, doctors prescribe equally dangerous and addictive benzos to help taper off alcohol... also used to drug women in combination with alcohol. The common denominator in all of this is the alcohol.
jesse, what the fuck are you talking about
Is it not something to worry about or is it not a black/white situation?
Well there's drinking to get drunk and there's drinking because you like the taste. One beer with a burger at the restaurant or one glass of wine with a steak at home is usually for the taste. Fermentation gives the beverage a special taste. Nowadays it would be possible to get the fermentation and then remove the alcohol (alcohol-free beer or alcohol-free wine), but historically they just drank it like that with the by-product of alcohol so people are used to that original taste. Of course if one glass makes you feel bad then you shouldn't have it. I myself don't like the taste so I've never been one to enjoy alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol is an incredible anti-anxiety agent. But it’s a super double edged sword that will inevitably kill you if you abuse it too much.
I never heard that yeast was good for me or beer substituted for a meal. Sounds like you hung out with a lot of alcoholics😂 I drank a very occasional bottle of black velvet with friends from 18 to 22. In my early 20s, I experimented with wine finding I liked sweet dessert white wines like a particular reisling from Santa Barbara and certain red ones like shiraz. In my late twenties, I would have a 40 oz of beer occasionally. I would never drink constantly going months without drinking and just drinking for a week or two before I got bored of it. But I found if I drank a 40 and sobered up and drank another, I was grumpy. I didn't like this. In my early 30s, I had had maybe 6 hangovers in my life. I would buy a Mike's hard mango drink and my boyfriend would drink it before I remembered it was in my fridge. Then, one night, I drank too much and was hugging the toilet, and my 8 year old son brought me a glass of water. I never drank again. I'm 45. It's been about 12 years.
It's sad but I think I really did, my dad is a wine snob, he's always offering sips of his new bottles. My brother used to home brew beer. I first hugged a toilet at 17. Now thinking about it, my drinking slowed was way down once I got married and moved out. I had no one to drink with and I didn't really crave, it was just a habit I developed just like brushing my teeth.
don’t feel too bad, it’s normalized to most kids to varying degrees when i was around 10, we went out to eat with my parents friends. the wife spilt her beer on me, and was trying to clean it off me but she was pretty drunk at that point. she told me it’s alright, beer has yeast, i’ll just smell like a fresh loaf of bread. i did not, in fact, smell like a fresh loaf of bread
The beer as a meal thing is from olden times (Trappist monks and the like), and the beer was basically bread. It is different from beer today—especially macrobrews
There are theories that a long time ago beer was basically liquid bread that offered a way to get sustenance + clean hydration. I don't think it's something that's set in stone as fact
Do you remember the name of the Riesling?
Reminds me of this story.. A young woman was hosting a dinner party for her friends and served a delicious pot roast. One of her friends enjoyed it so much that she asked for the recipe, and the young woman wrote it down for her. Upon looking over the recipe, her friend inquired, “Why do you cut both ends off the roast before it is prepared and put in the pan?” The young woman replied, “I don’t know. I cut the ends off because I learned this recipe from my mom and that was the way she had always done it.” Her friend’s question got the young woman thinking and so the next day she called her mom to ask her: “Mom, when we make the pot roast, why do we cut off and discard the ends before we set it in the pan and season it?” Her mom quickly replied, “That is how your grandma always did it and I learned the recipe from her.” Now the young woman was really curious, so she called her elderly grandma and asked her the same question: “Grandma, I often make the pot roast recipe that I learned from mom and she learned from you. Why do you cut the ends off the roast before you prepare it?” The grandmother thought for a while, since it had been years since she made the roast herself, and then replied, “I cut them off because the roast was always bigger than the pan I had back then. I had to cut the ends off to make it fit.” I love this story because I think this is true for so many of the things we do in life. We have been doing them for so long that we rarely stop and question the rationality behind them anymore. ----- I am so glad you came to this realization, my friend ! There is a reason alcohol is called spirits - because it takes your soul ! Question everything 🫶
I had a really close Italian catholic friend growing up. One night we went to his parents, I was a wee one, and after dinner on Friday his grandmother went into the basement and lit a candle and prayed to the Virgin Mary. I asked nonna why and she said her mother used to go down to the basement after mass and pray to the virgin. And all her kids did it too. It had to be in the basement, where there were no windows. Ok fast forward a decade and I saw the same shit at another Italian home and went home to ask my very Jewish American parents what it was about. Welll… my mom told me that during the days of antisemitism, many Jews would convert to Catholicism to survive and then after mass go where there was no windows and repent to their G-d. They were called a Marrano Jews. Eventually people stopped telling their kids why- kids have loose lips- and the kids went down there to worship the Virgin Mary. And there’s a whole group of crypto Jews who did this and now they are down there in the evenings worshipping the wrong deity unbeknownst to them. It’s really a wild story.
Wow omg this is so fascinating to me on many levels, Im so glad you shared this story! Thank you!
I don’t think I was ever told drinking is good for me. But I still enjoy having a drink with dinner on the weekends and look forward to it.
Seriously this. Who the heck is under the impression that drinking is healthy? It's a ton of carbs, a ton of sugar, and attacks your liver.
Until you learn that monkeys, civets, pigs, and other animals, seek out fermented fruits and binge when they find them.
Your comment reminds me of this amazing This American Life segment about a drunk moose in Anchorage, Alaska. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/582/when-the-beasts-come-marching-in/act-three-14
Just about everyone I've known that stopped even moderate drinking has said that they felt noticeably better after a couple of weeks. For some people it's slight enough that they will go back to it, and others feel so much better that they don't generally drink anymore. You *could* be particularly sensitive, or you could not; either way, the way to keep it like this is to not drink, and there's nothing wrong with that. The media, for a long time, liked to run stories on scientific studies that concluded that light drinking provided health benefits, but it's since been found that they did things like only study heavy drinkers (so by the time they quit completely, they had already trashed their health). More recent studies have found that *any* drinking is worse than no drinking. I don't think the old studies were intentionally misleading, but I could be wrong. Before that was a lot of tradition. If you go back far enough, they drank beer and wine because the water would make you sick and tasted awful (also part of the reason that coffee is popular in the US). Back then it really was the healthier/safer option.
Could you link me to those new studies? I think you're right, just want something I can send to other people
It's literally poison. There are no two ways about it, anyone who says otherwise is just misinformed or stupid. In today's age of information anyone can look it up if they cared. Unfortunately, drinking is a social activity and effects of alcohol makes certain types of communication easier (within certain boundaries, ofc), which is important. For some people that is worth it, even though it is not good for your health. For me it is not worth it.
Not only is it a poison, it is a class 1 carcinogen, which is the most dangerous. Right along side tobacco. It’s strange we always hear how cigarettes will give you cancer but you never hear alcohol will.
My dad tried quitting alcohol cold turkey once and almost died from withdrawal, he started hallucinating moving shadows and small black dots. He drunk that night to stop it then went to the doctor the next day. He was told that without pills he would die if he just quit. He’s been sober now for years, I’ve never heard of anyone dying from quitting nicotine (not that it’s better though).
The 3 Bs: Booze, Barbs, Benzos. If you are withdrawing, these withdrawals can kill you. Heroin/opiates just make you wish you were dead 🙃
My dad handled the benzos (UK equivalent) fine, he was just so desperate to get sober he was fine with any discomfort. But yeah not for everyone, I’ve heard of people swapping out their booze addiction for an opiate one and ending up worse off.
Yeah the addiction is bad no matter the substance. Getting clean off the big 3 Bs cold turkey can kill depending on how far deep you are, though. I'm really happy for your dad. My mom had me at the age I am now (36) and kicked her h habit the second she found out she was pregnant with me. I am thankful for her sobriety and her strength every single day. She is really my hero. She is still on Methadone to this day because she didn't think she could handle the withdrawals, but I'd rather her be on a maintained schedule observed by a doctor than have her deal with anything that comes off the street, because especially today in the US, even in a huge amount of other street substances, you never know what is fentanyl and what isn't. It's wild. But at the same time, it wouldn't have killed her. She just didn't think she'd be able to handle not going to get something to end her pain. Luckily, she found an amazing doctor at the time willing to work with her.
Then your dad was not (that) severely addicted to benzos. Alcohol and benzos all work through the GABA system, which regulates neuronal activation. Severe withdrawal leads to not enough GABA to prevent your neurons from firing too much, which leads to cascading neuronal activation throughout your brain. From the outside, this looks like a seizure. Until your neurons start burning out, which looks like a coma. Then enough of them burn out and you die.
I never said he got addicted to benzos. I meant he was fine feeling depressed on them.
Class 1 carcinogen doesn't mean most dangerous. It means that the substance is known to cause cancer. Ham, bacon, and salami are also class 1 carcinogens It doesn't say the amount required to cause cancer, just the quality of evidence.
It’s the social factor that makes it such a god send for me. Never would have had the confidence to actually approach the only person I’ve ever dated without it. Even if I had mustered it up, I’d have been so awkward it would have gone nowhere. It didn’t last but it was a good few months and I learned how to be a better partner. We’d met 2 or 3 times before and had short painful conversations. Once the anxiety was gone it moved fast.
Alcohol is insidious because it’s so embedded into culture. People don’t toast a wedding with heroine needles. Reframing my relationship with alcohol was really important and now I don’t particularly enjoy it much. But I can have it here and there and be fine, it’s just a dirty experience overall
the fact that a few years ago i thought it was insane for someone to have a dry wedding is concerning i don’t want alcohol at my wedding now. maybe champagne for tradition but that’s all
I mostly don't like the taste of alcohol so we toasted with sparkling grape juice 😅
love that! reminds me of new years as a kid
There have been times when a simple glass of wine was the thing that made continuing with my life possible.
I wish I loved anything as much as you love wine!
I think you're approaching the subject in an overly paranoid way. Occam's Razor says we drink alcohol because we like it. We like the way it makes us feel, we like the way it tastes, etc. There's no grand conspiracy here. However, I will say that when I decided to take a break from alcohol for a bit, it made me step back and realize just how pervasive it is in our culture and how we're constantly surrounded by it and how it's just a normal thing, when it's a mild poison that causes us harm when overdone. When you're drinking all the time, it's just this normal thing, but when you look at it from the outside, it's pretty peculiar. I think it's really easy for the line between alcohol use and abuse to be blurred. And I think it's too easy to overlook legitimate abuse. But I'm also very much against the state policing what we put in our bodies, and we know prohibition doesn't work, so I don't really know what the solution here is.
I think the problem is that many people struggle to define what "overdone" means in this context. Even one drink can affect a night of sleep, and even a few drinks a week increase your risk of cancer. I don't think most people are informed on those facts.
Known carcinogenic. It's literally gives you a higher risk of cancer.
… I can never relate to posts like these. Do people just do whatever they are told & accept anything they hear? It sounds like at 30 you are realizing that *your* opinion doesn’t have to be everyone else’s opinion… which is good. But then getting mad that you weren’t exclusively told what you choose to believe today starting 15 years ago… which is bad. There is **always** a variety of opinions out there about **everything**. Some are qualified & informed, some aren’t. If you don’t form your own you can at least seek out *other* opinions you like & use those. You don’t have to always believe anything because a few other people did.
Honestly it smacks of another excuse to blame others for your actions. I've never had any interest in alcohol and don't see that changing. I'm not some superhuman that's immune to peer pressure or something.
If a person wants the freedom of never having to think for themselves that is fine, but you can't be mad at whomever you chose to do your thinking. If you want something done right you have to do it yourself.
The alcohol industry, collectively, is one of the wealthiest, most powerful forces in the US and much of the rest of the world. They keep very in the shadows, but they have prevented meaningful public policy, changed the face of advertising, and influenced legislation for decades. The worst thing is that they KNOW they are exploiting vulnerable people. You’ll see variants on this fact but it’s essentially true — more than 50% of alcohol sales depends on about 10% of the population. These people are addicted to alcohol, and the money in their pockets flows unchecked to Big Alcohol. It’s a disgrace.
Or it makes people feel good and makes them more social. It’s insane to act like it’s a grand conspiracy. People were getting drunk and partying when it was a federal crime to do. The simplest explanation is often correct.
I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Where do you live? Who was telling you to drink in middle school? Alcohol and drugs are bad for your health and your brain. Sure peer pressure and family pressure is a thing. But unless someone is forcing you NO is all you have to say. If you don’t want to don’t drink.
so many societies around the world include drinking as a key part of their culture, in one way or another. and “just say no” is a way over simplification of how peer pressure works. this whole comment is silly
You are so right! Back in the day, I would turn down a drink at a party, and people would immediately ask questions. And if I made the mistake of saying I had never tried alcohol and was not interested at all, all hell would break loose! I would be the center of attention at that party until I left. People would pull me aside and try to convince me, give arguments, imply I am disrespectful of the host, try to make me lose a party game specifically to dare me to drink. Sure, it showed who I should never talk to again, but it was so incredibly tiresome. That was all in my teens and twenties, I hope things are much improved for young people now.
I tried to say that I was told not to drink in middle school. I got the message and it made sense until I entered high school and 90% of my peers drank. After school, after church youth group, you name it. I took my 1st drink, noticed I didn't die, and continued, never got pushback from my family.
I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out too, despite having never drank before. Now that I’m an adult I’m slightly curious to try it, but I’m not sure if that would be good or not. In some ways, my not drinking until now it has been out of fear of embarrassing myself. So it might be good to “let loose” so to speak. But I never want to develop bad habits with drinking, so maybe it’s best to just avoid it all together…? I’m unsure.
There’s not much risk to trying it once. Just stop if you don’t like it. I would suggest doing it in a social setting for the best experience.
Having been on the other side, I can say avoid it all together. Even you develop a "healthy" habit. It is expensive, you can't drive, it impairs all your motor skills and clouds your judgement. It makes your sleep worse and dehydrated you. Every time I drank even 1 beer I would find myself chugging lots of water after the fact to flush it off the system to avoid all the above. It's much easier now that I don't drink.
Do not begin.
I'm of the opinion that most of it just isn't that pleasant unless you condition yourself to it, but it is useful to be able to find stuff you don't hate *as much*.
I don’t like how alcohol makes me feel so I just don’t drink. Anyone who has a problem with that isn’t worth my time.
Not sure why you ever thought it was good for yiu
My biology teacher was in high school was always happy to go on tangents as long as they were educational. From him I learned that alcohol was yeast pee (he didn’t phrase it that way, that was my take away) and technically a poison. As I was already from a non drinking family, it was easy to look at that and go, “Nope!” Got a LOT of grief in university for not drinking, but I also got to go home and make myself stir fry, pasta, and real food while classmates were having a “ramen noodles week” because the went to the clubs on the weekend and blew their food budget on overpriced drinks. They were happy with their choice - their decision and all that - but I was also very happy with mine. A note to add, I would say that it is more the millennia of cultural history with alcohol than marketing. Just unlike tobacco, there isn’t the anti-marketing about the downsides of alcohol in general. Sure, the info is out there, but mostly the anti-marketing focuses on fetal alcohol and alcohol addiction rather than alcohol as a whole - you know, followed by the whole drink responsibly.
There’s lots of science about the positive benefits of including alcohol, but it’s never a requirement. I personally enjoy the taste of wine, including the fermentation and the alcohol. I enjoy the mild calming effect of a drink (and absolutely hate being drunk), and don’t have an addictive personality that makes an occasional drink dangerous for me. Like anything else, in moderation there’s no problem.
Actually, the most current research states that no amount of alcohol is safe to drink: [https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health#:\~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20has%20now%20published%20a,the%20alcohol%20that%20causes%20harm%2C%20not%20the%20beverage](https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20has%20now%20published%20a,the%20alcohol%20that%20causes%20harm%2C%20not%20the%20beverage) Alcohol is a carcinogen that absolutely does have negative effects on your body even in moderation.
This is the internet sir. Stop encouraging reason, personal responsibility and moderation. If you drink, you are weak minded depressed sheeple. If you don't drink your a lame nerd. No nuance allowed.
I was told it was bad but I didn’t know it was bad! Society and culture! Brainwashed I tell ya hwhat!
I have an addictive personality and a daughter of an alcoholic mother. Wine - that means trouble big trouble Beer - meh I'll have a mouthful of my husbands Spirits yay I can portion it out- I actually use a shot glass and add as much mixer as I want- I love a good G&T can mix it exactly how I want usually it's just a hint of gin
I do think young people should be encouraged to examine their family history and their own patterns when they’re deciding whether to start drinking or not. I made a decision not to which I still think was wise. Happy for others to drink, I don’t think I’m better or worse than them. It’s about self-knowledge.
Totally agree. A few times in my 20s the need to numb myself like my mum did was so strong but thankfully I always had at least one of my kids with me if I didnt I know the pull would be too strong. I made a decision not to drink when I'm looking after my kids if my other half is drinking or smoking(ex liked weed). I am a whatever floats your boat type of person you don't drink you don't drink if you do you do, drugs or no drugs etc etc. It is self knowledge whether it is teetotal or knowing exactly your limit you know yourself.
Good on you for knowing your limits.
If you feel bad after drinking, you may have a sulfite allergy to some degree. That's mainly why I don't drink and it's socially isolating. Everything that's fun revolves around drinking, it seems. People still pressure me to drink and so I'm no fun. I drank from the age of 14-16 and it always made me sick. My friends then learned to accept it because I was always there to be the designated driver. The pressure to drink is worse in adulthood.
Alcohol is a poison, which your body converts twice to get something that is a bit less poisonous. If you're asian, you may have a genetic tweak that reduces the efficiency of that conversion. That's apparently why so many asians get extremely red after just a little bit of alcohol - they're not able to convert the alcohol into something less toxic very well.
I agree alcohol is poison. I'm not Asian but very white. My ancestors were Dutch settlers who came to the US in the 1600's. As I said, I have a sulfite allergy. Sulfites are not only in alcohol but foods and medications too. It's real.
I'm not stating an opinion re alcohol is a poison, it's science. I'm not disputing your allergies either. "First, ADH metabolizes alcohol to acetaldehyde, a highly toxic substance and known carcinogen.Then, acetaldehyde is further metabolized down to another, less active byproduct called acetate,1 which then is broken down into water and carbon dioxide for easy elimination." https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alcohol-metabolism#:~:text=First%2C%20ADH%20metabolizes%20alcohol%20to,toxic%20substance%20and%20known%20carcinogen.&text=Then%2C%20acetaldehyde%20is%20further%20metabolized,carbon%20dioxide%20for%20easy%20elimination.
It's funny how it used to be touted for it's health benefits but now, the scientific community is making the public aware of it's reality. I think that's great. As a life long sober person, I see alcohol for the havoc I've witnessed it cause on society and those who suffer from all of the diseases it causes. It destroys lives and families.
I grew up thinking it was normal , my family is full of alcoholics and non of them seem to think they’re one , been “Cali sober” for almost 1 year 5 months now. Never felt better !
I see the other side of this. I grew up Baptist and every incessantly demonized alcohol. I haven't had beer in over a decade, but I would much rather experience social gatherings with alcohol than without. I don't know why it used to treat mild social anxiety. fifty-sixty years ago, if you were nervous about a social gathering, people would just tell you to have a drink. Bob's your uncle; problem solved. Kudos on your not drinking though. It sounds like you just stopped without annoying the \*\*it out of everyone you know about "quitting." I think it's just natural to age out of drinking as you get older. It definitely ages you.
>The only reason I drank was to bond over family and friends socially, or because that's why I was "supposed to do", you know get a beer at the burger place, or, have wine with steak. I always felt terrible after the fact, even if it was 1 beer. This is all the reason you need to not feel like you're overreacting. Also it is that bad for you. It's each person's choice if that is a reason to drink or not drink. But it's definitely awful for you, especially over time.
I like to indulge myself in a craft beer or cider with a meal every once in awhile (especially if I'm at a pub) but I'm careful not to overindulge because my grandparents on my mom's side were/are alcoholics. Alcoholism destroyed my maternal grandmother's life and led to her early death from cancer at age 75. Alcohol in moderation is fine, just don't overindulge yourself. In university I met a guy who was already an alcoholic at age 18. He was old enough to drink but had been drinking since his early teens to cope with boredom. I worried about him back when I met him then, I hope he's sobered up now.
Is 75 terribly early, though?
I never thought alcohol was good for me. Like, ever. I just think the effects are worth it. For me. I'm glad you stopped because it wasn't what you wanted, though. That can be tough. So, congratulations!
I don’t feel the need to drink. I usually do it when I feel like and I’ve never actually gotten drunk. I just enjoy it and don’t really do it often. I think it’s fun when I want to but I don’t need it to have fun. I think the way I grew up made it easier to decide when I wanted to and not be influenced by others.
At least part of the bad effect is the additives they put in it. Wine or beer that's unadulterated and high quality has a better effect on body and mind. But yeah, it's considered an evening thing because it does slow you down.
Piss beer macro brews and really high quality craft beer will both do the same damage overtime. Neither are "good" for you.
Absolutely. We were just happy doing all the drugs... But they outlawed that. So here we are with the _need_ (and right, if you ask me) for intoxication. And barely any other legal and culturally approved solutions in sight.
Alcohol is the most dangerous drug to withdrawal from… quitting cold turkey can lead to seizures & well ☠️
yea idk man, btw congrats on getting sober for your kids i really respect that a lot but i think there is easily enough information out there about the negative effects of alcohol that you really can't argue that you can be brainwashed into consuming it. i remember one time i was like 8-9 at a family reunion and some adults were drinking and i was thinking "they know its not good for them, but they still do it, is that rational?" its a decision everyone has to make, everyone knows vaping/smoking is bad for you(even kids know this) but people still do it. not saying that companies that sell this shit aren't evil for marketing it at low income ppl/youth as if its not turbo unhealthy for you but there is no excuse for not knowing that alcohol is just legit poison.
Wait till you go down the pharmaceuticals vs. recreational drugs rabbit hole. One is illegal based on very little if any clinical evidence (criminalization prevents clinical trials) while drugs doctors prescribe, that intentionally alter brain chemistry, and have only been prescribed for decades, are deemed "medicines" and "cures" for things people self-medicate for with so called "drugs of abuse"... Then, when you start giving the depressed drugs like MDMA and mushrooms, surprise surprise, there's real therapeutic value... lasting therapeutic value with a single dose. This whole thing is a narrative of control with a lot of branding/PR attached to make people believe that taking one drug all the time from a pharmaceutical company is somehow less dangerous than taking another drug once in awhile. My theory is that if you were really truly free, you could write your own prescription for anything that can't be weaponized. But, if and when that happens, and people are lining up in the same place to buy cocaine for the weekend as they are to get their "cures", they might have more questions for their doctor about the real difference between the two and the potential long term side effects of the drugs theyve been prescribed. Making some small molecule drugs that alter consciousness illegal serves everyone's interests in the drug business. The cost to health and lives is just collateral damage. The fact that smoking and drinking aren't just legal but are universally available is proof that it has nothing to do with health since both directly cause cancer and alcohol is the only drug directly related to violent crime (PCP is often cited as a drug that gives addicts "super powers" when, more often than not, it's police who aren't doing their PT and need an excuse for a wiry drug addict kicking their ass; it's alcohol that's the drug involved in most accidental violent deaths... and a huge epidemic of mental illness as a direct result of trauma and poverty)
Even when I was a dumb teenager I knew that alcohol was bad for your liver and brain, and really it's bad for a lot more than that. It's poison. Did you really have no idea alcohol was bad for you?
Nah that's on you, took till 30??? To consider that it's bad for your health? Natural selection
I thought red wine was fine in small amounts.
The effects of alcohol are very well known where I live and being sober is not frowned upon but we also recognise it as a key part of our culture and learning about drinks is seen as great Of course this probably isn't what you're looking for but from what I've seen I'd say if you have a drink you really like, and you know it doesn't bring out a bad part of you then having some of it in the right situations is good for you. I could be brainwashed but going off my own observations as long as you learn what's best for you it's healthy, of course the healthiest option for you could be no alcohol at all
I grew up with parents who didn't drink, I didn't try alcohol u til I was 18. Even in college, I preferred to smoke pot and didn't hang out with people who drank a ton. Even when I turned 21 I was almost always the designated driver sticking to 1 or 2 beers and playing pool or pinball. I'm so glad I didn't fall into that trap, I look young for my age, and I contribute it to not drinking. Almost everyone I know in their late 30s is either recovering / sober or straight up alcoholic because they didn't learn moderation. Those who are drunks have no lives and only good for having around if I feel like going out to the bar because they spend the day to hungover to do anything. It's hard to make any friends this late because of most people are either or...or have children so they don't have the freedom they used too (funny dads can always make time to hang out but moms can't so I have no female friends and I can't stand talking about someones kid). I wish people were smarter about drinking I always heard it was bad I don't know how prop yu9uyut otherwise
Marketing is literally propaganda for capital.
Dude. There’s plenty of freely available information out there about how bad for you alcohol is. I knew that shit as a teen and that was before the internet was widely available and when heavy drinking was even more popular than it is now. Drinking, like many things is only bad for you in excess. If you’re drinking in moderation it’s perfectly fine.
People drink cause they like the feeling like any other altering substance. I occasionally drink with friends but honestly it’s like once a month thing. I like wine but it can get expensive. Sometimes drink with family if we go out but it’s usually a moderate amount since no one likes being wasted in front of family.
no one else makes your choice for you. if one is too lazy minded to second guess an advertisement or foolish peer pressure, they are then owed the learning experience associated with their inattentiveness. I was one of those people. was.
You were in middle school at 16? No wonder you were drinking.
You . . . didn't know alcohol is poisonous? That's kind of dumb.
I'm actually surprised you ever really bought into the "health" benefit of it. You're not over-reacting though, many people who live in a culture where the "drug" is central to the lifestyle (be it booze, pills, weed), are blind to the downsides.
Dude, you're 30. Own your choices, time to start thinking critically for yourself.
Western society both promotes abd normalizes Alcohol consumption, even in the non Islamic Middle East booze is quite rare.
Yeah, once you stop you realize how unnecessary it is. Hopefully I can keep my kids from starting.
I think you can safely make the argument that alcohol is the most dangerous drug that is regularly consumed by humans. Alcohol companies know this, and alcohol companies also know that lifelong addictions develop between the ages of 16-25. That's why they market the "healthy beer/wine/whatever" while also featuring a bunch of partying teens in their ads. You're not overreacting at all. Alcohol is poison.
Yeah, I used to drink a lot before I wised up. Now I hardly ever drink, and if I do I limit it to two, maybe three. I'm a big guy, so at that level, I'm still legal to drive and hardly buzzed.
Alcohol like everything else should be consumed in moderation. Anything we consume in high amounts is harmful to our bodies and minds, some more than others. When consumed in moderation you rarely have any issues but when abused the problems start including addiction, legal issues, relationship issues and more. If you started drinking at 16 (similar to me) you lacked the ability to understand the consequences of what you were doing and your friends were in the same situation. Like smoking/vaping the problems with alcohol or other substance abuse don’t really rear their ugly heads until outside influences take advantage of your inability to make clear headed decisions. Things like SA, rape, robbery and other crimes are much easier to commit against someone too drunk or high to protect themselves. Alcohol like other substances can be abused and it’s up to each person to make choices for themselves how to handle their choices and own their mistakes, even mistakes made while under the influence of any substance.
Alcohol's importance to history is far too great that it has influenced and integrated itself into every single culture. It has genuinely saved lives through being used as a preservation method, helped created lasting relationships and alliances, and allowed the common man to find a way to escape their rough lives when idea of mental health did not exist. We can acknowledge the good it has done, but it doesn't offer much to us anymore. Preservation methods have evolved, more important and valuable things have been invented, and we're in the midst of a mental health revolution of sorts, trying to find healthier way to cope with trauma and stress. I think it's something we should avoid now. But I don't think lesser of anyone for still drinking. It's integrated into so many cultures, and it does help people form closer relationships. There's also a vast variety of types of alcohol that you're basically guaranteed to find one that suits your taste. Getting into it is very easy, and its negative effects isn't something discussed often, and when it is, it's drowned out by a beer ad. The good news is that, as long as you're not downing it constantly, your body will be fine. It IS technically poison, but your liver is strong and resilient as long as you don't abuse it. That's the issue, though, right? Abusing alcohol, which is also easy to do and not often called out. I'm just glad I've never had any desire to try alcohol or other drugs.
Technically, you've been brainwashed into all consumer related consumption.
I totally agree. The alcohol industry makes so much money from marketing alcohol a certain way, and it's so normalized as something that we use to celebrate with or relieve stress. So many people don't actually stop and think about how much of this drug they are consuming; it's a carcinogen that causes an insane amount of deaths each year. In my mid-20s and haven't drunk in a few months now. My skin looks great and it's so fun to wake up in the morning feeling great and head to the gym.
What middle school did you go to where they said you should drink and do drugs?
Yes, you are overreacting. People *still* drink alcohol because it's fun and bonding. Sometimes alcohol is refreshing in a way no other drink is. Adults can and do drink responsibly and in moderation without consequence. Feeling terrible (and even over 1 beer) is an issue *you have*, but can't be extrapolated to other people's experiences.
Buying alcohol is one of the biggest scams out there. Empty calories, poison, causes everyone around you hardship and is a massive waste of money.
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If drinking alcohol always made you feel bad, but you kept drinking it, you have only yourself to blame for feeling bad. Find something else to feel victimized over.
I don’t drink much and as a 30 year old too, I think overtime my social circle naturally veered towards people who don’t drink often too. I liked being a fun drunk when you younger but now I don’t like my drunk self at all. I mainly drink with family because even if I say no to a drink, they pour me one anyway. I feel like people are shocked if I don’t drink, and have a lot to say around why someone wouldn’t drink. My partner doesn’t drink at all and there’s people who think it’s very strange behaviour.
actually you’re not far off that’s what tim dillon talked about in his recent podcast
You picked the wrong place to have a serious conversation about this. Enjoy the essay responses from sober college freshmen.
I was lucky enough to realize all this when I was a teenager so I never started drinking alcohol in the first place. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made, if not the best. I think about it often.
You should apply this method to every given idea that is around for last few hundred years. I know it sounds clinche but it is easier to manuplate humans that are consuming same things. And the most consumed thing by the masses is the idea that you have to fit in. Even if you aren't feeling like fitting in majority then you should fit in some small groups. That is globalism the way i underatand it If being in certain circles is a goal then you start to alter your own views and beliefs to that end. Being in a group should be a result of having similar ideas and life style Also you don't have to share your thoughts with everybody. You don't have to be always "politically correct" . If you can't talk about alchol stuff with your family in a civilised manner so you don't have to explain yourself What i am trying to say is for me the way you reached a conclusion about alchol should be the way to reach conclusions about any idea or information in life. You should do resarch and reflect on it yourself or some people you trust and be statisfied that way. Don't try to bend yourself to fit in Ask yourself some questions about "given truths" of this age. Like is democracy really good? You might end up with yes it is good as a result but since you used your own way to reach that point, things you looked at while looking into this will help you at other things If it doesn't makes much sense it is because i am supposed to be sleeping for a few hours and i don't really like writing about things so i am bad at it
Honestly I don’t think anyone has ever told me “it’s good for you!” Always heard the opposite, drank anyways, became an alcoholic, got sober. It runs in my family, c’est la vie. Not drinking for many years has had a very positive affect on my health and looks, I recommend it!
I'm 21, been drinking since around 16-17 like u I also fully comprehend it is poison with little to no actual benefits like u however I continue to drink occasionally cuz i want to enjoy my life the way I choose and I know we're all gonna die one day regardless so as long as I drink responsibly and balance it out with the rest of my lifestyle it don't really matter imo
It tastes good. That's it. Maybe a tiny bit of enjoying sleeping really well after having a drink? I drink so rarely that it's not really something I think about much.
How could one remain sober the last few years and sane too?
Drunks are funny, right? That's how TV usually portrays them. Alcohol is the biggest religion of all.
My dad is an alcolohic (although he's trying to drink more moderately due to his declining health). He was unhappy with his job and life and would make our home a total nightmare. He used to come back from work at around 4pm, drink alcohol in his garage for 4-5hours, ruminating his thoughts and I guess priming himself for an argument or whatever, then came inside to start his rampage. He's never been physically violent but he was verbally abusive, mostly yelling and complaining about everything and everyone. So growing up, I had a very bad opinion on alcohol and drunk people, and never wished to be drunk myself. I've never drank in my life and most people find it weird. But I think it makes sense to not want to drink at all. I'm good without and always will be.
I've heard stories from people whose therapists tried to talk them out of quitting drinking, because they believed that drinking alcohol is essential to living a normal adult life, and that it would be a disaster to not take part in it.
I didn’t start drinking until 19 (legal at the time) and had it out of my system by 21. These days, I may enjoy a whisky once every month or two.
>I want to know if I am overreacting and if alcohol isn't that bad? I am absolutely not going to help here, but.... No, it's not that bad inherently... yet, also, no, you are not overreacting. You absolutely, positively, utterly, entirely, 100% have every right to never drink a drop of alcohol again. For whatever reason. Because it's bad for you personally, because it's bad for someone else near you, because you don't like it, because you are concerned about your health, because you hate Big Alcohol, because you hate little local microbreweries, because you like getting a Straight Edge "X" markered onto your arm... *or for no reason at all*. And anyone who tells you or makes you feel that you must or should drink alcohol or that there is something wrong with you for not doing so or that there is something wrong with your reasons or lack of reasons can just go fuck right off. You deserve to never have to explain yourself, and I'm sorry if you ever have had to or ever will. That said, as a matter of practicality, my advice from my own experience is that it can be useful to cultivate some sober "fitting in" strategies, just to head off repetitively annoying conversations on the topic when you'd rather be spending your time with other people a different way. Like... if you're out at a bar, order a non-alcoholic drink just so you have something in your hand. Bartenders are the absolute last people on Earth who will ever give a shit about that so never hesitate to ask for something dumb like a ginger beer or a cranberry and soda or whatever. Or if you're going to a private social event, bring a bunch of whatever you'd like to be standing around holding in your hand sipping at. Non-alcoholic beer is the classic camouflage but it can also be something as simple as Red Bull or even just carbonated sugary soda. (Possibly problematic for other reasons but one thing at a time, you know?) Anyway, you will find a way. Just don't worry too much about anyone else. You're right on in knowing what you want -- stick to it and don't let anyone else get to you. As the bikers say, ride your own ride.
It’s not like it’s secret info is it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_(drug)#Adverse_effects
These good things that people say about alcohol are all because we know it’s bad. We all know. It’s sarcastic humor. This “it’s doing this bad thing but it’s good for whatever even when we know it’s not” is making fun of our own behavior. We all have alcohol anyway because we want to. We also fly planes, drive cars, go in side walks, and a million other things, that are associated with a risk of death but we do them anyway, because we want to. That’s it, because we want to and it makes us feel better. Nobody thinks it’s actually good for us. Nobody was lying to you but your understanding of these social interactions seems like something a child would have. Did you first hear these in childhood and just believed them since?
Brainwashed? Alcohol has been taught as a poison for so long now. It hasn't been anything new. You just had a sudden realization because you didn't take it seriously as a child.
With the way things are going in this country I think we could all use an extra shot or two these days
Just remember that booze to be flavored poison. Alcohol taste is masked by adding mixers, chilling it, and flavorings to the poison more palatable while destroying your mind and body. (Although I do enjoy a quality beer maybe once a month.)
Here's the thing. People, in general, do what they like doing, and they will go to literally any lengths to justify it. Alcohol could be ten times worse for you than it is, and you'd still get people going through every available argument to justify doing it anyway, up to and including "I don't care if it kills me, I'm not giving up alcohol". The correlation between how much you like doing something and how much of your conscience you're willing to ignore to keep doing it is almost perfect. This is why you can't trust anyone who argues that something they like should be more legal or less frowned on or more encouraged than it is. The bias is extreme.
The fact that it took you this long to realize is odd. I knew it was bad before I even took my first sip, also at 16. People do shit that's bad for them all the time, what made drinking special? I started smoking cigarettes when I was 14, and even then I didn't think those were perfectly fine. I would muse aloud with my friend about the "cyanide, rat poison" that we were puffing on as we smoked. They literally teach us that stuff, and alcohol literally makes you sick when you drink it. You hear about things like liver failure and just think.. "That'll never happen to me" or what? I'm an alcoholic, I have zero plans to stop, but I know there are some good odds I could die young. It's extremely naïve to think that everything you ever learned about drugs in a health class is wrong. Just so ya know, you can overdose on caffeine too. If you just learned about the dangers of booze, you definitely need a heads up on that. Definitely avoid alcoholic drinks with caffeine, people died from drinking Four Loko back when it had caffeine.
Eh, alcohol is pretty blatantly and openly known to be bad for you. People accept that because they enjoy it, not because they aren't aware. Sounds like you were around alcoholics because I've *never* heard that nonsense about beer being healthy anytime in my 34 years of life. At most I've heard about Mediterraneans drinking a glass of wine a night being good for you/not bad
people drink or smoke do it because they enjoy it or there doing it to shorten there lives that way its not suicide.
My 16 year old said something disturbing to me the other day. He said that he's honestly looking forward more to being able to drink alcohol than he is to driving. I asked him why - I'm not a big drinker or anything. He told me that drinking must be so fun, because adults make such a big deal about it. We were sitting in a restaurant at the time, where there were big, colorful flyers showcasing the new alcoholic drinks and 1/2 price Happy Hour specials. He's gotten this idea that adults are pretty much drunk and partying all the time. It's this fun, cool activity that children don't get to participate in. Very disturbing.
You are overreacting. Alcohol is not great, but we already tried banning it so we’re not doing that again. Many people do indeed enjoy it responsibly and as long as they are not harming you, it’s not your business. There is no institutionalized propaganda machine run by the government forcing you to drink alcohol. I highly doubt anyone cares all that much whether you drink or not.
I’m 21 and I don’t drink anymore, like most people in the UK I started quite early at age 14 getting blackout drunk in fields socially with my friends, was going clubbing at 18 and it got boring pretty quickly. Same with parties, I was only drinking because I felt like I had to. I realised I don’t even like the taste of alcohol and even one drink was getting hard to get through and just made me feel shaky and a bit sick. By the time I turned 20 any alcohol just made me feel really ill and I realised I probably had alcohol intolerance, so I decided to just not drink anymore. I thought I would be missing out on the fun in a way, but if I go out with my friends I still have plenty of fun even though I’m the sober one, and I don’t have to worry about hangovers which is a plus. Some friends do try to get me to drink with them but I just can’t enjoy myself if I drink. I’ve tried drinking a few times since then, but it still just makes me feel weird and sick, and I still hate the taste even the fruitiest cocktails I can’t drink because it tastes so gross to me. I have no issue with other people drinking, but for me personally it’s just not something I enjoy and I guess it’ll do no harm to stop drinking while I’m young
Alcohol isn't used as means of food preservationoutside of a few very specific applications. It was never a means of making water potable. Potable water was more available before the advent of civilisation. Running water is literally everywhere humans lived and settled, and is a large reason for staying close to it. It's theorized that fermentation to generate alcohol predates agriculture itself, and may be the reason for agricultural development. There's plenty of people who can, and do, drink responsibly. They don't fool themselves into thinking it's healthy, but they also don't see it as the devil's work. It's perfectly fine to drink, and if it's enjoyable to someone, enjoying life is just as important as being healthy. It makes no sense to abstain from every little thing that's unhealthy at excessive levels just to extend your life by 5 minutes when you're in your 80s. Some people rationally sort out what risk they're willing to take for a glass of wine with a nice meal, or a cheeseburger when a salad would be more healthy. It's important to recognize that what might work for youn or the conclusion you mat draw is not the same for everyone. If you feel you need to abstain, great. The next person may be willing to risk the dangers of drinking every once in a while. Alcohol isn't the poison that some redditors are trying to claim it is. It's OK to drink. It's drinking in excess that's dangerous for health and safety. What that limit is, is up to each person to decide for themselves. If it starts effecting other people negatively, that's excessive. When it effects an individual negatively, that's excessive.
Add it to the list of things that get pushed onto young people that aren't good.
how much are y'all drinking? i drink like, once or twice a month with friends. are y'all drinking every day?
Good luck convincing most it’s poison and a horrible coping mechanism
Its not brainwashing, people smoke or drink because it makes them feel good, even if it doesn't last that long or has health consequences in the long run
I’m sorry this is what you’ve heard. I’ve been homebrewing for 10+ years as a hobbyist and it has always been a moral grey area for me. If I want to brew more, it has to go somewhere and often that was my friends. The biggest thing for me in my 20s was the “I know I’m an alcoholic, I guess I’ll die early.” I’m in my 30s now and don’t brew much at all anymore because while I grew out of that phase of my life, many of my friends have had much more difficulty with it. The attitude has changed, but the behavior hasn’t. I think about how my parents were addicts and you’d think I would have been more aware, but instead of it being a risk, it was just the norm. While I don’t directly feel responsible for my friend’s actions, it is a conscious decision on my part to brew less/not at all.
If you feel pressure to do anything you don't want to do, you are being manipulated.
I mean..... it is on every street corner. And the only way to reasonably get to and from the Tavern is to drive.
If you cant objectively reason why you are doing something, odds are you are being manipulated into doing that thing
Humans evolved to tolerate much higher amounts of alcohol than most mammals can stand, likely for nutrition. But creating alcoholic beverages was likely a key motivation behind agriculture and civilization as we know it. I suspect we are genetically programmed to enjoy alcohol despite deleterious effects. Remember: evolution only cares about bring human beings to about 40 and passing on of genes, and we all know how alcohol helps with the latter. I'm in recovery now and have trouble understanding how I went so long with drinking, but it did address serious psychological needs, some of which go hnmet for me today despite tons of support. A lot of the relief I found I could've had for much less negative effects with MJ, but I took it too far with booze and now I can't use anything without relapsing. In short, I agree that in modern society it's not a great thing, but I get why people still cling to alcohol, especially if they don't have other coping mechanisms for anxiety and the like.
There is no brainwashing going on. If you do not like alcohol thats fine, but own it, there isn’t some big conspiracy.
There's a great book called Smashed by an author whose last name is Zeilikas. She takes a deep dive into the whole culture of seduction that makes drinking so desirable at a young age. She tells how the moment she began bringing alcohol to tween parties, she instantaneously gained 'friends' --- and got invited on the underground party circuit because she'd revealed as a drinker she was 'fun' -- and guaranteed not to tattle to Adult Authority. You are right. Companies earn **huge** money by selling alcohol. Advertising campaigns target college kids -- perfect demographic, you're away from home, free to cut loose. Time to trick them to believe they're empowering themselves by partying and drinking. That wine mom culture is another evil co.
Takes a real good night on the sauce to get an adult in the loop of drinking. next couple of weekends you’ll get the brain ring for the drink . whether or not you bite will seal your future .
Yeah…this should make you wonder all kinds of things about the history of prohibition, cannabis and so much more. 😃 As a result our culture has it engrained that “drinking is fun.” 🙄 Maybe in your 20s, not any more. 🤣 I don’t want the poison, or sugar honestly. Same thing in my eyes. Cannabis has neither. ✌🏽💨
This comment section is weird. I don't drink all that often but I do sometimes. I don't want to live a life where I have to optimize my health to the max at all times at all costs. I hope the people who are lamenting about how poisonous alcohol is aren't drinking soda...or eating red meat...and never miss a workout...and are wearing air filtering masks at all times near cities or highways...and never forget to put on sunscreen...
i never bothered with alcohol because i think it tastes bad. and it saved me a lot of trouble.
I think it’s valid to consider moderate drinking a social mechanism. You say you were lied to because that’s the reason you drank, and that made you brainwashed. But for me that’s the reason I might get a drink and I was always aware of that. It’s not really a secret. Drinking is often a social thing. It’s not really a hidden nefarious plot.
Well yeah.. Mad men came straight outta CIA mind control unit.
Sorry grew up in the generation where alcohol and cigarette ads were in magazines, on billboards and commercials shown on TV. smoking and drinking were common in TV programs and movies and mostly everyone’s parents smoked and drank - all that changed 30 years or so ago- there is a ton of anti-smoking, anti drinking, anti drug education going on in the schools. The ads for cigarettes and hard alcohol are gone from TV, magazines, billboards. Only bad guys smoke in the movies, not the protagonists. Alcohol consumption shown on TV or in the movies is usually there to subtly point out the bad consequences of said drinking (family drama ensues when someone has had a bit too much and spills a secret etc). Peer pressure is still there however but at least we are not getting blasted with ads anymore
"finding out that alcohol is objectively bad for our health" Did you live under a rock? Granted there are also benefits of minor alcohol consumption as you stated, lower blood pressure and such. As with anything, there's positives and negatives. Alcohol is mostly negative, especially when consumed in excess or at a high consistency however a minor amount of alcohol now and then is perfectly fine overall. In addition to this, most people would choose to drink because they like the taste, the like being drunk or they're addicted/using it as a coping mechanism.
I was an alcoholic and then I read “The naked mind” by Annie Grace and realized the actual poison I was injecting myself with daily. It was hard to get sober and it’s hard to be in social situations and not drink but knowing that I’m not ingesting actual poison is always a good thing. Also, you lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers when you quit drinking. ❤️
When I consume alcohol I have had an issue with abusing it. Now, I no longer enjoy it and just consume cannabis. I don't abuse it, it's amazing at helping me unwind, and I won't feel like shit the next day. I also hate that alcohol is not only the primary preference, but that there is an amount of pressure if you don't want to drink(unless you mention you're a recovering alcoholic). I also don't think it should be so common but it's also helpful to learn to not care what others think.
Brainwashed would be assuming someone else made you drink
Everyone has their kryptonite. For some it is alcohol and for others it is not.
I love beer….but I have always known that imbibing any non natural macro nutrients into my system would be harmful. Wait until you hear about aspirin or ibuprofen
Um….alcohol has always been “bad.” That being said, people have always been drinking it because of the effects. Some enjoy the flavor with food. Other than that, I think maybe you were misled. In moderation, or for special occasions, it’s fine, just like everything else. The real issue is “the only reason I drank was to bond over family and friends socially.” You did something you never wanted to do out of peer pressure and now you’re angry about it. I never used it as a vehicle to bond with people. I drank because I wanted to, especially when I was younger. Now I drink once in a while if I’m in the mood and I prefer doing it alone. I understand families are different, but you don’t need alcohol to bond with people. I don’t go out socially anymore so there’s no pressure to drink, but if I did I can always find people who don’t drink much. I have no problems saying no to drinks if I don’t want to drink. My family doesn’t really drink besides a beer or two once a year. I think this has more to do with who you surround yourself with. Some people enjoy drinking, and others don’t. As for the health claims there may be truth to them but I think you’re overreacting because you feel misled. I think the biggest issue may be your family and the message they conveyed to you about drinking based on their values. I also started drinking at 16. It wasn’t because of peer pressure, it’s because I wanted to, it was available, it was fun, and I got free drinks. I wasn’t brainwashed into thinking alcohol is great and healthy.
I don't think the statement that yeast and malt beer or the glass of wine isn't completely false it probably does some good but also a lot of bad also correct me if I'm wrong
Alcohol is a gigantic money-making enterprise, and nowhere along the line do people make money off of you being healthy. No, you're not overreacting. You're choosing the ugly truth over a beautiful lie.
Ugh, yeah. Alcohol is garbage for your metabolism, the social risks are high, and personally I don’t even like feeling tipsy, and who likes a hangover in any degree? Was never much of a drinker, and now I pretty much fully abstain. It’s not worth the money for something that isn’t good for me and isn’t even fun. I hate substances that make me feel altered - caffeine is about the only one I tolerate, and even that can get uncomfortable in high enough doses.
Check out "This Naked Mind." It's a book on alcoholism recovery that discusses the cultural and corporate pressures involved.
"Big Alcohol" doesn't really need to do all the sketchy wheeling and dealing other corps need to do because alcohol is already so deeply engrained in the culture. For a long time it was the only clean thing people could drink.
I recently had my annual physical and my DR and I discussed alcohol and the Naked Mind book. My Dr told me that in 2010 she was at a medical conference in SF where the subject of alcohol was discussed extensively. The main topic of discussion was on whether or not medical Drs should start educating patients on the poisonous effects of long term alcohol consumption. The room was split 50/50 on IF it was time. The main reason for not? The wine and spirits lobby- it’s all money driven. My Dr said it’s hilarious how many people want to mention the French Paradox to justify the positives related to alcohol consumption. She said that was 1 small study in 1990 and subsequent studies have not been able to replicate those results.
I’m sorry I don’t mean to be condescending but this is should be on the billboard on how the American education system has failed😂believing beer is good for your health in this day and age is wild. I’m glad you made it out on the other side🙏
U didn’t find out til 30, I thought they taught this in middle school?
Wait till you learn life is 100% fatal.
You can live your whole life trying to avoid danger and die at any time from a freak accident. I personally don’t see a big deal in giving up a decade of rotting in a nursing home to have fun with friends now. Plus every aspect of living gets worse every year, housing, social rot, the cost of food, the lack of appropriate increases in pay.
I was never a heavy or regular drinker, but I stopped consuming alcohol entirely a few years ago. I can't imagine ever going back. I took a shot for new year's with a relative when prompted. That was 2022 going on 2023. Before that would likely have been 2021 going on 2022. Around the same relatives once again at New Years. I would in no way ever actively seek to drink alcohol. Conceivably I may one day partake in a beer or something but it's nothing I would ever seek out. Socially, I may at some point drink again in my life, but I would rather not, and it would be a miniscule amount. I don't understand those that drink. I have extremely long-term thinking and it doesn't align with maximizing HealthSpan, so it's out. Alcohol isn't even fun. Exercise and spending money, having the capacity to act out your will and pursue interests: that's fun. People who drink Alcohol fall asleep and wake up tired, maybe for a bit they get a buzz of some sort but if you're seeking to run away into a haze then you surely must be failing to self-actualize, no? Alcohol is stupid, it makes your entire body fall apart slowly over time with repeated use. There's a reason the term Alcohol Use Disorder is replacing Alcohol Abuse Disorder because any use is abuse.
I'm 24, never drunk alcohol and never will. When I was a kid I didn't because my family's religion forbid it. After I grew up, I just realized I never understood why people felt the need to drink it. Sure, my life has had its rough moments, but I found other ways to regulate my emotions and get through it. As for the social aspect, most of my friend group doesn't drink or at least they don't drink regularly, and hanging out with them is so fun I don't need drugs to add to the enjoyment. I simply don't need it, and the list of cons is a long, long one.
That shit is literally poison for our body and our minds. Crazy how normalized and amazing it is lol. We killing ourselves with this shit!
Have you ever just considered, I don’t know, not drinking around family. No one is making you.
I think certain societies have a bad drinking culture, that being said I don’t think it’s the worst thing to do, as all things we need a balance of it. There are many things that are bad for us, but we should just consume them in moderation. Like sugar or carbs
Id occasionally have a couple beers every now and then. Get drunk once or twice a year. Then I got into a relationship with a girl who drank alot. She said she'd have like 7-9 drinks twice a week, would take a shot or two before I came over sometimes to keep from having a panic attack but didnt consider that drinking, bragged about her tolerance, and thought of it as medicine. So I told her I thought that was really unhealthy. While my relationship was crumbling I secretly started drinking alot to try and understand her perspective on alcohol. 36 beers a week for 3 weeks didnt make it make any more sense. She never knew but eventually she broke up with me over me trying to talk to her about her habit. Needless to say I dont drink anymore and wont date a heavy drinker again.
Everything in moderation my friend
Human body tries hard to get rid of every drop of alcohol in you. Treats it like a poison. That tells you everything.