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I quit drinking for a year

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Re: I quit drinking for a year

#91

Post by lfaw »

anarazel wrote: post #7

I stopped drinking a few years back, after some (unrelated) health stuff. I don't miss wine, beer, that stopped - like for the author - after a relatively short amount of time. But interestingly I still really miss the feeling of a good scotch after a long day. Not being buzzed, but the sharpness mixed with interesting tastes. My sleep has gotten so much better. I really didn't realize that alcohol didn't affect just…

Have you tried loose leaf green tea? Fermented and aged tea like pu'er has very complex flavors. The caffeine content can be quite low so its safe to drink in the evening. Found it to be even more fun and interesting than tasting e.g. wine.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#92

Post by tpm »

lfaw wrote: post #91
anarazel wrote: post #7

I stopped drinking a few years back, after some (unrelated) health stuff. I don't miss wine, beer, that stopped - like for the author - after a relatively short amount of time. But interestingly I still really miss the feeling of a good scotch after a long day. Not being buzzed, but the sharpness mixed with interesting tastes. My sleep has gotten so much better. I really didn't realize that alcohol didn't affect just…

Have you tried loose leaf green tea? Fermented and aged tea like pu'er has very complex flavors. The caffeine content can be quite low so its safe to drink in the evening. Found it to be even more fun and interesting than tasting e.g. wine.

and for even lower caffeine content one could try hojicha (high temperature roasted bancha or sencha), higher grades have interesting taste.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#93

Post by SwiftyBug »

zeroq wrote: post #38

It's easy to stop drinking when you do it socially. There are many people who would consciously love to stop drinking but can't find alternative to stop the storm in their heads. This could be caused by many things, from trauma to ADHD. The best quote I heard about addiction is: "I only have control over my first drink". The worst part is that alcohol and drugs have a strong stigma, but for people who are suffering a…

To me it's the opposite: I can go weeks without drinking. The moment there's a social event, I feel the urge to drink. It's like I can't enjoy it without alcohol. I've been trying to figure out why this happens, but I haven't had the strength to try and not drink in one a social gathering.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#94

Post by [deleted] »

hattmall wrote: post #62
2Gkashmiri wrote: post #10

I have been trying to ask people this but its havent gotten a satisfactory answer. Sure alcohol is ingrained in society, sure Americans tried prohibition and all that but its not gloom and doom. Muslims who are about 2 billion choose not to consume alcohol and go about their lives without it. They just do fine without it. How does that work for them? ? I mean I have never consumed and never will so why is it that you…

Is it really fair to say that Muslim society is "doing just fine?" Like what amount of reasonable people from a moderately developed non-muslim country would ever want to live in a Muslim country? Are people that come to western nations from Muslim countries able to succeed and function as well as people from other, even worse off countries? Wikipedia offers a list of counties by alcohol consumption. Given the opport…

[deleted]

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#95

Post by mfru »

SwiftyBug wrote: post #93
zeroq wrote: post #38

It's easy to stop drinking when you do it socially. There are many people who would consciously love to stop drinking but can't find alternative to stop the storm in their heads. This could be caused by many things, from trauma to ADHD. The best quote I heard about addiction is: "I only have control over my first drink". The worst part is that alcohol and drugs have a strong stigma, but for people who are suffering a…

To me it's the opposite: I can go weeks without drinking. The moment there's a social event, I feel the urge to drink. It's like I can't enjoy it without alcohol. I've been trying to figure out why this happens, but I haven't had the strength to try and not drink in one a social gathering.

For me it is social anxiety / being on edge around more than 4-5 people (apply from 1 person upwards if they are strangers) and having sensory overload because it is a bar / pub / whatever.

A lifetime of masking leaves its mark on a nervous system, i.e.

And alcohol down regulates / takes the edge off

You might look into neurodiversity / trauma in your life (if you haven't done so already)

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#96

Post by Balgair »

loveparade wrote: post #9

I haven't had a drink in 6 months or so. Not because I wanted to stop, I just have not had the desire to drink recently. Now I would love to tell you about all the amazing magical healthy benefits that have come with that, but unfortunately there are none. I feel no difference at all.

Haha! I'm ~4 years 'sober' and I can say the same!

However I have a rather large confound: Kids.

I'm sure that if I was drinking regularly still that I would feel much worse than I do today. But the effects of children are powerful enough to my system that they overrule any positive effects of this forced sobriety.

(To be clear: I'll have a drink every blue moon or so, but it's quite rare I get enough time off to enjoy anything like a buzz these days)

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#97

Post by draftsman »

indrex wrote: post #47

I stopped mostly after Claude Code. 1. Too many interesting things to do 2. I asked it to rate my diet and maintain a streak - which now I don’t want to lose

Conversely, I started after Calude Code.

1. The thought of slop everywhere is too much 2. I no longer need to be sober to build software

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#98

Post by FeloniousHam »

anarazel wrote: post #7

I stopped drinking a few years back, after some (unrelated) health stuff. I don't miss wine, beer, that stopped - like for the author - after a relatively short amount of time. But interestingly I still really miss the feeling of a good scotch after a long day. Not being buzzed, but the sharpness mixed with interesting tastes. My sleep has gotten so much better. I really didn't realize that alcohol didn't affect just…

100% on sleep. I drink regularly, and very much enjoy it, but I'm always cognizant of the price I'm going to pay in good sleep.

I've started not drinking at home as simple way to curb consumption without giving it up entirely.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#99

Post by FeloniousHam »

steve1977 wrote: post #70
browningstreet wrote: post #18

I remember a bar acquaintance who stopped drinking for a year. I saw him when that year was up and I asked him how it went. “I didn’t notice any changes, so I’m quitting for another year.”

That's kind of what I did. I initially stopped for a month for some health reasons. That became another month. And another one. And now it's a bit more than 4 years. The interesting thing is, when I quit smoking (almost 20 years ago), I knew I must never touch a cigarette again. I think with alcohol, I could have some wine or beer occassionaly, I just don't feel the need for it anymore.

Totally agree. I was non-professional smoker for a long time, and quit many, many times. Even after years, I'll get this "you know what'd great?" tap on the shoulder.

One cigarette is not a slippery slope, it's a vertical cliff drop.

I love booze in all its forms, but it doesn't have the same pull.

Re: I quit drinking for a year

#100

Post by SwiftyBug »

mfru wrote: post #95
SwiftyBug wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me it's the opposite: I can go weeks without drinking. The moment there's a social event, I feel the urge to drink. It's like I can't enjoy it without alcohol. I've been trying to figure out why this happens, but I haven't had the strength to try and not drink in one a social gathering.

For me it is social anxiety / being on edge around more than 4-5 people (apply from 1 person upwards if they are strangers) and having sensory overload because it is a bar / pub / whatever. A lifetime of masking leaves its mark on a nervous system, i.e. And alcohol down regulates / takes the edge off You might look into neurodiversity / trauma in your life (if you haven't done so already)

What do you mean by masking? And can you elaborate on the neurodiversity part? This is the first time I hear about alcohol as something that's reached for specifically by neurodivergent people.
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