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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?

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not my downvote but, >Those "stupid things" are often things you reminisce about with friends many years later Often only because your friends inform you of your "memorable accomplishments" at the time which you actually have no recollection of whatsoever.

You don't have to drink till you forget to have a good time drinking.

Roger, so many people seem to forget this sage advice.

I don't know what's on their mind sometimes . . . and neither do they.

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

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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-induci…

In the US the health insurance for indigent people (Medicaid) has good coverage for psych meds although it is tough to find doctors that want to see you. Health insurance for retired people (Medicare) doesn’t pay for Benzodiazepines because they cause falls in the elderly population. Some disabled people get the later if they worked long enough to qualify for regular social security.

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

#164
post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

In my humble opinion, I think 4-5 glasses of wine per month, even if you have them all in one sitting, is effectively the same as not drinking at all. From a biological perspective. I was having two to three strong IPAs every single evening for about the last 10 years. This would give me a nice buzz but nothing close to getting drunk. I stopped completely six months ago. Since then, I've had no noticeable mental bene…

Same thing happens to me when I take a long time off. The alcohol doesn’t really affect me, it’s just like a dullness. And then I always feel subpar the next day. Such a waste.

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

#165
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, s…

Same here on all counts and I’m not even 30 yet. It just seems make me feel dull, basically never that euphoria of the early 20s.

Over the winter while being at the parents home I have gotten into drinking high quality irish whiskey on a Friday night after a week of work to chill. But it’s not that amazing. Luckily that stuff is the only thing that doesn’t give me a subpar next day. Even 2 beers will make me feel scuzzy the next day.

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

#167

I’ve decided to give up drinking after I caught Covid over the Christmas break… sort of a “complete recommitment” to my health. Add to that, hangovers have gotten fairly brutal north of 30. The ultimate life hack I’ve found for when you feel like a beer is Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher. They’re super tasty, zero alcohol, zero sugar, zero carbs. It’s basically seltzer flavored with hops and man is it delicious and nicely…

100% agree on the weed gummies.

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

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 proble…

Is it fun though? Won’t you be super low energy

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

#169
* Cleaning

* Exercise (Mountain Climbing; Basketball; Kayaking)

* Learn things

- - to dance (Bachata/Salsa)

- - a new language

- - an instrument

* Hobby groups on Facebook

- - Meet randos to play boardgames

* Make things

* Help people

The biggest problem with me is being social. That's what people want to do around the weekends. The dance classes allow me to interact with people in a less awkward way, but it hasn't exactly provided me with as much opportunities as drinking at a brewery to meet people..

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

#170
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

This made me feel old. I don't consider night clubbing to be a special occasion. Either way I have done the night clubbing thing and don't see myself in one any time soon.
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