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Ask HN: What to do instead of drinking alcohol?

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

#111

Post by popemarijuanavi »

popemarijuanavi wrote: post #110
lolinder wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about rather instead of suggesting OP lean on a different substance for finding meaning and enjoyment in their free time, we offer suggestions for what a substance-free weekend might look like?

OP doesn't have a substance abuse problem. OP enjoyed his substance of choice for a decade, with friends and responsibly. How is recommending the nearest possible replacement, marijuana, not a good solution? Perhaps you should question yourself for bias against the substances being discussed, unless you wish to admit the obvious, i.e. that you have questionable reading skills. OP does not have a substance abuse probl…

We are the most fantastic machines in the known universe. We are electrical, we are chemical, we are mechanical, we are magical. And we are what? To not use what we have? To not explore who we are? To be sober? That would tempt Gott with boredom. Worse: He might smite you for being so square.

I'm gunna use what I got.

“Who of us is to say that the goal of this life is not in the leaving it?” —Vladimir Nabakov.

with my apology.

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

#112

Post by el_nahual »

alanfranz wrote: post #103
el_nahual wrote: post #29

I went from moderate (weekends, social, never alone) drinking to _zero_ drinking for about five years. This was during peak "social" life of after university and before marriage. I did the exact same things I used to do except with no alcohol: bars, clubs, parties, whatever. The toughest thing was realizing how...boring...some of these activities can be. There is, by default, an enormous amount of "down time" at a ba…

> Lastly, in my experience i didn't feel the full mental benefits of no alcohol until after about four or six months without a drop. Is that really a thing even for moderate or very moderate drinkers (like, 4-5 glasses of wine per month)? Do you really feel mental benefits from being totally sober? What kind of benefits? Is there any study about this?

I have no idea if there are any studies. It's a very subtle difference. I would describe it as a certain... crispness.

A mild hum of well being in the back of the brain.

Like lifting the very light blanket of an endless hangover; a blanket so light you don't notice its presence, only its absence.

Of course--and as usual for this sort of thing--lots of confounding factors, N of 1, YMMV, etc etc

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

#113

Post by telesilla »

You're in for some fun! A friend who is a winemaker recently started making professional non-alcoholic ('dry') cocktails using botanics: he drinks all day for work and decided with his wife that they would stop drinking at home but they loved having a g&t after work, so he had to come up with something new. While these aren't yet for sale I've been "helping" with the taste testing (enjoying them very much) and they can be very very satisfying.

Here is a similar company, see their "What's inside" for ideas: https://clevermocktails.com/en/mocktails/

There are a ton of dry gins you can get: https://www.sinalcoholshop.es/espiritus-sin-alcohol/alcohol-... https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/wine/g32283343/non-alcoh...

Find a dry cocktail you like and make your own at home:

https://www.cocktailchemistrylab.com/home/mocktails-3-ways

https://thekitchencommunity.org/mocktail-recipes/

https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Proof-Drinks-More-Low-Alcohol/dp...

Learn how to make smoke. Learn how to mix syrups. Make syrups and flavours from teas and coffees and chocolates.. try mixing with non-alcoholic wines (pregnant women drink them mostly!)..

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

#114

Post by popemarijuanavi »

PaulHoule wrote: post #49
popemarijuanavi wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>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. Not in the United States. Try getting a script for Xanax and you'll be lucky you don't get reported the DEA re: our opioid crisis.

I'm in the US and have gotten Xanax a few times from my doc. Xanax has nothing to do with opioids. For that matter I have had no problem getting opioids when they were indicated (from the Emergency room physicians after getting an acute injury.) (The combination of BZs and Opioids is not always dangerous in people who are experienced with the drugs, but can be a dangerous mixer for people who don't have tolerance.)

A clarification: I'm a homeless nomad. I have the worst insurance available in my country. If I ask for Xanax, the assumption is that I will sell them to other homeless nomads, not use them for my own anxiety. This is but one of many subtle civil rights violations we poor suffer at the hands of the rich, who apparently can ask their doctors for Xanax and get them on request. Because homelessness is not anxiety-inducing. It's easy and free and safe and wonderful.

tldr; if you're poor, good luck getting any scheduled drug

Note to self. Sue the fuckers for violating my civil rights just to get Xanax. Clog up the courts. Finally! A windmill at which to tilt!

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

#115

Post by orwin »

Dancing (learning then using the learned skills) for social gatherings. It can be very technical and interesting, and you might find other sober, interesting people (not particulary in a romantic way, but also in a romantic way). Nowaday, i'm much less social (it became more and more tiring as i grew older), so i try to learn one skill a year. This year its climbing, last year was sailing. It can be water polo, Football... Club activities that takes you one big afternoon are often interesting.

I stopped drinking in 2017 btw.

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

#116

Post by lolinder »

popemarijuanavi wrote: post #111
popemarijuanavi wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP doesn't have a substance abuse problem. OP enjoyed his substance of choice for a decade, with friends and responsibly. How is recommending the nearest possible replacement, marijuana, not a good solution? Perhaps you should question yourself for bias against the substances being discussed, unless you wish to admit the obvious, i.e. that you have questionable reading skills. OP does not have a substance abuse probl…

We are the most fantastic machines in the known universe. We are electrical, we are chemical, we are mechanical, we are magical. And we are what? To not use what we have? To not explore who we are? To be sober? That would tempt Gott with boredom. Worse: He might smite you for being so square. I'm gunna use what I got. “Who of us is to say that the goal of this life is not in the leaving it?” —Vladimir Nabakov. with m…

> We are the most fantastic machines in the known universe. We are electrical, we are chemical, we are mechanical, we are magical.

Yes! I agree wholeheartedly. What the human mind and body can do is monumental and incredible. The depth and breadth of experience we are capable of is truly mystical.

It is this very capacity for near-magical experience that has me very wary of casual use of mind-altering drugs of any sort. I look through the comments on this thread and am horrified by the number of people who think that the highest form of human socialization and relaxation is achieved only through an altered state of consciousness. That to really live, we have to take a substance that changes how we live. The sense seems to be not that the human mind is capable of incredible feats in its own right, but that the human mind is mostly a great conduit for externally-injected meaning and value. It is this perception that concerns me.

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

#117

Post by hellisothers »

YellowTrooper wrote: post #80
el_nahual wrote: post #29

I went from moderate (weekends, social, never alone) drinking to _zero_ drinking for about five years. This was during peak "social" life of after university and before marriage. I did the exact same things I used to do except with no alcohol: bars, clubs, parties, whatever. The toughest thing was realizing how...boring...some of these activities can be. There is, by default, an enormous amount of "down time" at a ba…

Great comment, especially last sentence - no mental benefits of being sober in a short run. You can even start to think on 3rd month - why I did so if nothing changed? But after 6 months you will feel much, much better, I can confirm this and I heard this opinion few times from quitters. Some people might expect enlightenment after week of sober life. Never understand why, if alcohol require years to turn you to an a…

6 months feels like confirmation bias “I feel good today, it must be because of quitting 6 months ago”, assuming these people weren’t debilitated alcoholics it seems like they probably can’t remember that far back

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

#118

Post by popemarijuanavi »

popemarijuanavi wrote: post #48

I've found it so much easier to make a life changes for health reasons than for other reasons. I think you chose the right reason to quit drinking, for health reasons. Take one look at acetaldehyde to see what you've saved yourself from. Alcohol is a systemic poison. It affects every part of the human body in very dramatic ways.

It's the metabolic pathway that's most jarring: a poison that gets broken down into other poisons, themselves worse than the alcohol.

If your body (liver) didn't produce an enzyme called acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, you would die from one drink.

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

#119

Post by VoodooJuJu »

I would suggest reconsidering your decision to quit because:

1. you don't have a drinking problem

2. your decision is premised on a sort of "news-shock" experience, which, per Postman [1] and Carr [2], is a bad way to make serious decisions

In particular, drinking alcohol (moderately, socially) is Lindy [3] as hell. I would actually go so far as to say that drinking alcohol (moderately, socially) is a net good for you.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shallows_(book)

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect

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

#120

Post by archer_ »

YellowTrooper wrote: post #82
_zjmt wrote: post #32

I'm a very big fan of good alcohol-free beer. There are some good ones, here in Europe at least. 7% of the beer sold in the Netherlands is alcohol-free based on recent reports last year. The cheap stuff in the states tastes silly, but if you can find a good brewery that makes it, I recommend as an alternative.

This is a still secret for me - how to enjoy alcohol-free beer. Even its sizes - 0.33ml - told what you might not need more. Are there any advice on particular brand to try? Alcohol free Moretti is nice for my taste, but all other lager non-alco is frustrating.

You might try Störtebeker Atlantik Ale alcohol free. It’s from Germany and tastes basically like a normal beer.
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