Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#61

Post by zoomablemind » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:55 PM UTC

> ...My social and entertainment life has involved alcohol for the last 10 years.

Well, I understand this as that it involved people too, and doing some things together.

So, if the alcohol was rather a facilitator, then the question is rather more about you wanting to keep your social circles/interests while just personally wanting to subtract alcohol from your consumption. Is that right?

After all, the options depend more on the people and the common thing that keeps you together, than alcohol by itself. Of course, your personal interests too.

Starting a whole new social circle is a whole new question.

Either way, it's doable, and quite liberating and money saving. Those 7-dollar pints and shots not drunk add up... well, should you not find a pricier substitute, hopefully healthier.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#62

Post by danrl » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:55 PM UTC

dagurp wrote: post #26

Go to sleep early and enjoy having the whole Saturday and Sunday for outdoor activities

This. Bonus points for hitting the outdoors with friends. Deep talks don’t happen drunk, but sober and walking/hiking. Drunk “deep talk” is mostly previously suppressed feelings (learn to express them sober) and kitchen sink philosophy.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. — Benjamin Franklin

Books - Alcohol Explained by William Porter - The unexpected joy of a sober life (forgot the author’s name, but she is a great writer)

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#63

Post by dougmwne » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:55 PM UTC

siva7 wrote: post #13

I don’t think that life can be as fun without alcohol so instead of totally quitting i would try to reduce it for special occasions like night clubbing

I've had plenty of fun with alcohol, but more fun without it. And at some point, most people's bodies call it quits. This seems to happen in your 30's, some metabolic change perhaps. Now the stuff makes me sleepy or a little lightheaded. If I try to chase the high, I end up sick. Friends started falling asleep at the table. The wild nights of our 20's are in the rearview mirror. And I'm a more confident person now, so the liquid courage is no longer required.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#64

Post by PaulHoule » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:56 PM UTC

asteroidp wrote: post #53

PaulHoule wrote: post #25

Of all the benzodiazepines it is particularly pleasant to have a Valium or a Xanax and go to a party. It has an effect very similar to alcohol but doesn't have the physical toxicity. If you have even minor anxiety symptoms you probably won't have a hard time getting an ℞ for Xanax from your primary care doc for 30 pills or so, particularly if you intend to substitute it for alcohol. Even though those drugs are very s…

Suggesting benzos is dangerous advice

Taking them every day is dangerous in terms of: (1) risk of addiction, (2) risk of falls, (3) long term suppression of memory formation. Talk to somebody who uses long-acting BZs and you'll probably notice that they have the same conversation with you that they had 10 years ago. Antidepressants are the first-line choice of anxiety disorders because they don't get in the way of people finding solutions to their problems the way long-acting BZs do.

It's like alcohol though. Chronic use of alcohol will really destroy you, faster than chronic BZ use. Taking a Xanax on the weekend occasionally won't wreck your life and could be safer than drinking.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#65

Post by Gualdrapo » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:56 PM UTC

krastanov wrote: post #35

A lot of the answers here thoroughly confuse me. It seems like a completely false premise that alcohol is required to (1) have fun (2) let loose (3) remove inhibitions. Consume a minor amount of alcohol/sugar/drugs if you want to, sure they are damaging, but stress is damaging too, and even oxygen is carcinogenic if you use too much. But do not believe people that tell you that you need an externally delivered chemic…

I never have drink alcohol, a "teetotaler" if that term is allowed here (and one I learned about not so long ago). I just don't like the taste of alcohol. At all.

But I feel like most people began to consume it based on that false premise you mention and others impose it, like a chain effect.

Can't tell if it's some cultural thing but it's so weird to me, one of those aspects of society I can't understand.

Though even weirder has been that sometimes I've been ostracized because this not-alcohol consumption.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#66

Post by jacknews » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:57 PM UTC

PaulHoule wrote: post #25

Of all the benzodiazepines it is particularly pleasant to have a Valium or a Xanax and go to a party. It has an effect very similar to alcohol but doesn't have the physical toxicity. If you have even minor anxiety symptoms you probably won't have a hard time getting an ℞ for Xanax from your primary care doc for 30 pills or so, particularly if you intend to substitute it for alcohol. Even though those drugs are very s…

LOL, that's plenty of information, but perhaps not what the OP was looking for.

"what can I do instead of drinking"

Well, there's dope, poppers, E, heroin, meth, crack, benzos, coke ...

LOL

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#67

Post by mentos » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:58 PM UTC

Go to bed early and wake up early - fill your Saturday and Sunday’s with 32 hours of consciousness doing nothing special first. You’ll find that the weekend will feel twice as long and make your work week that much easier to bare. Then see what activities/hobbies you gravitate to in those hours and try to support them with more deliberate focus.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#68

Post by dougmwne » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:59 PM UTC

PaulHoule wrote: post #25

Of all the benzodiazepines it is particularly pleasant to have a Valium or a Xanax and go to a party. It has an effect very similar to alcohol but doesn't have the physical toxicity. If you have even minor anxiety symptoms you probably won't have a hard time getting an ℞ for Xanax from your primary care doc for 30 pills or so, particularly if you intend to substitute it for alcohol. Even though those drugs are very s…

WATCH OUT. Xanax is very addictive and should not be taken recreationally.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#69

Post by lolinder » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 3:00 PM UTC

bostonsre wrote: post #45

marginalia_nu wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is all you want to remember when you look back at your life a bunch of hangovers and stupid things you did?

The grass is always greener on the other side. I'm sure more solitary individuals will regret not being more socially active and having fun. On the other side though, you will also definitely regret partying too much if it impacts your life outside of it. I would guess that moderation is key and not being too far on one side or the other could optimize for happiness (but it's a guess.. I was too far on the partying s…

> more solitary individuals will regret not being more socially active and having fun

It's bizarre to me that some people think the opposite of "drinking alcohol" is "being solitary and having no fun". It seems like a lot of people have leaned on alcohol for so long that they've actually become convinced it's the only way.

Re: Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

#70

Post by relax88 » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 3:00 PM UTC

I more or less quit alcohol when cannabis was legalized in Canada.

It’s a better recreational drug by pretty much every metric.

It only takes a few tens of milligrams of THC to get the desired effect vs 50+ grams of ethanol in an evening (that gets metabolized into carcinogenic acetaldehyde).

While we don’t fully know the safety profile of cannabis it’s obviously far safer than booze, especially when consumed with a dry herb vaporizer.

No hangover. I can wake up at 6am 7 days a week and work out.

A small amount allows me to instantly shed all work related stress at the end of a busy day/week and get in touch with my body, a process that without cannabis usually takes a few hours.

It makes sex better and boosts libido, unlike alcohol which can easily ruin a sexy evening if you have too much.

I can grow my own, providing a fun hobby.

It doesn’t cause any gastrointestinal issues, but in fact calms your gut. The opposite of alcohol.

It’s just better (for me) in every possible way. It enhances my life greatly.