why do people chose to get drunk, other then self medicating

[SL1200]

Get fucked up, behave badly, have excuse for your bad behavior. It's not self medication, but self destruction.

[Lorde Snow]

a question that I had in a back of my mind for some time now, and it kinda got brought to the forefront in another thread.

I never understood what exactly is so fun about getting drunk? I understand that some people are drunks becasue they are trying to dull some sort of pain, forget something they don't want to think about, etc. i get THAT. its not how I would deal with it, but at least I can see the motivation.

what I don't understand is people who are seemingly getting drunk solely because.. they can? what exactly is so fun about getting drunk and then suffering a hangover afterwards (yes, i know you can minimize it by drinking lots of water, but you still don't feel awesome). why do people chose to drink until they are so inebriated - they get blackouts? if you chose to get drunk - what exactly do you get out of it? what makes it desirable for you?

no judgement, just trying to understand what is it that i'm not seeing here?

like.. I'm not a teetotaler. i don't drink often, but I do enjoy occasional delicious alcohol. I just tend to drink for the taste, not for the getting drunk, but I see it again and again - where people drink specifically for inebriation. so.. what exactly am i missing? thanks

Speaking For me, I like to drink alcoholic drinks but only for the taste, I avoid getting drunk and drink with control, moderately

[Raakel]

so far i've gotten several interesting answers that I may not be able to relate to, but I see why they do. you are the one who came in here judging.

Funny to read how you relate things I say in general to yourself and then try to turn it on me... I've no interest in fighting a pointless battle.

Also let me quote myself:

Not judging...

[Witchblade77]

Funny to read how you relate things I say in general to yourself and then try to turn it on me... I've no interest in fighting a pointless battle.

Also let me quote myself:

he says while judging.

you literally implied that you have 3 options, 2 of which involve no alcohol and are NOT social, while the only social option is the one that involves shooting some beers. you have literally stated that how you handle alcohol is a sign of maturity. you are JUDGING people who chose not to drink or get drunk. saying "no judging" doesn't actualy negate all the times when you do.

[Vash The Stampede]

no judgement, just trying to understand what is it that i'm not seeing here?

Why not not do either? That's what I do, and people call me and idiot for not doing either.

[Deleted]

I don't get drunk often, but when I do I find it really fun, makes me laugh about just about anything and get a little less inhibited (nothing crazy). Never have blacked out or anything like that. Worst I've had was throwing up in a train, that wasn't fun.

But getting drunk is a laugh for me usually.

[Deleted]

It's because people are socially inept and need it in order to interact with other people.

The amount of fools that cannot fathom meeting others without drinking is astonishing. This world has a huge problem with alcohol, and you are all contributing to it pretty much.

[derpkitteh]

There is a 0.0000012% chance of discovering the secret to immortality while you are drunk.

i firmly believe that the truths to the universe will be discovered through either dmt tripping or shrooms. i wish we could have some official people doing them and someone recording everything they see and experience.

as for alcohol, i understand the desire to just... stop feeling. let it all go and just stop. that's why i immerse myself in gaming and try not to think too much outside of it. but i'd never do alcohol, it's disgusting and provokes disgusting behavior.

[Dug]

Being drunk is a warm fuzzy feeling. Everything is funnier. Socializing is easier and for a couple of hours you stop caring about the stressful parts of your life. It truly is a slippery slope into addiction and then its never worth it in the end.

[Jujudrood]

"You don't need to get drunk to have fun".
Yeah, well, you don't need shoes to run but it fucking helps.

[Ozzyorcborne]

TBH the 2 things that boggle my mind are smoking and drinking. Neither serve a purpose and the only people benefiting from them are the assholes that manufacture them. It literally is a waste of money.

[ONCHEhap]

tried a few times,always hated it really

Makes me feel dumber and less in control,I hate that.I still wanted to try a few times because people seem to enjoy it,but it's just really not for me.

I guess it's the same reason I really hated weed when I tried it (you gotta try to know after all)

[Mercruxio]

My friend told me this a long time ago and it's something I still think of: "Don't drink to have a good time, only drink to have an even better time". Moderation is still, of course, incredibly important, but I'm 23 and go out to clubs with friends a lot of weekends. Having a couple drinks makes everybody more comfortable dancing their heart out or socializing and making friends with fun strangers at the bar.
I also work in healthcare and specifically drug and alcohol addiction treatment so I really can't stress enough the importance of moderation and not using it to self medicate.

[Animalhouse]

The bigger question is "why do people crochet?"

I mean, the stuff is tacky AF, itches and doesn't keep you warm.

In all seriousness, lighten up and have a few drinks so you can answer from experience. Not that chicken shit for the taste BS.
NOBODY likes getting falling down drunk but it happens. I like to sometimes get buzzed up and run mythics with friends, we do just fine and have a good laugh while in the process.

[fiestatastic]

Pretty simple, because they have fun doing it. 21 year olds don't have pain to dull, they party. Not even sure why this is a question to anyone, there's a pretty thriving global nightclub and bar industry, and it's not full of depressing people. People aren't going to festivals because they're trying to numb the pain. Might as well have said "I don't understand what it means to be young and have fun. Please explain."

Or maybe you seem to be referring specifically to people that get drunk by themselves at home on Saturday nights. Those people are more likely than not drinking away something, but most people aren't those people, and most people simply drink for fun.

PS, hangovers happen from drinking cheap, or from mixing liquors (usually goes hand in hand with drinking cheap, i.e. long islands or adios mf). Or wine, don't drink wine unless it's a glass or two to compliment a meal.

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My friend told me this a long time ago and it's something I still think of: "Don't drink to have a good time, only drink to have an even better time". Moderation is still, of course, incredibly important, but I'm 23 and go out to clubs with friends a lot of weekends. Having a couple drinks makes everybody more comfortable dancing their heart out or socializing and making friends with fun strangers at the bar.
I also work in healthcare and specifically drug and alcohol addiction treatment so I really can't stress enough the importance of moderation and not using it to self medicate.

This is so perfect, what a great quote!

[Witchblade77]

The bigger question is "why do people crochet?"

I mean, the stuff is tacky AF, itches and doesn't keep you warm.

In all seriousness, lighten up and have a few drinks so you can answer from experience. Not that chicken shit for the taste BS.
NOBODY likes getting falling down drunk but it happens. I like to sometimes get buzzed up and run mythics with friends, we do just fine and have a good laugh while in the process.

if it itches and doesn't keep you warm, you are using cheap shitty yarn. come to think of it - kinda like drinking cheap shitty alcohol, it tastes bad, and you feel like crap afterwards.

I can tell you why I crochet though, especially since you don't always make useful items.

its a monotonous task that is soothing for me.
it keeps my hands busy and as a consequence, helps with anxiety, so that instead of scratching at my face, or fiddling with my hair until it starts falling out - I'm actualy doing something productive.
there is a feeling of satisfaction for having created something, converted raw..ish materials into a new object.

that said... I keep seeing people saying that alcohol makes them more relaxed. it does the opposite for me. I would rather be sober. I'm more relaxed sober, if i start getting even a little tipsy, I worry too much about what I might say or do, and how badly I will come to regret it, all becasue my brain decided not to use breaks anymore. at least if I make bad choices while sober - I made them fully aware of what i was doing.

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tried a few times,always hated it really

Makes me feel dumber and less in control,I hate that.I still wanted to try a few times because people seem to enjoy it,but it's just really not for me.

I guess it's the same reason I really hated weed when I tried it (you gotta try to know after all)

you sound like me in that regard, except i never manage to get past the point of mildly tipsy and into drunk, I always stop the moment I realize that alcohol is hitting my head (well.. I haven't tried weed, cause the one time I tried smoking regular cigarettes, i hated it so much, I refuse to try smoking anything ever again)

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"You don't need to get drunk to have fun".
Yeah, well, you don't need shoes to run but it fucking helps.

I'm trying to reconcile it and I guess it depends on where you are running? I rather prefer running barefoot if its on the beach or through shallow water. shoes actualy make it less fun and more uncomfortable. maybe that's the biggest difference between those who prefer alcohol to have more fun and those who do not.

Why not not do either? That's what I do, and people call me and idiot for not doing either.

yeah, I have seen some judgement towards people who don't drink at all. honestly? I think its every person's individual decision of what to put into their body. i won't tell people not to drink, I won't even say that beer is awful. obviously plenty of people enjoy the taste, so its more of a matter of "beer is not my thing, but its cool if its yours" i mean.. there are people who hate chocolate. I will never, EVER be able to relate to that, but.. more chocolate for me, so /shrug

if you don't want to drink any alcohol at all - that's fine. doesn't make you an idiot. makes you someone who made a different choice for themselves.

[Jujudrood]

I'm trying to reconcile it and I guess it depends on where you are running? I rather prefer running barefoot if its on the beach or through shallow water. shoes actualy make it less fun and more uncomfortable. maybe that's the biggest difference between those who prefer alcohol to have more fun and those who do not.

That was more so a quote I heard from someone, or maybe read on twitter or something, that I thought applied here because it's funny.

On topic, I take the topic as "to each their own".
There are people with actual problems who are addicted to alcohol, so they drink to satiate that.
There are people who just like the way it makes them feel but have no impulses or cravings for it, so they do it for the warm and fuzzies.
There are people who do it socially because they enjoy how it tastes, so they drink what tastes good.
There are thousands of other reasons, just like how people view running and running shoes.
You have people who swear by running barefoot while others despise it and go with Brand A, while others choose Brand B, and so on.

Sadly, I think more people consume alcohol than run/exercise, both in terms of raw quantity of people and in the amount of time spent doing it.
I know a few people who run an hour each day, then the weekend is a shitshow and I'm sure they rack up more than 7 hours worth of drinking.
/shrug

[Witchblade77]

That was more so a quote I heard from someone, or maybe read on twitter or something, that I thought applied here because it's funny.

On topic, I take the topic as "to each their own".
There are people with actual problems who are addicted to alcohol, so they drink to satiate that.
There are people who just like the way it makes them feel but have no impulses or cravings for it, so they do it for the warm and fuzzies.
There are people who do it socially because they enjoy how it tastes, so they drink what tastes good.
There are thousands of other reasons, just like how people view running and running shoes.
You have people who swear by running barefoot while others despise it and go with Brand A, while others choose Brand B, and so on.

Sadly, I think more people consume alcohol than run/exercise, both in terms of raw quantity of people and in the amount of time spent doing it.
I know a few people who run an hour each day, then the weekend is a shitshow and I'm sure they rack up more than 7 hours worth of drinking.
/shrug

yep. I was just curious about some of those reasons you know, seeing perspectives other then my own,

and for me at least I have found that trying to explain something to other people especially people who don't share your perspective or tastes, actualy helps to gain better understanding for yourself. somethings you might rethink your position, other times - explaining it actualy reaffirms and reinforces it for yourself.

and its interesting see the differences. as a very occasional role-player, i might also use that for research on how to write characters that are very much NOT like myself :P

[Deleted]

Which is why I find your response interesting, because it mirrors the kind of defensive behaviour I have witnessed in my real life from friends/family who do have alcohol problems.

The issue of course is that people with a drinking problem are highly unlikely to accept that they have a problem, and their addiction means that they become very hostile when their ability to exercise that addiction is threatened. It's not that I am averse to having fun, nor that I have any desire to kill fun from other people, it's simply a far more convenient narrative for the alcoholic than accepting that they might have a problem.

I don't know you, so I can't really say with any degree of certainty whether or not you do have a drinking problem. What I can say is that if your friends or close family members seem to you be "those kinds of people" towards you, you should probably take a long hard look at your drinking and consider the possibility that they might be right.

Yeah well, perhaps you just see problems everywhere and stick your nose where it doesn't belong. For the record, I've not had a single drink in three and a half months now, despite having plenty of opportunities to do so at any given moment, nor do I have any immediate plans to get plastered. Although, BlizzCon is coming up so watching that with a case of beer is almost a given.

You put yourself in a holier-than-thou position where you get to point fingers at people and insinuate that they've got problems with alcohol, and then leave them with absolutely no recourse because them pointing out that they don't have a problem is, in your view, just confirmation that they do. How convenient for you. However, the fact of the matter is, you're probably just plain wrong most of the time, and it might do you good to stop concerning yourself with the lives of other people.

[Raelbo]

Yeah well, perhaps you just see problems everywhere and stick your nose where it doesn't belong.

Like replying to a thread that asked why people get drunk?

Honestly, I just came here to answer the question posed by the OP. You, for some reason decided to take what I said personally. You got all defensive in spite of the fact that I wasn't even speaking to you. And your entire arguments seems to be along the lines that you think my attitude makes me an interfering "holier-than-thou" asshole who just likes to point fingers at people. And in spite of this, I have remained civil.

If you have a problem with the content of my argument, with my reasoning or logic, please by all means, feel free to debate that. But all I've seen from you is a bunch of ad-hominem, which, apart from being abusive towards me, shows up the fact that you don't really have an argument of your own.

And like I say, I don't know you, I don't care about what you do with your time, but I do find it hilarious how your responses kinda prove everything I have been saying. GG