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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
I've had an interesting relationship with the drink. It has been an on-again, off-again kind of coexistence, and I may be at the cusp of an off-again cycle. Over the past few years, I've been only a casual consumer for the most part (with of course a few embarrassing outliers along the way). I can enjoy a pint, but I'm not too terribly disappointed without one either. At times I've been the only one with a drink at a table, and at other times the only one at the table without one. Without a particularly strong need or a desire for the act of drinking, the motivator falls on a secondary effect of drinking: drunkenness. Alcohol can be a liberator. It can free the timid soul, setting him off on brash and rash escapades. It can make the shiest of chaps loosen up and open up. In the right hands and in the right situation, it can be of great help to many. But in the end, alcohol used in this manner is a crutch; it is a crutch with consequences. As most of us are surely aware, alcohol has debilitating consequences for the mind. With one drink, we lose some aspects of self control and judgement for the next hour or two. With excessive fueling, we can essentially incapacitate ourselves for the entire night, or even another whole day. There is a spectrum of prices to pay for consuming the liquid; each person must choose which level of incapacitation is appropriate and acceptable for them. As long as no one else is put into danger (ex: drunk driving), any level of consumption should be tolerated. It's just a matter of choice and suitability. Then what is my choice, and why? These days I find myself reading, writing, and most importantly, thinking more than I ever have. To that end, even the few hours of full mental capacity that I lose from alcohol consumption becomes something to reconsider. I don't want to claim that maximal efficiency is necessarily an obvious virtue, or that it is something to strive for at all costs. I don't even want to claim that everyone should go cold turkey; I fully acknowledge that the consumption of alcohol is not only enjoyable in the right setting, but sometimes even unavoidable in the professional world. However, I do sense that I personally would like more time and attention to devote to my thoughts and my literature. Given my current priorities and interests, abstinence elevates itself to a reasonable option. Whether anyone else should subscribe to the routine, is entirely their decision.
Crossposted from my main blog
 
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You make it sound as though you have a hard time trying to get off of the drink whenever you are in your on-cycle. Do what some poets and writers do: they purposely put themselves in these kinds of situations, or cycles, to elevate their personal ''pinnacles of literary expression, so to speak.
I once heard of a writer who wanted to express what the life of a man sentenced to the electric chair is like. To make the experience be as realistic as possible, his friends pretended that he had gone haywire and had killed someone. He was then put in jail and sentenced to death. He went through the entire procedure until they were about to electrocute him, and as soon as the lever was triggered, he was told that it was all a set-up meant to give him the best possible experience.
He then proceeded to write an epic book based on everything that he had undergone. So, whenever you are in your on-cycle, try to make it as memorable as possible so that you can write about the struggles of walking the razor-thin line of keeping drunkenness at bay or something.
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infinity21
Canada6683 Posts
Although I rarely drink alcohol now, I think it's still good to deload once in a while 
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I'm so glad I handle alcohol well. I have tons of fun but seem to keep most of my important decision making abilities. I've never done something drunk that I regret the next day. Lucky me.
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I dislike alcohol, I just don't enjoy the taste and everytime I got drunk, I did stupid stuff that I usually regret the next day.
But that's personal, I can understand someone liking the taste or the effect. Everyone is different and react their own way to alcohol.
Are there some people that dislike the taste of alcohol but still drinks some ?
I consumed quite a lot when I was younger but I very often ended vomiting. I'm definitely not a guy that tolerates alcohol well :p I more a weed guy.
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Personally iv never liked alcohol. In small amounts it does not give me any pleasurable effects and in large amounts it causes many negative ones. In my life I have never found it socially difficult to abstain from drinking. I suppose its different for every person though.
If you're looking for an intoxicant that is more conducive for reading, writing and thinking, I would recommend trying marijuana.
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its all about the setting man. Doesnt always have to be in the club or big ass party or something. Sometimes its just nice to hang with your friends and talk over some/alot of alcohol. Im sure youve had meaningful or meaningless discussions while intoxicated that you probably wouldnt have got to otherwise. The thing is though, if everyone else is drunk and youre not, its boring as shit.
Being drunk or high for that mather is just a social lubricant. The thing is... you wont be on the same page if you sober and everyone else is not.
You been on both sides so im sure you know how it is. Of course not everyone is like this, but believe me... most dude's idea of hanging out is kicking back some beers in whatever setting.
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On April 11 2012 03:23 PassiveAce wrote:
Personally iv never liked alcohol. In small amounts it does not give me any pleasurable effects and in large amounts it causes many negative ones. In my life I have never found it socially difficult to abstain from drinking. I suppose its different for every person though.
If you're looking for an intoxicant that is more conducive for reading, writing and thinking, I would recommend trying marijuana.
Getting baked isn't much better than getting trashed at least in terms of health effects, dangers, and negative effects.
Though I have seen people do both at once.
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I disagree Toast, getting toasted (puns are fun) is significantly less dangerous in large amounts then drinking in large amounts. I suppose I cant speak for long term health, but I don't think either one in moderation is particularly dangerous.
I was speaking to the difference in the state of mind the two drugs put you in rather then the health dangers though.
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It is all about moderation - in just about everything, really. And my personal experience is that a drink or two can actually make me view things in a way I hadn't previously thought.
Maybe the mind on alcohol isn't the sharpest, but it possibly is more liberated in thought.
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Canada13404 Posts
Interesting perspective.
For myself there are alcoholic drinks I enjoy in the same way people enjoy a good film or a good book. I have a favourite brand of beer that I love to drink one of from time to time just to relax and enjoy the flavour.
At times I like a scotch or an appertif after dinner as well. On a long day in the summer I really enjoy a small amount of rum in a nice cold Coca Cola over ice. Simple and refreshing.
Though I agree that if you drink for the purpose of becoming drunk then yes the time you lose from being drunk is better spent on enjoying literature and thinking. Some people however prefer to drink in order to think and write.
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On April 11 2012 04:10 PassiveAce wrote:
I disagree Toast, getting toasted (puns are fun) is significantly less dangerous in large amounts then drinking in large amounts. I suppose I cant speak for long term health, but I don't think either one in moderation is particularly dangerous.
I was referring to long term health effects. Short term health effect of both alcohol and THC strongly depend on how stupid the individual is and how good of friends they have. Such as someone trying to drive a car while intoxicated with either substance.
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I've been doing various intoxicants on and off for some 10 years. I'm also pretty healthy and young looking at 31.
My final conclusion is that both alcohol and weed when done in extreme moderation are great for you in many ways, providing you truly enjoy the feeling (peer pressure or sadness is a giant no) and understand why it is that you will be getting high or drunk.
The combo of good weed and long physical exercise or focused creativity is especially appealing.
Heavier drugs should only be done if you're healthy in the head and on very special occasions but they're sometimes hella fun.
On the other hand, being a pothead or an alcoholic sucks extremely, extremely hard and is one of the pitfalls of life.
There's nothing wrong with abstaining from whatever, but I'd say complete abstinence is not optimal for truly experiencing the intrinsic bohemian nature of quality living.
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On April 11 2012 03:43 gameguard wrote:
The thing is though, if everyone else is drunk and youre not, its boring as shit.
Being drunk or high for that mather is just a social lubricant. The thing is... you wont be on the same page if you sober and everyone else is not.
I disagree. I'm actually allergic to alcohol (even half a shot makes my throat constrict uncomfortably), so I've only ever drank twice in my life for social reasons. (Not to mention, alcohol tastes like toilet cleaner, I swear.) In my experience, being around drunk people can be intoxicating in and of itself. It's like being in a crowd of riled up fans; even if you're normally a quiet person, sometimes you just find yourself on your feet and cheering as loudly as your neighbor. Same thing with being around drunk people. So long as they're not throwing all over the floor or something and are drinking responsibly, it can be pretty fun.
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I like the way you think and write. Really couldn't agree more with how you put it there.
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Everything is going to kill you. Might as pick the stuff that makes you happy.
The problem with most people is they can't accept things. Whether it be outside influences or your mind trying to grab any negative notion it can. Because the mind is good at that,
So simply. Does alcohol over-all increase your life's happiness?
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I'm interested to hear your view on caffeine, given that you consider the mental effects of alcohol to be detrimental to your thinking/writing. I was under the impression that the two have somewhat antagonistic effects, with caffeine improving single-minded focus at the expense of abstract connections, and vice versa for alcohol (in moderation, of course). And of course there are the (admittedly somewhat inconclusive) studies showing health benefits related to moderate drinking.
Regardless, it's up to you what you want to do with alcohol in your life. I find quiet cocktail/wine nights with friends extremely satisfying and a great way to connect with people, so it's definitely staying in mine.
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Anything you do intoxicated will not be of the same quality as when your mind is fresh. Even as a social "lubricant" as someone put it. Its deceiving, it makes you feel good, you may be able to take your mind of things that were bugging you and enjoy the moment. But it will never make you better or more social than you are capable of already. Life is not easy but its sure nice having a chemical that makes you feel good. Thats all it is really, some chemicals that trick your brain into feeling content or happy, but its possible to have those things while sober, even if its difficult and takes time to learn about yourself.
I'm actually in addiction counseling and I go to 12 step groups. I've spent a lot of time hiding myself in intoxication, now I have to find out who I really am, even if it is uncomfortable. It doesn't matter what it is either, being sober and having awareness of your surrondings and of your own thoughts is the only way to make progress. I feel like "using" is just someone spinning their wheels, regardless of how much fun it is, you will come back to the same place you were before you started.
You can liberate your mind without substances, even though it may be more difficult. Though there is nothing wrong with enjoying something you like (gogo moderation), as long as you don't enjoy it so much that it affects your life in a negative way, or kills your liver.
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EPT
