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I quit drinking for a year

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Re: I quit drinking for a year

#51

Post by defrost »

adgjlsfhk1 wrote: post #25
jeremyjh wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of states do tax alcohol. Alcohol is dropping in popularity, but I think that is mostly due to legalized Marijuana and THC. Actually, there are more DUI for THC now than Alcohol. People have been drinking for thousands of years, and all that time there have been people who think its a bad idea. For me personally I can't drink successfully, so I quit entirely about 17 years ago. The only thing I really miss is t…

note that many (most?) THC DUIs have very little evidence. thc stays in your system for at least a month, so it's very hard to tell how many of these are actual DUIs vs cops deciding to pull over a (usually black) person and make up some signs to justify an arrest+drug test

> so it's very hard to tell how many of these are actual DUIs vs cops deciding to pull over a (usually black)

It's easier if you look at (say) Australian road traffic enforcement statistics; they have different rules than the US, have the "right" to check for DUI without having to make up a reason, and operate by funnelled road blocks that check everybody (or every second car, etc, depending on flow rates and breath check speeds).

They also 'verify' in the sense that any driver can challenge and get a "better than road side" test back at the station under supervision (blood tests with saved samples for court challenges, etc).

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#52

Post by irishcoffee »

not_a_bot_4sho wrote: post #31

Don't drink. Or if you must, drink less. Who am I to tell you what to do? No one important. But I did recently discover I have colon cancer, perhaps related to my great fondness for beer. And now I'm awkwardly figuring out my final exit strategy. 0/5 stars not recommended. Oh, and schedule that colonoscopy you've been putting off. Better to catch it early when more treatment options are on the table.

In my mid 30s (I'm older now) I got breast cancer I drank so much, which was after I got pancreatitis because I'm too fucking stupid to learn my lesson. I am a biological male now one nipple shy of a set.

Oh and a DUI. Sleeping in a running car. I’m a jackass and an idiot.

I'm done drinking. Ideally my feet will be less numb and painful, my shoulder might stop hurting, the outer two fingers on my left hand might become un-numb, might even gain some weight.

My family is a bunch of alcoholics, "functional" if you believe in that sort of thing. I realized if nothing else, I need to break that cycle for my kids.

I'm so sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis. I was (and am) terrified that I took ~20 years off my life up to this point, and it could be over any year now.

Alcoholism is no joke. I just wrote up a 17k letter to myself (with my spouse as the audience, not sure I'll ever show her, she hates me right now) about how I got to where I am. Reading it back and editing it has had me bawling for hours. I can't believe this thread popped up.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#53

Post by tim-tday »

gnabgib wrote: post #3
tim-tday wrote: post #2

Good start. I quit drinking for six years. My only regret is that I didn’t do it twenty years earlier.

You missed[1][2] one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47752798 [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47753306 [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47706723

Consistency is king I suppose. I was just thinking this morning about how if every drink I had at a bar over the last 20 years had gone into the stock market I’d probably be a million dollars richer. I was putting nothing into the stock market in my twenties because I “couldn’t afford it” but somehow I could afford to go out and spend a hundred bucks a night on booze. Then there’s the hangovers, pretty sure every bad hangover made me permanently stupider. If I could go back in time and kick myself I would.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#54

Post by aardvarkdriver »

charles_f wrote: post #14

This is inspiring, you might have convinced me to do the same, if only for the sleep part. One thing that I'd miss is the taste though, I don't drink soda or sugary drinks, and I can't think of a replacement for the taste of good wine, beer or spirits. (there's good dealcoolized beers nowadays but it feels like cheating). Not that I guess one absolutely needs it, but is still part of the culinary experience. It's pro…

Second coffee and tea. I'm nearing a year and have enjoyed tasting and learning about origins and processing methods of tea in a similar way one might for do craft beer. Just as fulfilling with less downside.

Also, I wouldn't consider NA beer cheating! For me, the ritual of social drinking was just as important as the taste. Drinking good NA beers with friends is a 95% solution.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#55

Post by gnabgib »

tim-tday wrote: post #53
gnabgib wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You missed[1][2] one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47752798 [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47753306 [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47706723

Consistency is king I suppose. I was just thinking this morning about how if every drink I had at a bar over the last 20 years had gone into the stock market I’d probably be a million dollars richer. I was putting nothing into the stock market in my twenties because I “couldn’t afford it” but somehow I could afford to go out and spend a hundred bucks a night on booze. Then there’s the hangovers, pretty sure every bad…

$100/night in 2006? Wow.. NYC? That is a lot of income that could be disposed of elsewhere.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#56

Post by OutOfHere »

Just quit it and stop counting the years. You won't miss it after the first two years of abstinence. I don't miss it. I get joy from music and a bit of outdoor running instead. And avoid alcoholics.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#58

Post by SapporoChris »

not_a_bot_4sho wrote: post #31

Don't drink. Or if you must, drink less. Who am I to tell you what to do? No one important. But I did recently discover I have colon cancer, perhaps related to my great fondness for beer. And now I'm awkwardly figuring out my final exit strategy. 0/5 stars not recommended. Oh, and schedule that colonoscopy you've been putting off. Better to catch it early when more treatment options are on the table.

I looked up the risk factors for Colorectal cancer and it is influenced by various lifestyle and genetic factors, including: Diet (high in red and processed meats), Obesity, Smoking, and Lack of physical activity.

I also noted that rates are appear to actually be decreasing. At least according to the National Cancer Institute. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/colorect.html

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#59

Post by dhruvkar »

senkora wrote: post #50
dhruvkar wrote: post #16

For 12 years, I did one year ON, one year OFF (2012 - 2024). On my ON years, I felt compelled to drink, every night I had at least a beer, if for no reason other than, I wanted to make the "most of it". On my OFF years, I didn't feel the need to drink, and generally slept better, lost weight and was more focused. Stopped drinking completely after that.

I applaud your commitment to statistical rigor. On a related note, “sequential analysis” is the keyword in stats for experimental designs that allow for stopping the experiment early in the face of clear results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_analysis#

haha... I'm slow..needed the dozen years of data.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#60

Post by Schiendelman »

SapporoChris wrote: post #58
not_a_bot_4sho wrote: post #31

Don't drink. Or if you must, drink less. Who am I to tell you what to do? No one important. But I did recently discover I have colon cancer, perhaps related to my great fondness for beer. And now I'm awkwardly figuring out my final exit strategy. 0/5 stars not recommended. Oh, and schedule that colonoscopy you've been putting off. Better to catch it early when more treatment options are on the table.

I looked up the risk factors for Colorectal cancer and it is influenced by various lifestyle and genetic factors, including: Diet (high in red and processed meats), Obesity, Smoking, and Lack of physical activity. I also noted that rates are appear to actually be decreasing. At least according to the National Cancer Institute. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/colorect.html

Yes, people are smoking less.
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