Why do people choose to avoid alcohol other than medical reasons? - Page 3

1) I don't like feeling hungover the next day 2) If there is something on my mind, it makes my mood change and I tend to get short with people and my head throbs. Other than that, if I'm in a good mood, I enjoy getting buzzed at dinner off a single glass of wine.

Alcohol is one of life's greatest pleasures. I must agree with the poster who said it has some sort of spiritual or transcendent component. For me, music takes on a whole other dimension after I consume a few drinks. Some of the fondest memories I have are of me and my buddies killing a bottle of gin or whiskey while we analyzed/listened to a pre-determined album (we once did Neil Young's Comes a Time...that was awesome). I also love listening to jazz when I'm drunk. I'm fine with doing it alone, but it's even better at a live jazz club. A lot of the jazz greats (Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, Bill Evans) "overindulged" in their respective substances...but I think they translated that desperation, that haunting sentiment into their music. I can feel that sometimes. It's revelatory. Plus, it makes me feel good. Simple as that.

Some Baptists too.

And my point wasn't directed toward you, but toward that position in general. We coo'

I also think booze makes this world a little bit brighter. Not to get all pessimistic, but there's a whole lot of awful shit going on all around us, and knocking a few back lets you forget about all that for a little while (or at least allows you to think of something less repugnant).

Seems to be too much mixing of drinking alcohol and getting wasted regularly.

I have equal distrust for people who never drink, and those who regularly get wasted, in that both may lack control over their bodies: one worries that if they take one drink, they will loose it, and the other has already lost it.

I'm obviously in the minority here, but a few reasons I don't drink are, in no particular order: 1) Unnecessary cost 2) Detrimental to fitness/physique 3) Opposition to substances which lower consciousness 4) Slight hatred of alcohol due to alcoholic parent 5) Possible benefits do not exceed costs Unlike the OP, I would be extremely unlikely to trust someone interested in getting wasted. That can be alleviated by interaction outside of bars, but on its own merits would be a negative to me.

There's a big difference between "getting wasted", or being a "drunkard", as the OP describes, and enjoying alcohol in moderation. Drinking in the amount the OP describes is alcohol abuse and probably alcoholism.

As far as not trusting people who don't drink; I often find it a little odd when someone doesn't drink, but I don't really care. Whatever. It's probably a healthy choice they're making.

But as far as alcoholics, I've known some drunkards, and they have all, without exception, been the most unreliable, pathetic, self-centered, pathological people I've known. I can't imagine wanting to "connect" with them. To the contrary, a person with a serious alcohol problem is a person I vigorously work to avoid.

An alcoholic will almost inevitable eventually hit rock bottom. I have learned that if you give an alcoholic an inch of access, they will claw their way into your life and cling on, bringing their destruction and despair with them.

I don't need their horseshit in my life. I definitely don't need to jump through hoops to defend their substance abuse. Unfortunately, it seems like the OP is doing just that, and then making his position more ludicrous by voicing his suspicions of people who don't have his same destructive behavior.

To the OP- I'm not trying to attack you or hurt your feelings with my blunt comments. I sincerely hope you are able to keep this under control, and am hoping that by pointing out some flaws in your logic you might be motivated to examine your lifestyle, for your own good.

Best,

David

^^you don't know much about alcoholism

mbogo you're full of shit. alcohol is not going to make you fat. poor will power and lack of proper diet and exercise will make you fat.

there are many ranges of alcoholism and substance use, abuse, and dependence. i had an alcoholic grandparent who averaged half a dozen martinis a night. i would say that is not a good habit.

part of being a man is learning to manage risk and reward. if you try to be perfectly healthy and safe all the time you are painting yourself into a corner that will eventually lead to anxiety/stress related health problems. the human body is very resilient if you give it time to recover. so as long as you don't have a chronic substance abuse/dependency issue than you shouldn't worry about consuming alcohol. studies have proven that excessive worry and daily hassles are one of the greatest contributors to health problems and early death.

i feel in other countries like europe, people tend to understand alcohol much better. over there they have much better notion of learning to hold your liquor. its a skill that takes learning. in the U.S. it seems there is a significant group of puritanical teetotalers that have no understanding of alcohol. over hear it seems people think "o shit i think i'm an alcoholic so i better stop drinking altogether". its very black and white. in reality they just need to learn to control themselves. no one should feel guilty about having a few drinks spread out during the week or getting a good buzz on the weekends or even getting plastered every couple months. seriously we are all going to die someday so you might as well feel like a king some of the time even if you're not.

OK, Mr. Expert. What would you call "getting wasted" several times a week? "Getting wasted" implies getting to a point at which your body is no longer able to function properly. Slurred speech, blurred vision, stumbling. This means your central nervous system is close to shutting down. This is alcohol abuse. To have this happen a few times in your life is an uncomfortable learning experience on how to avoid that stiuation in the future. To have it happen almost every night, and embracing it as a positive lifestyle choice, is indicitive of a big problem.

Wow, this thread turned out nicely. I understand that most girls do not drink as much as guys but I've always felt somewhat uncomfortable dating a girl who only drinks once in a blue moon or not at all. I don't like to be the only one drinking in a group and if my supposed "partner in crime" won't help me out or sympathize with just needing a beer every now and again then there's a good possibility she won't fully comprehend the "real" me. Having an alcoholic beverage can be a journey with the person drinking next to you. Maybe one person's destination is a bit further along than another's but they're still on the same road. What's the fun if the other person refuses to buy a ticket to get right on the bus next to you? In my life the girls that I have gotten along with the most saw drinking the way I did. That said, I've dated a girl who was more into drinking than I was and it wasn't pretty. I figured you'd quote "Straight Edge" even though McKaye doesn't spend a second talking about booze. Hey, that reminds me. We're still on for happy hour and $.39 martinis next Fri, right?

I think some people just do not like the taste of alcohol. That simple. Others do it for health reasons. I realize there are studies about 1 or 2 drinks a day improving health. If a person doesn't want a drink, I could give a crap. A rum and coke doesn't taste any better than coke. Let them drink coke.

I usually have a beer, wine or a drink with dinner and once in a while, I'll have seconds. Rarely do I ever hit a third, unless I'm out with friends and not driving or on vacation. If I'm doing business with a heavy drinker, I'll quietly let the bartender know to hit me with half pours and stick with vodka.

i agree with you.
i just see it as analogous to smoking. i see no point in it at all from my experience.