U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says • Hacker News Board

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#111

Post by mythrwy » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:18 AM UTC

jpmoral wrote: post #104

taneq wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Should people be allowed to drink themselves to death? Should families be powerless to help a family member with a disease that makes is so addictive, they can no longer make rational choices in relation to that substance? If you're fat and likely to die of heart disease, should your family be allowed to physically restrain you from buying another burger? What about cigarettes, can you lock them up to force them to…

Correct me if I'm wrong but this post reads like the answers are an easy 'no' but doesn't address GPs situation.

I think the point was sometimes people make less than optimal choices for themselves which can indirectly affect others but they should have the freedom to make them.

Probably we all do this at some level. Hopefully we can encourage each other to do the right thing, but most of us won't at least some of the time. And, sometimes the other party really doesn't know best or understand all the circumstances.

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#112

Post by GhostVII » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:18 AM UTC

claudeganon wrote: post #49

ab_testing wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is not experiencing a die-off. The net population growth in the US is still positive. More births and deaths. Combined that with a net positive immigration, the US is not susceptible to falling population levels like those of in Japan and Russia

> The net population growth in the US is still positive. By something like half a percent. Simultaneously birth rates are decreasing to near historic lows, immigration is being constricted, millennial life expectancy is on the decline, and suicides have spiked across all age groups. Yes, I’ll concede that we’re not at the level of Russia or Japan yet, but something has definitely gone off the rails and not trending i…

Why is it not a great direction? I think if we can keep human population under 10 billion by reducing the birth rate it is probably best for everyone. And immigration rates are fairly high relative to what they have been historically (higher than 2008-2015) [0].

[0] https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/us-immigra...

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#113

Post by smallcharleston » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:22 AM UTC

randlet wrote: post #7

Alcohol is really weird. It's unquestionably a pretty hard drug and yet it's (ab)use is completely normalized in our culture. It's also a drug who's abuse regularly kills people other than those using it.

If you use it normally (1-2 drinks or less max daily) it doesn’t seem like a drug to me. Basically a perhaps mildly unhealthy food item that makes you a bit more social for an hour.

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#114

Post by austingulati » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:26 AM UTC

atlasunshrugged wrote: post #70

A bit off topic but has anyone tried Naltrexone or the Sinclair Method? I did a bit of research on it, tried it a few times but it gave me killer headaches but it seems like a really novel/interesting way to quit outside of the usual AA approach which was always a bit culty/unscientific for my liking

I've been using TSM for about three months now. Prior to starting, I was a frequent binge drinker and experienced significant memory loss from drinking once per week on average. After three months, my interest in drinking is very little to none. TSM gave me my life back.

If the headaches you are referring to are hangovers, this is common and happened to me. The community often refers to them as "Nalovers". Those stopped for me when my consumption got down to a safe level. I recommend sticking to the method if it is just that your hangovers are now much worse.

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#115

Post by jessaustin » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:27 AM UTC

carapace wrote: post #84

ronnier wrote: post #12

The state of men in the US is really deteriorating. Men are drugging, drinking, and smoking theirselves to death. And sometimes the death is very explicit, being by suicide which is climbing to rates higher than ever. Prisons are filled with men, universities are increasingly seeing fewer men than women. Men are increasingly sexless much longer than females. Seems we have a big problem on our hands.

At least we still have our penises.

Don't give them any ideas...

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#116

Post by fsloth » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:27 AM UTC

wjossey wrote: post #5

My father died in July of 2015 from alcohol, at the very young age of 60. He drank daily, and then slowly stopped moving due to other health issues related to back pain. After refusing rehab and other options, he eventually died at his home one evening. His drinking buddy was my step-mother, who followed an identical trajectory. Less than four years later, she died in the same spot of the house, in her late 50s. The…

My mother died 6 years ago in her 60's due to alcohol related complex health issues. Se was psychotic for the last months of her life, died of a cardiac arrest, and a had an advanced form of pancreatic cancer.

At one time she developed severe dementia due to neurological complications from alcohol. She recovered, but started drinking again after that.

I'm not saying what you should feel, but I know the frustration and anger a relatives addiction can cause.

Personally, I'm now fine with the fact that a person can destroy their life.

Because the option would be, that there would be an arbitrary threshold beyond which a persons right for self determination could be taken away, and unless it's bleedingly obvious (as in they are a vegetable) it's most likely an arbitrary and an unfair arrangement.

We are not yet masters of the universe. We are not even masters of human lives. But we've come up with societies that allow individuals freedom to live the lives they choose. This freedom includes the freedom for self immolation. The freedom for self immolation is the price we pay for all the other freedoms. Each one of us need to decide for themselves is this price worth the cost. Personally, for me, I say - yes it is. The price is pain. But the alternative would be even more unfair, and more painfull (i.e. there would be arbiters in the society with more or less arbitrary power to curtail personal freedom due to arbitrary life choices they made).

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#117

Post by tasty_freeze » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:36 AM UTC

Akinato wrote: post #73

My entire family, outside of myself, has struggled with alcohol. I watched it turn them from brilliant, creative people into miserable wretches that avoided living life like one would an allergy. For every single one of them, they started out drinking heavily at parties. Then they would have a beer after work to 'relax'. Then two. Then four. Then six. And then their livers, marriages, and careers started to fall apar…

> It always amazes me that casual and habitual drinking is an accepted thing

yes, everyone agrees drinking and driving is stupid, dangerous, and selfish. yet there are so many bars that are located such that nearly 100% of the patrons drove to/from the bar. Yes, some may have a designated driver, but I suspect many many simply drink and drive because they feel OK to drive and walking home isn't an option.

I'm a 175 lb man and after a single beer I'm sure I'm not legally drunk, but I can sure as hell tell that my perception and reflexes are affected.

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#118

Post by frickinLasers » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:39 AM UTC

jpmoral wrote: post #104

taneq wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Should people be allowed to drink themselves to death? Should families be powerless to help a family member with a disease that makes is so addictive, they can no longer make rational choices in relation to that substance? If you're fat and likely to die of heart disease, should your family be allowed to physically restrain you from buying another burger? What about cigarettes, can you lock them up to force them to…

Correct me if I'm wrong but this post reads like the answers are an easy 'no' but doesn't address GPs situation.

I believe they're similar questions in that they each address an addiction (junk food, nicotine, adrenaline, adrenaline), and for the most part, the only person at risk of death is the addict.

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#119

Post by armatav » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:40 AM UTC

ronnier wrote: post #12

The state of men in the US is really deteriorating. Men are drugging, drinking, and smoking theirselves to death. And sometimes the death is very explicit, being by suicide which is climbing to rates higher than ever. Prisons are filled with men, universities are increasingly seeing fewer men than women. Men are increasingly sexless much longer than females. Seems we have a big problem on our hands.

Very interesting that this particular truthful sentiment is being downvoted so heavily - a large portion of the world's male population needs assistance, and nothing you said here is false.

Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says

#120

Post by frogpelt » Sat, Jan 11, 2020, 2:42 AM UTC

jpmoral wrote: post #104

taneq wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Should people be allowed to drink themselves to death? Should families be powerless to help a family member with a disease that makes is so addictive, they can no longer make rational choices in relation to that substance? If you're fat and likely to die of heart disease, should your family be allowed to physically restrain you from buying another burger? What about cigarettes, can you lock them up to force them to…

Correct me if I'm wrong but this post reads like the answers are an easy 'no' but doesn't address GPs situation.

Because there's no way to address GP's situation. People get to make their own choices. They can also overdose on meds.