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How much do you drink?

My partner and I drink several glasses of wine each evening. Sometimes it’s 2 glasses each, and some nights it’s 4. I know this is more than the “recommended” amount but we enjoy it, and have no pets or responsibilities at night.

by Anonymousreply 132November 2, 2020 2:16 PM

I have a newish rule I've been able to honor since the first week of August: I only drink socially, and no more than two drinks.

I had been averaging a bottle of beer or glass of wine every night from mid-2019 until I decided to address the issue in August. Surprisingly, last week I went on a vacation with a friend and started out drinking every night, but by day 3 I could only finish 1/4 a can of beer.

I loooooove alcohol, but I'm trying to do whatever is in my power to hold off any chronic diseases when I'm older. Next up is trying to cut back on sweets!

by Anonymousreply 1October 22, 2020 8:20 PM

I'm drinking too much, but I'm trying to practice harm reduction.

I measure my drinks out with shot glasses, so I can keep track. Vodka to reduce toxins and cut carbs. Seltzer to cut calories.

Lately, it's been 8 over the course of an evening (7-8 hours).

It's too much. I'd like to stop or cut back, but there's nothing to replace it with. Covid means there's nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to see.

by Anonymousreply 2October 22, 2020 8:27 PM

Ex-binge drinker here (beer & wine). I've managed to cut my alcohol consumption to two bottles of wine a week, and have eliminated everything else completely. I'm about to cut the wine, along with sweets and most carbohydrates in order to accomplish my weight loss goal by my 41st birthday in March.

I have more than enough time to lose the thirty-five pounds, provided I start now, and stick to the meal prep plan. I will definitely miss it, but the reward is worth the sacrifice. And my mental health will improve as well. I purchased a black Speedo, and can't wait to get into it next summer. At this rate, the pools probably won't be open, but even if I only wear it around the house, I'm going to wear it.

by Anonymousreply 3October 22, 2020 8:32 PM

I've lived in a county that until a few months ago was dry but now you can buy alcohol here and I'd like to try wine but I doubt this redneck shithole has anything so fancy.

by Anonymousreply 4October 22, 2020 8:38 PM

I drink probably probably 5 nights a week. If it's a weekday I normally have two. On a Friday or Saturday it can be much higher depending on the occaaion.

by Anonymousreply 5October 22, 2020 8:42 PM

It depends, there's no regular pattern. At home by myself it would never occur to me. I had to look up the shelf life of liqueur years ago because it sits around for years.

by Anonymousreply 6October 22, 2020 8:47 PM

Same here, r6. I never drink at home alone and since there’s been no socializing this year I haven’t had a drink in at least 6 months.

by Anonymousreply 7October 22, 2020 8:51 PM

Does anyone here take antidepressants and if so does having a drink or two cause any issues?

by Anonymousreply 8October 22, 2020 8:52 PM

A cocktail before dinner with appetizers and a glass of wine with dinner.

We're right out of "Bewitched".

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by Anonymousreply 9October 22, 2020 8:54 PM

I used to drink a bottle of wine every two or three days. Then Covid hit and I was drinking twice that amount. Quit drinking in June. Haven't touched the sauce since. Probably will again come the holidays.

by Anonymousreply 10October 22, 2020 8:57 PM

Used to sell wine. Also used to binge the heck out of it. I am 11 months sober but boy, what a year to choose to put it down. Not gonna lie, I miss the taste of wine and shopping for it / cooking with it greatly. It probably is better this way, however.

by Anonymousreply 11October 22, 2020 8:59 PM

Apparently not enough.

by Anonymousreply 12October 22, 2020 8:59 PM

I probably have 2 drinks a week

by Anonymousreply 13October 22, 2020 9:02 PM

I was a black out drunk for about 15 years. DTs, the whole bit. I got that situation under control with Naltrexone, which rewired my brain. I’ll have an average of a drink every other month now and get actually drunk maybe once a year, but I’ve largely lost my taste for it and can’t even remember the last time I craved a drink. That insatiable itch, that feeling that the next drink would bring some kind of ecstasy, is completely gone. During the thick of it, I physically could not go more than 2.5 days without a drink and even had the shakes while I was drinking because I couldn’t get the booze into my system fast enough. Naltrexone saved my life.

by Anonymousreply 14October 22, 2020 9:06 PM

Just curious, Why doesn't Amazon sell alcohol?

by Anonymousreply 15October 22, 2020 9:06 PM

I'd rather die of drinking than old age, so, 2-3 drinks a night when I'm drinking (I get tired/bored of it).

by Anonymousreply 16October 22, 2020 9:07 PM

Cheers, R16!

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by Anonymousreply 17October 22, 2020 9:13 PM

I don't have a drink every day. I'm down to about two drinks a month, more or less.

I cut back after I started seriously watching my weight. I'm the the range where I want to stay and drinking is added calories.

by Anonymousreply 18October 22, 2020 9:15 PM

I haven't during the pandemic except if there's a Zoom thing (three memorials, and a dumb Zoom cocktails hour), so since March I've had 5 drinks. Oh, and a couple of sake with takeout. I had to because it would bring me the fuck down to drink more. Weed, on the other hand...

by Anonymousreply 19October 22, 2020 9:16 PM

Whatever lifts your skirt, R19!

by Anonymousreply 20October 22, 2020 9:19 PM

You’re such a lush, you can’t even conceive of someone drinking once or twice a week?

by Anonymousreply 21October 22, 2020 9:19 PM

i have at least 150 per day not wine tho

by Anonymousreply 22October 22, 2020 9:22 PM

I'm pickled. Trying that Naltrexone drug but the side effects SUCK.

I feel dead and have dead eyes on it. worse than a hangover.

by Anonymousreply 23October 22, 2020 9:29 PM

R23, I had no side effects at all from Naltrexone. The only one I’m aware of is some people getting a stomach ache. That’s solved by starting out with 1/4th of a pill, moving to 1/2, 3/4th, full dose. It’s just a matter of acclimation.

by Anonymousreply 24October 22, 2020 9:32 PM

I drank each and every day throughout most of the nineties. I was with a partner who never took days off, so it was a case of two people being bad influences on one another. I try to have three days off per week minimum. Sometimes a week can go by without any, but usually by then I really want something.

Sometimes I have just one cocktail, other nights three. Some nights I have one glass of wine, sometimes nearly the entire bottle. I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with drinking every night, I simply find I enjoy it more when it isn't out of regular habit. I smoke grass and enjoy pills as well. I believe these other "likes" help me to drink less.

by Anonymousreply 25October 22, 2020 9:36 PM

R8 I can't imagine two drinks a week would negate the antidepressants.

R16 To each their own, but even just the potential long term complications from excessive drinking can be horrifying: hypertension, alcoholic neuropathy (trust me, you don't want this one), higher risks of different cancers (oral, esophageal, and liver), stroke, and heart attacks being among them.

That being said: do what ye will. I'm assuming you're an adult. I just encourage you to reconsider that statement, provided it wasn't sarcasm. Aging does suck, but ageing with chronic health issues is far, far worse.

by Anonymousreply 26October 22, 2020 9:37 PM

R3 Here. R25 I WILL say that I enjoy my two bottles of wine a week far more than I ever enjoyed drinking when I was bingeing. I definitely agree with enjoying it more when it isn't out of regular habit.

by Anonymousreply 27October 22, 2020 9:41 PM

During the pandemic until early September, I was drinking 4-6 drinks a day, usually vodka & soda. But I've since cut down to 3 drinks twice a week (3 on Weds, 3 on either Fri, Sat, or Sun). I did so because I noticed I was becoming forgetful and unfocused. Don't want to lose my brain power yet!

by Anonymousreply 28October 22, 2020 9:50 PM

What's a good wine for a beginner?

by Anonymousreply 29October 22, 2020 9:51 PM

R29, pruno.

by Anonymousreply 30October 22, 2020 9:51 PM

R27 I can relate to your Speedo goal as well, considering it becomes harder to allot for the empty calories with age. Thankfully I enjoy Scotch rocks, and Gin Martinis, less sugar than wine, but still empty calories.

by Anonymousreply 31October 22, 2020 9:52 PM

R29 Are you the poster who is in the formerly dry county? Check the nicest grocery store for an Italian red like a Valpolicella or a Bardolino. Bordeaux are nice as well. Try with dinner, or cheese. I generally prefer reds. Sauvignon Blanc and White Bordeaux are versatile whites. You should be able to find a suitable everyday "table wine" at most grocers.

If you don't particularly care for any of those, try a Pinot Grigio... not much flavour or tannin, and often a lower alcohol content as well.

by Anonymousreply 32October 22, 2020 10:08 PM

The outgoing Republican Mayor of our town fucked with the repeal so except for the one liquor store in town only the local CVS can sell alcohol and only beer.

by Anonymousreply 33October 22, 2020 10:14 PM

R33 That sounds dreadful. Can you try a delivery service? Even where my partner's house is, remote area, the Drizzly app had no participating stores, but found someone to send us a tonne of wines and spirits via UPS. It was packed well, and nothing broke or leaked.

by Anonymousreply 34October 22, 2020 10:21 PM

^ sorry, it's drizly

by Anonymousreply 35October 22, 2020 10:21 PM

I drink once or twice a week but I usually binge; about 8 beers or 5 to 6 strong cocktails.

by Anonymousreply 36October 22, 2020 10:22 PM

I don't drink every day; I try not to during the week unless there is some special event on (sports, or something I really want to see). On the weekend- different story. Anywhere from 4 to 8ish. Sometimes I'll take one of the weekend days off.

by Anonymousreply 37October 22, 2020 10:22 PM

1-2 a day, but I use 24oz tumblers

by Anonymousreply 38October 22, 2020 10:24 PM

We don't even have public transportation R34 so I doubt you could get alcohol delivered here.

by Anonymousreply 39October 22, 2020 10:31 PM

I can't get drunk, or tipsy, not for lack of trying. Alcohol makes me sleepy, clumsy, and dumb, and hungover, too, but the lose-your-inhibitions, ecstatic feeling of being drunk is a mystery to me. I have weird brain stuff going on, which professionals have never been able to figure out, and I'm sure that ties into how alcohol treats me. So, I hardly ever drink.

Ironically, my father seems to react to alcohol the same way, and he is an alcoholic. He seems to like the sedative effect. To me, that effect is not worth it if I'm feeling poisoned.

by Anonymousreply 40October 22, 2020 10:42 PM

R39 There's no public transport where I am currently either; my partner lives in an unincorporated area, with horses, and an old barn! That drizly app found a shop however that was willing to box it all up. The UPS fee was $75 but well worth it for things we could not get delivered from grocery stores.

Best wishes to you.

by Anonymousreply 41October 22, 2020 10:43 PM

I dont drink during the week. I just dont know how people do it after the age of 40, honestly.

Saturdays are my trasher day. My husband and I always go out for drinks and dinner: so two cocktails, two glasses of wine with dinner...then a beer or two at home.

So--6 for the week? That of course changes when we are away on vacation.

I wasnt a drinker in my 20s--too obsessed with working and training (I used to do all that Iron Man shit). But I met my now husband when I was 32 and for about 8 years we were louche. Drank 5-6 nights, blew much money on dinners out, etc. It was fun but I yanked the e-brake on that behavior around 41 (im 49 now).

Now weed gummies are my weakness. Since Covid, I pop one a few nights a week.

by Anonymousreply 42October 22, 2020 10:53 PM

I must admit I'm more than a bit surprised a little over 60% here do not drink at all.

by Anonymousreply 43October 22, 2020 10:56 PM

This thread (and the debate tonight) inspired me to make a giant G&T in a pint glass, though I wasn't planning on drinking! It feels like summer here as well, humid and 77*, which is unusual for the area. (far SE suburbs of Chicago)

by Anonymousreply 44October 22, 2020 11:40 PM

R3 eldergays should NOT be wearing Speedos in public. Great that you’re losing weight, but don’t make a fool of yourself.

by Anonymousreply 45October 23, 2020 1:03 AM

Used to go out 2 nights a week and have 5-8 drinks at 2-3 different places. When Covid shut everything down, I just stopped going out. I miss my gay bar nights - but have no desire to drink at home. The street side tables that gay bars set up don’t really appeal either. So 2020 will be a healthy year for my liver at least.

by Anonymousreply 46October 23, 2020 1:28 AM

Surprised to see 60% of the people don't drink - I'm one of them.

by Anonymousreply 47October 23, 2020 1:30 AM

I've entered problem drinking mode. Isn't affecting my work, but my happiness and my motivation to do other things.

We're talking 3-6 drinks 2-4 times per week, but honestly, the upper levels are rarely met - it's much more commonly 3-5 drinks, 2-3 times per week. It doesn't sound that bad, especially when I've never been a drink-every-day person and I often have small stretches of not drinking. Just two weeks ago I had a six-day run of not drinking (that has to sound ridiculous to non drinkers). Plus, it's almost entirely social - I hardly ever sit at home and drink alone.

But, it's never fun anymore and while I might get a slight lift for a short time, I always feel worse afterwords.

by Anonymousreply 48October 23, 2020 1:40 AM

Those of you who don't drink, or keep it to one or two drinks a night, I'd love to hear more tips on how you limit things.

by Anonymousreply 49October 23, 2020 1:42 AM

Naltrexone. Took me from a consistent, regular over drinker to a having drink or two very occasionally.

by Anonymousreply 50October 23, 2020 1:54 AM

R49 I made that G&T in the pint glass, and just didn't want another tonight. I wasn't really craving it in the first place. Sometimes I would like the feeling of two or three, but the desire seems to vanish after one or two. I no longer drink two consecutive days. For me, it's not a struggle. Being retired has seriously reduced feelings of "needing" a drink as well.

by Anonymousreply 51October 23, 2020 2:14 AM

I'm guessing that some of the 60% (poll) who don't drink at all are middle-aged+ people who used to drink.

"Two drinks" can mean different things to different people. If you're serious about cutting back, you should measure out your wine and hard liquor.

by Anonymousreply 52October 23, 2020 2:26 AM

I average about one a week. Where do I click?

by Anonymousreply 53October 23, 2020 6:43 AM

Is I've aged, even one or two drinks saps my energy and muddles my brain. Any more than that and I'll feel it the next day, so I mostly avoid alcohol unless it's a rare special occasion and I have plenty of recovery time available. Preferably a day of hydration, Xanax, and naps interspersed with dips into the mineral pools at Calistoga.

by Anonymousreply 54October 23, 2020 7:19 AM

R 54 must be my lost twin. Years ago I could enjoy a couple of drinks (three was my limit, unless I really wanted trouble.) Now even one makes me want to lie down and sleep.

by Anonymousreply 55October 23, 2020 7:39 AM

I actually want to drink more socially, but when I turned 30, my hangovers got more severe, but I could power through them. Now at 40, 2 glasses of whine or 3 drinks will throw my sleep completely off and I feel like shit the next day. I don't know if the Prep is making them worse. Feeling hungover on a moderate amount of alcohol is not worth it unless it's an event. I do smoke weed instead. Splitting a bottle of wine every night will make you fat.

by Anonymousreply 56October 23, 2020 7:56 AM

For me, usually two cocktails before dinner, made with measured shots (1.5 oz) of liquor. That's it. I don't drink more or at other times, but I really miss the pre-dinner ritual if I can't have it. It marks the end of the work day and the start of the fun evening.

R49, that's a good question. I measure the liquor to limit the alcohol content of the drinks. As for the number of drinks, I don't enjoy drinking more, or drinking in the daytime. It makes me feel too sleepy and a little sick. Two is enough. But that's me. If others enjoy wine or an old fashioned or a frozen daiquiri with lunch, more power to them.

On the other hand, some of the comments in this thread are unbelievable. One drink a day is not an "issue" unless it makes you, individually, feel sick. 2-3 drinks per day - if they're properly measured drinks - is not "excessive" unless they have an individual unpleasant effect on you. Teetotaling is not required for good health.

This is a very American thread in its attitude toward drinking.

by Anonymousreply 57October 23, 2020 8:21 AM

[Quote] I'd like to stop or cut back, but there's nothing to replace it with. Covid means there's nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to see.

Do you sing? Any video editing skills?

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by Anonymousreply 58October 23, 2020 8:25 AM

American definitely does have a different relationship with alcohol than the Brits. No judgement.

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by Anonymousreply 59October 23, 2020 8:33 AM

2-3 beers per week. Always craft beers. I like going to the breweries and having a flight which is usually 4 - 5oz beers. my favorites are IPAs, Stouts and Porters. Rarely wine or hard liquor.

by Anonymousreply 60October 23, 2020 9:28 AM

Didn't realize there were so many active drunks on the DL.

Not attractive, especially in your elder years.

But what what else is there for you? When you haven't come out of the house since March.

All alone clutching your pearls with your screw top, creating your 30th death mongering covid thread?

by Anonymousreply 61October 23, 2020 9:58 AM

I had a therapist once who said my bf and I splitting a bottle of red wine every Saturday night was "binge drinking" and we needed professional help. He was probably trying to charge us for more sessions, I suppose.

by Anonymousreply 62October 23, 2020 10:01 AM

[quote]Those of you who don't drink, or keep it to one or two drinks a night, I'd love to hear more tips on how you limit things.

R49: I drink only socially and it's not really a temptation that has to be limited because there's no real temptation. I don't crave the taste of alcohol or the effect. As for the taste, it took a long time to figure what I could drink because there were so many things I don't like; I have a shortlist of things to ask for in various situations to spare me pausing to think and think to answer the simple question "And what would you like?" In a simple bar I have beer usually, the "lightest" sort with the least or cleanest taste. In a better bar with more choices they usually have the whole catalogue of my shortlist. At many receptions I know the choice is somewhat limited so I have two or three basic choices. I like wine with dinner, and can make a decent choice though I will usually defer assuming anyone I'm with will make an equal or probably better choice, and the choice may be more important to them.

As far as the effects, it's social lubricant to a point: people talk more readily, more animatedly, etc., — unless your friends are sloppy drunks or mean drunks or sad drunks or two sips is all it takes drunks. In good company with people who value conversation and good company above getting hammered, I like the effect, but as with the taste it's purely situational.

by Anonymousreply 63October 23, 2020 10:23 AM

[quote] I have weird brain stuff going on

Very common on Datalounge.

by Anonymousreply 64October 23, 2020 10:41 AM

i do not consume alcoholic beverages. do you think my liver is made of teflon?

by Anonymousreply 65October 23, 2020 11:00 AM

I usually hang out with my friends friday or Saturday night, almost every week.

That is the only time I drink. At these kind of get togethers I'll usually have 3-4 drinks.

by Anonymousreply 66October 23, 2020 11:03 AM

After living with a woman for 1.5 years I have come to realize that we and hetero women are the biggest drinkers. Mostly we drink to forget we are constantly annoyed by society and by roommate says they drink because it is so hard to live up to the standars society sets for women.

The idea is self respect. It is a hard battle. After my partner died I was so depressed I drank a six pack a day. The real trick to quitting is to get yourself in a better environment where you actually have some level of enthusiasm for the future. This is the challenge.

by Anonymousreply 67October 23, 2020 11:18 AM

Naltrexone has helped me as well, but I had difficulty getting my therapist to go along with it and getting it prescribed. So I’ve never done the “take naltrexone and drink normally (for a drunk)” protocol. I’m just supposed to take it and not drink. Supposedly it helps with cravings. I can’t really tell, but I do know that it prevents binges because I’m still not 100% sober and if I drink when I haven’t taken it, I sometimes go way overboard. Like needing a drink the next morning overboard. But if I have taken naltrexone that doesn’t happen. With naltrexone I can reliably have four or five drinks and not be desperate for more. I suspect I could be happy with one or two, but I usually buy one bottle of wine or a 175ml vodka and drink it all out of habit and because on some level there a thrill of the forbidden. I know that sounds like a binge to some people, but to not crave more after that is only possible with naltrexone. A few times I’ve gotten a bottle of wine and poured out about 1/3. That works too. I just don’t drink frequently enough to be able to fully gauge how well naltrexone works.

It seems like the word is getting out, so the substance abuse industry has to prescribe it, but they are using it incorrectly because they don’t want too many alcoholics cured or close to cured. I think AA has helped a lot of people, but I also think the common belief that AA is the end all and it’s their way or the highway with regards to substance abuse has harmed many people.

Some day when I’m in a regular job and more settled, I may try the Sinclair protocol. And, yes, I know the fact that I even still want to find a way to drink is evidence of my alcoholism.

by Anonymousreply 68October 23, 2020 11:35 AM

I drink 5 liters of clean water every day. Jealous, bitches?

by Anonymousreply 69October 23, 2020 11:54 AM

Kind of, R69. I installed an app to remind me to drink water and I still don't have enough.

by Anonymousreply 70October 23, 2020 11:58 AM

If you guys only drink 1-2 glasses of wine every evening or a couple of times a week, do you still get the same effect? I dont drink every day - maybe 4-5 bottles of wine per month - but I noticed that I need more and more to feel anything. When i started drinking I was usually a bit sleepy and tipsy after 1 glass of wine and drunk after 2 glasses. Right now, I can drink 2-3 glasses and I dont feel drunk at all. This also doesn't change when I stop drinking for a month or more. I really miss just drinking a glass of wine and falling asleep an hour later. Helped me with my insomnia for a while.

by Anonymousreply 71October 23, 2020 11:59 AM

I’m fifty-one with moderately high blood pressure. I’m trying to cut back. But I drink at least two drinks a day, which my doctor is okay with. I sometimes drink twice that.

by Anonymousreply 72October 23, 2020 12:31 PM

I don't see the appeal. Drinking dehydrates you, gives you hangovers, and makes it extremely difficult to be fit (though you can manage it with a good regimen). When I want to unwind at the end of the day I vape with weed. No side effects, no detrimental nutrional effects. You can vape most every night with no problem

by Anonymousreply 73October 23, 2020 12:34 PM

You can also enjoy life without relying on any such crutch.

by Anonymousreply 74October 23, 2020 12:42 PM

[quote]vape with weed. No side effects, no detrimental nutrional effects.

How do you avoid raiding the pantry when you get the munchies? Booze at least kills my appetite instead of lighting a fire under it.

by Anonymousreply 75October 23, 2020 12:51 PM

[quote]If you guys only drink 1-2 glasses of wine every evening or a couple of times a week, do you still get the same effect?

Some people drink for the "effect" and some don't. I could be equally happy drinking coffee or a Diet Coke or orange juice with my friends, none of which has any effect on me (well, maybe 8 double expressos.) I drink to enjoy the company of friends, not to relax, not to feel an effect of alcohol, not to sleep better at night (the very least of my worries.)

by Anonymousreply 76October 23, 2020 12:53 PM

[quote] expressos

You're making me stabby.

by Anonymousreply 77October 23, 2020 1:06 PM

Vaping is such a gross habit, and yet people who vape are always scoffing at other habits and touting their own as the cure to all ills.

by Anonymousreply 78October 23, 2020 1:37 PM

i know, right?

by Anonymousreply 79October 23, 2020 1:38 PM

Mi piace San Pellegrino.

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by Anonymousreply 80October 23, 2020 1:40 PM

How is vaping gross? It's not good or bad. Drinking is not good or bad. Both are just pleasurable activities.

But practically speaking, vaping has far fewer detrimental effects compared to drinking. There are no trade offs you make like there are with drinking.

by Anonymousreply 81October 23, 2020 2:23 PM

[quote]I drink 5 liters of clean water every day. Jealous, bitches?

Yes.

by Anonymousreply 82October 23, 2020 2:26 PM

This thread sounds like mostly Americans. I’m amazed how many teetotalers there are. It really is relative. In the UK, they kept bars open - because they are part of life. In most of the US, bars have been shut for over 6 months. It really is a Puritanical based view of alcohol still.

by Anonymousreply 83October 23, 2020 2:29 PM

R83 it's not "puritanical" to not want to die of an easily transmitted illness.

The US never shut down bars nationwide. Places where idiotic decision makers left bars open, like Florida and the UK have dramatically higher infection rates than places where bars were closed like my home state of Connecticut.

by Anonymousreply 84October 23, 2020 2:35 PM

I don't like it. I don't think I ever did. I just drank because it was the thing to do back then, HISTAMINES.

I live to wake up after 7 hours of sleep and feel rested and ready for the day. Not sitting over the edge of the bed with my head in my hands after taking 3 advil.

by Anonymousreply 85October 23, 2020 2:40 PM

[quote]How is vaping gross? It's not good or bad.

Sometimes, the vapor stinks out loud. I was trapped at a bus stop once with a guy who was making the six feet around him reek of eau de Glade plug-in. It was very, very bad. I avoid vapers as best as I can.

by Anonymousreply 86October 23, 2020 2:42 PM

Weed vape doesn't smell -- at least not to the extent nicotine vape does

by Anonymousreply 87October 23, 2020 2:53 PM

R87 is right. The only exception is if the cartridge is done and you keep trying to hit it. Sometimes that smells a tiny bit. The vapor also dissapates completely in a few seconds.

by Anonymousreply 88October 23, 2020 2:56 PM

I wish polls like this had a weekly option. I don’t drink daily, but I’ll have wine or beer with dinner once or twice a week. I might have a “session” where I drink 3-4 in an afternoon/evening. My most accurate assessment would be 3-6 drinks a week.

by Anonymousreply 89October 23, 2020 3:01 PM

The Brits drink like they don't want to live, then call anyone else who doesn't have 7 pints a day down at the pub a "puritan."

by Anonymousreply 90October 23, 2020 4:06 PM

Met a British couple on vacation once and we were having dinner and drinks together. When the check came at the end of the night, the husband had 9 beers and some shots and wasn't even slightly tipsy or drunk. I was surprised but the wife meant this was a normal night out.

by Anonymousreply 91October 23, 2020 7:32 PM

Microdosing mushrooms helped my friend stop drinking. He takes 0.1g, a few times a week.

by Anonymousreply 92October 23, 2020 7:49 PM

I was drinking a 1.5l every 2-3 days of vodka. Starting at around 1pm, from March to Sept. Quit cold turkey. No side effects. I'm now pregnant.

by Anonymousreply 93October 23, 2020 7:57 PM

who's the daddy?

by Anonymousreply 94October 23, 2020 8:01 PM

I used to drink a little more, but in recent years it’s probably about a dozen drinks per year, which rounded down to zero for the survey.

by Anonymousreply 95October 23, 2020 8:06 PM

R94- My husband. I'm straight.

by Anonymousreply 96October 23, 2020 8:21 PM

I'm with R87/R88 "Weed" vapes smell good to me, unless they're that lemongrass flavour (that can remind me of Airwick or Glade). I suppose if you find the scent of grass pleasant, the vape is similar, but lighter, and no smoke.

R90 Please don't generalise. I'm British, and seven pints a night IS a problem.

I just opened a nice Cabernet, and even if not in the mood so to speak, I always have wine with my Shabbat dinner. It's not always a matter of getting drunk; I enjoy the ritual, and one or two glasses sipped slowly is quite relaxing.

by Anonymousreply 97October 23, 2020 10:37 PM

Just enough to make it through DL every evening. Which is requiring more and more...

by Anonymousreply 98October 23, 2020 11:56 PM

R84, it’s the attitude toward drinking that’s Puritanical, not the attitude toward COVID. This isn’t a COVID thread and hopefully won’t turn into one. R83 is right. Many of the comments here express a Puritanical view of alcohol, suggesting that one drink a day is harmful. That’s ridiculous and unsupported by evidence. It’s very American to look askance at anything that is done purely for pleasure. I also find it hilarious that the same people who claim drinking is bad and want to stop will happily admit to smoking weed.

There are some people who shouldn't drink for medical or psychological reasons. For the rest of us, it's perfectly OK. No matter how little you drink and how healthy you eat, you're still going to die someday.

by Anonymousreply 99October 24, 2020 12:34 AM

R93- We all know you're a drunk Mandy Moore.

by Anonymousreply 100October 24, 2020 12:56 AM

[quote] It’s very American to look askance at anything that is done purely for pleasure.

Very true, R99. Americans take the concept of "guilty pleasures" to ridiculous heights, giving themselves permission, allowing, making special exceptions, bargaining and bartering, apologizing, excusing, explaining "well, maybe, just this once, because taking this one little square from a tablet of chocolate isn't quite as bad as the time I garroted a small child who wouldn't stop crying...is it?" And with alcohol it's worse still. Have a fucking drink if you want, but please can we talk about anything else?

Americans are always apologizing and explaining their every little "indulgence" that only other Americans would consider noteworthy indulgences.

by Anonymousreply 101October 24, 2020 2:09 AM

The act of consuming creates a nice boundary between active drinker/toker/smoker and anti-drinker/anti-toker. Seriously, neither side has anything constructive to say at this point. Both sides should avoid each other.

It comes down to the value of time. When I’m sober, fucked-up people waste/disrespect my time. When I’m messed up, I’m simply a human pontificating upon matters that should be important to you but you stop listening on the firsht shlur.

Covid has me smoking 8 grams of weed per week and that’s historically excessive even for me. If I converted usage of weed to my use of alcohol, my highpoint there was a fifth of whiskey per day.

by Anonymousreply 102October 24, 2020 5:57 AM

[quote]Many of the comments here express a Puritanical view of alcohol, suggesting that one drink a day is harmful. That’s ridiculous and unsupported by evidence.

You're confusing the people who are saying that one drink a day FOR THEM isn't working out, versus someone who says one drink a day is bad and wrong. Unless I'm mistaken, no one has said the latter.

There is also a small increase in cancer risk in those who have just one drink a day, and many who have "one drink a day" actually have more than that, because they don't realize the definition of one drink is 5 ounces of wine or 1 1/2 ounces of hard liquor. They're having a cocktail with 3 oz and calling it "one drink."

by Anonymousreply 103October 24, 2020 9:47 AM

When I stopped drinking (after being hospitalized for it) the doctor put me on Naltrexone, and it completely eliminated my sex drive. I remember seeing a billboard of two people kissing and it looked like the strangest thing in the world to me. When I went off the drug after a couple of months I was fine.

by Anonymousreply 104October 24, 2020 12:32 PM

R102, is 8 grams around 7 joints?

by Anonymousreply 105October 24, 2020 2:31 PM

for those that use naltrexone (I'm going to give it another try) - how long do you have to use it? Forever? Or can you use it for 3-6 months to change your habits around alcohol? Ironically, i don't want to be on drugs forever to change my daily relationship with booze!

by Anonymousreply 106October 24, 2020 2:39 PM

How much do I drink? Not enough, it feels like lately.

by Anonymousreply 107October 24, 2020 2:45 PM

Drinking habits in the U.S. aren’t “puritanical.” Americans used to drink and smoke much more but many of us have accepted the fact that such habits lead to cancer, liver disease and perhaps worst of all for DL readers, excessive weight gain and premature aging. Brits don’t care about their physical appearance as much, hence the beer bellies, facial wrinkles/scarring, and hideous teeth.

by Anonymousreply 108October 24, 2020 2:54 PM

I drink until I pass out. That is all.

by Anonymousreply 109October 24, 2020 2:56 PM

"Brits don’t care about their physical appearance as much, hence the beer bellies, facial wrinkles/scarring, and hideous teeth. "

Save for the hideous teeth, this describes Americans. Sure, there's the fitness fanatic subset, but the idea that Americans overall care about their physical appearance is laughable.

by Anonymousreply 110October 24, 2020 3:40 PM

I’ve taken naltrexone for about 2 years - but only when I drink. Over the first year, it did its thing very subtly. In the second year - and admittedly the closure of all bars due to Covid helped - I have only drank 6 times. But the one time I did it without naltrexone, I did have that urge to keep going that I hadn’t felt since taking it.

So yes, you need to take naltrexone forever - only when you drink. It’s totally worth it.

by Anonymousreply 111October 24, 2020 3:41 PM

R9 - we are those people - cocktail before dinner, then 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner.

Dinner has become 'events' for us as there's nothing else to fucking do. So we've stepped up our cooking game 5 nights a week (on average).

It is probably too much, but I'm just trying to stay COVID free, stay alive, and not pass anything on to anyone. If I need a few drinks, so be it.

by Anonymousreply 112October 24, 2020 3:46 PM

for others with naltrexone did it also decrease your frequency? I've gone from a casual drinker to way too much - 4-7 times a week.

by Anonymousreply 113October 24, 2020 6:55 PM

I’d just like to preserve a few brain cells for my old age—they might come in handy some day.

by Anonymousreply 114October 24, 2020 7:58 PM

R114 brain cells schmell cells. I was born with too many and I’m drinking myself down to genius level one martini at a time.

by Anonymousreply 115October 24, 2020 8:12 PM

I probably have five drinks per year.

I used to drink (wine) every day but cut down considerably several years ago.

by Anonymousreply 116October 24, 2020 8:19 PM

OK, r109 and r115. But it’s famous last words when you overshoot the mark.

by Anonymousreply 117October 24, 2020 8:21 PM

I was a light to moderate drinker for most of my life. I completely stopped with COVID and didn't really miss it. Found out yesterday my cancer's back after 6 years and I have to go through chemo again. I'm on my second huge Ketel on the rocks right now. Fuck 2020. Fuck COVID. Fuck cancer. And especially, FUCK Trump.

by Anonymousreply 118October 24, 2020 9:38 PM

R118 L'Chaim, and to your health. Wishing you all the best. If they make you feel better, or comfortably numb, I'd say you deserve it at this point. 🍸

by Anonymousreply 119October 24, 2020 10:02 PM

Good luck R118. There are time when getting drunk is appropriate. Shitty news like that - and 2020 in general. To a better - healthier - 2021.

by Anonymousreply 120October 25, 2020 4:16 AM

What is the question trying to elicit OP?

by Anonymousreply 121October 25, 2020 4:21 AM

R117 I know !!

by Anonymousreply 122October 25, 2020 5:05 AM

After reading this thread last week and looking at my recyclables, I've decided to greatly reduce my alcohol intake. I was having a small vodka with olives before dinner, then a couple glasses of wine with and after dinner. Two days last week, I finished 2 bottles of wine. Didn't feel that well the next day. I've decided to cut back drastically during the week and be careful on the weekends. I'm 40 lbs overweight anyway. Reducing my alcohol intake should help me reach my goal weight more quickly.

When COVID-19 shut down the local liquor stores in April and May, I found myself ordering a curb-side pick up of a case of wine. Having that much in the house just made me drink more, or at least that's how it seemed.

One thing I have found in the past, buying really good wine ($25 or more a bottle) really does help me cut down on my daily intake. It seems like I savor it more.

by Anonymousreply 123October 26, 2020 1:45 PM

The person whose therapist doesn't understand The Sinclair Method needs to find a new therapist. The drug only works if you continue drinking. It alters your brain's reaction to alcohol. Without the alcohol, it can't do its job. Gradually, as the other poster noted, you'll begin to notice that you actually don't want that last drink you'd have before you pass out and then the last 2 drinks you'd normally have and on and on.

I haven't taken Naltrexone for almost 9 years and the effects have remained. I took it consistently for about 2.5 years, 45 minutes before having a drink and then on and off, when I'd feel the itch surging, over the subsequent 3ish years. It is possible to sort of "drink through it", but the effects are still mitigated and, eventually, in my experience, the desire to even do that is simply broken. I, frankly, hate the taste of alcohol now and it's been interesting figuring out *other things to do* when triggers crop up that used to lead to 3 week binges.

I'm also really thankful that Naltrexone exists because the addictive mind is an all or nothing, black and white, infantile dynamic, which all 12 step programs simply reinforce. Becoming capable of moderation with alcohol, has allowed me to become aware of my inclination for that melodramatic thought/reaction pattern and break free from it and into an adult capacity for greys and nuance across many areas of my life.

At the time I sought help, I could not imagine myself as a non-drinker. Could not even imagine it. My identity was wrapped up in this persona, as much as my body was trapped in a physical addiction. I think this is common and one of the reasons many people resist seeking treatment, as nearly all of common (and non-science-based) options for treatment insist that going teetotal is the only option. And that's simply untrue, now. You can still go out and have drinks (that you won't enjoy much lol) with friends and not go completely off the rails again. That is possible with Naltrexone. And as you gently phase out of being a professional drunk, to a hobby drunk, to a non-drunk, you can slowly start to rediscover other things you actually enjoy doing without having to go through an existential crisis or falsely brand yourself as terminal addict who is forever walking a knife edge.

by Anonymousreply 124October 26, 2020 2:20 PM

Thank you for taking the time to post about your experience in detail, R14 / 124.

by Anonymousreply 125November 1, 2020 7:58 PM

[quote] After reading this thread last week and looking at my recyclables, I've decided to greatly reduce my alcohol intake.

Steven King, the book writer, quit drinking after looking at his recyclables. His drink of choice was beer, so you can imagine what his recycling pile must have looked like.

by Anonymousreply 126November 1, 2020 8:32 PM

If I drink I've taken to measuring it out so I know exactly how much alcohol I'm consuming. One person's idea of "one drink" can be waaay off the mark.

by Anonymousreply 127November 2, 2020 2:55 AM

I drink maybe once a month if I go out with a friend who is also drinking. Most of the time, I don't drink at all. I have wine here at my place, but it never interests me.

I do eat an edible once a night though. 25 calories and zero issues with hangovers. Never did that either until the pandemic hit. I like it way better than alcohol.

by Anonymousreply 128November 2, 2020 2:59 AM

Are you a doctor? If so, I only have a few drinks, twice a week at most.

If you're not a doctor, I drink a few glasses of wine most nights and a few nights I get drunk and experience hangovers the next day. But COVID.

by Anonymousreply 129November 2, 2020 3:02 AM

I don’t know how people stick with naltrexone. Yes, it helps to slow down drinking a lot. It also saps my personality, and makes me really angry and short with everyone around me. I can’t even get the runners high when I exercise. Sex isn’t as good. I just feel numb, but not in a fun way. I am interested in trying microdosing with mushrooms, but can’t find anyone reputable to ship in the US. Any advice?

by Anonymousreply 130November 2, 2020 3:54 AM

[quote]R76 I could be equally happy drinking coffee or a Diet Coke or orange juice with my friends, none of which has any effect on me (well, maybe 8 double expressos.) I drink to enjoy the company of friends

But you [italic]don’t [/italic]drink those things with your friends do you, you goddamn lush?

I pity you.

by Anonymousreply 131November 2, 2020 4:10 AM

R130 - only take it when you are going to drink. There is so much confusion and ignorance in the US about naltrexone. The abstinence only mentality does not apply with naltrexone. And it isn’t necessary to take it daily. What works best is to take it before drinking at least 1 hour. But don’t take it before things that give a good natural high - like running.

It has a negligible effect on me. But then it is generally offset by the fact that I drink afterwards. It is truly a miracle drug for me. It is such a subtle shift over time that an not be achieved with any other approach. The whole premise is abstinence makes cravings worse and when you do drink, it’s out of control. Over 6 months to a year, I just found myself not having any desire to drink. Amazing. Just find an informed psychiatrist or doctor to work with.

by Anonymousreply 132November 2, 2020 2:16 PM
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