Alcohol

[lupestripe]

Can any one substance cause more problems, more insecurity and more trouble than this one? I'm starting to come round to the opinion that it should be outlawed (although I am aware that that will never work or happen in reality).

Either that or I really should never touch it again as all that happens is I feel like shit the next day and regret everything I did and said the night before.

Comments

[londonwolf.livejournal.com]

Alcohol is the cause and solutions of all life's problems :)

What's happened hun?

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I just got drunk and made an arse of myself, as usual. People say that you reveal your true self when you are drunk but if that's true then I must be really bad as I just get very insecure and maudlin when drunk. Never a good thing. I also say really stupid things and fuck friendships up. Normally things are patched up though, thankfully.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

If we ban everything that could potentially be a problem we'd all live very boring lives. The problem in the UK is not booze, but the relationship Brits have with it.

[londonwolf.livejournal.com]

The relationship -some- Brits have with it. The vast, vast majority cause no problems whatsoever.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Ooh I don't know, I would have said the majority of Brits do get drunk and make arses of themselves. It's only a handful that get violent and cause problems I agree.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I agree that the relationship that the Brits have with drink is probably the worst thing about it as in other countries people seem to be more civilised when they are having a drink. Here, people (like me) just drink to fall down. What is that? Is it a genetic thing, a mentality issue or an education issue. Are our lives so crap that we need to escape them by turning to drink?

[tr-wolf.livejournal.com]

They need to work on non-alcoholic versions of drinks more, ones that taste the same as regular alcoholic drinks but without the symptoms.

Although this still wont appease people who go out purely to drink as much as possible and get plastered.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

A lot of people do exactly that though and I don't know why. Why is it seen as a badge of honour to get completely ratarsed and then stumble around like an idiot? Where is the disposition that causes this? To be honest, most alcoholic drinks don't taste that nice (lagers particularly) so it is a very interesting quirk of the human/British psyche as to why this happens.

[balto-mike.livejournal.com]

I generally don't touch alcohol, not because I believe its evil. I just don't want to get carried away, and I honestly can't take its strong bitter tastes!

Just be careful, drink in moderation buddy.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The problem with me is that I can not drink at all and that's fine. But as soon as I start drinking, I drink to fall down. There is no moderation with me, it's like a switch is flicked and that's it. That is why I think I shouldn't touch it.

The other thing is I am trying to lose weight and the calories are just not worth it. This is particularly true when it is considered that alcoholic drinks, in general, don't taste too nice anyway.

[fen-ra.livejournal.com]

You have my sympathies buddy. Keep well hydrated and it'll go away faster. *Hugs.*

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I turned to Red Bull - not a good thing as I think this is another substance that needs looking at. Still, it solved my problems :D

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Can any one substance cause more problems, more insecurity and more trouble than this one?

Crack cocaine?

Anyhow, jokes aside... alcohol is, in and on itself, neutral. It can be abused, but it's still just a chemical substance, and it's got its uses. Outlawing it would not only be difficult (at best!) to justify on ethical grounds, it also wouldn't do any good, since you'd then logically have to ban every other substance that can cause problems, too.

Take sugar, for example. It is possible to get addicted to sugar the same way you get addicted to other substances like alcohol, too, and in fact, I'd argue that sugar is a bigger problem overall than alcohol is. In Germany, for example, more than 50% of the population are overweight (and I mean overweight as in "objectively overweight", not as in "heavier than the median weight for their age/height/..."), and at least 20% are obese. I'm not sure how many deaths there are each year that are caused by diabetes and other such diseases, but I'm sure there's more people dying from those than there are people who die from their liver giving up after they drink too much.

Not that alcoholism isn't a problem - it very much is! But I think this example shows that if you wanted to ban alcohol, you'd also have to ban sugar, for instance, and I hope it's obvious why that's neither possible nor justifiable.

That being said... as for you personally, yeah, not touching it ever again is probably the best thing you can do. *hugs tight* It's definitely possible, and it definitely will help, but the first thing you need to do is realise that this really is not just the best but in fact the only way to go. Really realising that deep down is difficult and can take a lot of time, but I hope you'll be able to do so. *snuggles* Good luck, eh? If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know, too. :)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

In terms of the number of deaths caused and related social problems, alcohol tops the list. Even if you discount it's prevalence due to it being illegal, according to international authorities, alcohol is the fifth most dangerous drug out there, more so than tobacco, cannabis, ecstacy and a lot others.

I don't see how outlawing alcohol infringes ethics. It is an unnecessary substance but as you say, everything we ingest is a chemical and affects each one of us in different ways. The problem with alcohol is the social damage it causes, plus it is a highly addictive drug. Yet in a world where mono sodium glutamate (a more addictive drug) is freely sold, I guess what can you do.

The sugar situation is an interesting one. The threat of a drug is related to the damage it does to a proportion of the population. I cannot take codeine as it gives me panic attacks but I am aware that most people can. It's the same with most allergies.

As you say, being overweight is becoming a greater problem in society than alcoholism is and this is down to education. Perhaps this should also apply to alcohol. The difference is that if you ingest sugar you are affecting your own health. If you have alcohol you are more likely to become violent and commit certain crimes such as vandalism and the like.

When I said ban alcohol, it was tongue in cheek as I am aware that it will never happen, nor will it ever succeed. However, ways do need to be found for curbing its influence. I am all for free choice though and people should be given it over alcohol. But then I think the same for most drugs.

As for myself, I don't think I could ever get off alcohol completely, it just won't happen. I just need to stop drinking it when I am down or insecure. Alcohol does enhance your mood so when I am happy, alcohol is fine.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Of course alcohol causes more deaths - it's much more widespread, much easier and cheaper to obtain, and crack cocaine, as noted, is illegal, while alcohol is not.

Outlawing alcohol would be an ethical problem for the same reason that outlawing any substance is an ethical problem: what right do you have to tell me what I can do with my own body?

Monosodium glutamate isn't an addictive drug, either; it's a spice that tickles a certain kind of taste bud (those for umami).

Sorry if I'm a bit cranky today.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Monosodium glutamate is still an addictive compound, that is undoubted. It is also an unnecessary compound - given the choice between synthetic sugars that are linked to thirty types of degenerative illnesses or sugar which is linked to being fat, I know which one I'd rather have.

Crack cocaine is the second worst drug in this survey. Heroin is of course first. But in the 35 drugs surveyed, it was interesting to see that alcohol came fifth.

In terms of ethics, that could be extended to the use of heroin - what right does anyone have to tell me not to use that? It is all about a balance between perceived risks and perceived damage to the individual and society. I just don't trust a lot of people on alcohol, sad as that may sound. I include myself in this list.

No worries about being cranky hun, I'm cranky all the time. Hope you feel better today *hugs*

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*hugs back* OK.. thanks.

And yes, it does extend to the use of heroin, too, and in fact any drug; I've written about this before.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that :)

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Yay. :)

[tungro.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's a case where the substance is bad. It's how it's used. I'm quite happy drinking alcohol and it makes me a bit more merry, but I know when to stop, and the only time I've gone over that threshhold was on my 21st birthday party.

I consider myself lucky. There are plenty of people that don't know when they've had enough. And it's when people go over their limit that the problems start. And yes, alcohol makes it harder for you to tell you've had too much alcohol. So in that sense, it's dangerous.

But like all risky things, it's how you use it that matters. And if you're not confident you can handle it, then the best thing you can do is not touch it at all...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

That's very much my problem. Once I start I just can't stop but when I get to a certain state, I get struck with the depression and that's where the problems begin. Having said that, if I am happy then all is good, problem is that I am a contemplative soul and perhaps think too much.

I go over the threshold all too often because of it yet if I strictly limit myself then I can do it. Perhaps that's the way ahead.

[shep-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Going by what I've seen in my current job, I think that in some areas of the country, alcohol should be sold only for consumption at home. Sure, it would decimate the pub and club trade in those areas, but it would make them a lot nicer to live and work in...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

That's true but then is it fair for one section of society to have no choice just because another section of society can't be trusted?

[lsfiox.livejournal.com]

Alcohol shouldn't be outlawed but should be treated with caution whoever touches it.

I wouldn't use the drink as a means of escape from problems, hell, i did it once a few years back, big mistake but I learned from that, never did it again. what you need to do is either think about the intake in future (ie. enough to keep from hangover) and just be more aware of your emotions before you start. I know you're a bang up guy and so does everybody else, we all have our moments of feeling insignificant. It's just part of life.

*much snuggage*

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your kind words hun, they're much appreciated.

I have had bouts of alcoholism in the past, benders that have lasted three months because of my unhappiness. I have also had people be worried about my alcohol consumption, particularly as I was drinking to the point of causing my liver to permanently ache.

I learned a lot from those days and will never go back there again. Unfortunately when drunk, my own sense of insignificance comes to the fore and it is this that causes problems *hugs*

[foxadiss.livejournal.com]

If now is an epiphany, then so be it and Iam glad for you.

Some of you may know me as a mad drinker of Guinness and ale. However, you may also notice I drink carefully and watch myself after a good knees up. I had one =horrific= occasion when I was blind drunk. I was 20, and ended up walking 3 miles, on an unlit road, in the Welsh countryside, past a cemetary and all the way back to the hostel.

The boneyard was nothing. It was the fact from being drunk I turned into a twat. It....nealr ykilled me emotionally, because of the consequences.

Point is, do not let it master you, but =you= must master =it=. And as for hangovers, just drink LOTS of clean water!

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. I got blind drunk when I was 21 and spent an hour and a half banging my head against a wall. I have never been so scared in my life and I never want to go there again. I think one experience like that does change you.

Nowadays I don't get that bad but it only takes 5-6 pints for me to feel down about myself. I think it's that stage I need to avoid.