Sobriety sucks

[hawkeye52]

Tried it once or twice. Getting drunk that is. All that happened is that I became more passive and stonefaced as I concentrated more on keeping balanced and not making an idiot of myself and did not enjoy it. In otherwords my inhibitions actually got stronger as opposed to weaker.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I've never had this issue. I am the opposite. I never have the thoughts "Boy I wish I were drunk right now". This isn't to say I don't drink but I never think about how much I want to. You may just be an alcoholic!

 

[Elate]

Eh, drinking is fine. I go out and drink with friends. Never done anything overly stupid, alright I've made an ass of myself once or twice.. getting stuck in a shower after falling over for one, but nothing serious.

I can safely safe I can remember most times too, I know my limits and I tend to stick to them, and not keep drinking if I'm feeling nauseous, unlike some.

Some people are very naive, and I admit, even I was once upon a time, thinking that having a few drinks will make you completely irrational and lose all control over your actions. Frankly most of the time it just makes things a hell of a lot funnier, makes you quite a bit dizzier and that's about it. Some education systems blow it way out of proportion.

I love being sober. The one time I was under the influence of marijuana I became deeply annoyed by my inability to think or remember things.

You can't explain that.

I tend to find that when I drink on my own then try using a computer and finding everything ridiculously hard to concentrate on, it just annoys me more than anything because then I want to be sober so I can use the damn thing.

After reading some of these comments, I'm starting to think that maybe it's a cultural thing? A lot of the U.S posters are talking about going out and getting completely smashed and puking everywhere, where I know I saw at least one from the UK, who does what I do, just goes out, gets tipsy with a few drinks and chills.

 

[Korolev]

I don't drink - sobriety is no worse than drinking alcohol.

You are your brain. Literally. That is, if you are like me and have a rather materialist perspective. Every single neurological study has given more and more proof to the idea that you don't "have" a brain, you ARE your brain. That bundle of nerves, glial cells, axons, dendrites and synapses? THAT. IS. YOU.

Now, contrary to popular opinion, Alcohol, consumed in moderation does not really kill brain-cells or do any long-lasting damage to the brain. It does, however, affect your brain chemistry and can affect it quite a lot. That affects your personality as well.

I won't do that to myself. I am one of those people who firmly believe that rationalism and the human intellect are the only things worthwhile on this entire planet and indeed, in the observable universe. I will remain myself, at all times. I will not blunt my intellect, I value it too much. This is not to say that I have a genius level intellect - I do not. I am not a genius. We all have a valuable intellect that should be safeguarded. We all have an intellect that we depend upon. I just seem to value mine more than a lot of other people.

Plus Alcohol is:

1) Addictive. You know it is. A lot of people have alcohol problems but they never admit it.
2) Increases your chances of cancer: This has been proven in various medical studies in the Lancet and the BMJ.
3) Damages your liver
4) Expensive
5) And can have serious consequences. It's all fun and games until you've wrapped your car around a tree! I'm a med student - I've actually BEEN to car crash sites (mostly to learn procedure, but I've been there). It's not very bloody pleasant, to see someone shrieking in pain due to a crushed pelvis, flail chest segment, broken arms, and blood pouring from their mouth.

Now, of course, if you can moderate your drinking, you're fine. You'll avoid all of the above. Being a moderate drinker means you probably won't drink and drive, you'll probably avoid any long-term damage to your liver, you'll avoid addiction, you'll avoid the expense that comes with addiction and you'll only marginally raise your chances of getting cancer later in life (equivalent to eating a beef-burger every now and then, it's mostly harmless). So if you are a moderate drinker, good on you. You'll have a fun time and you'll stay safe.

But how many of you are? Time and time and time again I've seen people vehemently deny that they have a drinking problem.... until it's too late.

Consider this possibility: If you are the type who adamantly insists that "I DO NOT HAVE A DRINKING PROBLEM!" If the mere accusation of addiction is enough to send you into a rage, if you always console yourself with the canned line "I can stop at anytime!" then maybe you do have a drinking problem!

While there is nothing wrong with moderate drinking, there is nothing wrong with teetotalism. Unless you are the type who thinks it's impossible to have a meaningful, entertaining time with others without alcohol, which in that case.... that's a damn shame.

 

[xXAsherahXx]

I'm gonna have to say yes to that. I drink whenever drinks are around. Being buzzed rules. Being sober is good and all, but being NOT sober is just fun.

 

[NeuroticDogDad]

QQ moar. I got wasted last night, I didn't fall over anything, vomit anywhere, make a massive fool of myself, or throw money at overpriced drinks (I spent £14). I pretty much just chilled and hung out with my friends.

Why do I need to tolerate other people's moronic views? At all?

You missed the part where other people can do exactly what you did but without drinking. They save themselves the 14 Euros AND they can still drive. Why the need to drink in the first place? Can't you enjoy life without temporarily altering your mental capacity?
That last bit is the reason drunks don't get any tolerance from me. Because they never fail to shrug off everything I say because they view it as moronic. Which is pretty stupid from my point of view because that's exactly how YOU're looking right now.

Not wanting to join in this deep and tolerant conversation but if you're going to start calling people moronic you should probably know what a pound sign is first.

Now to my real post.

I am frustrated by arguments saying "you don't know anything, you don't have this experience so your opinion is invalid" because for a lot of policy and fact-based things this isn't a real argument. But since we're talking about an experience (being drunk) and giving it subjective values (it's fun/everyone who drinks is a dickhead) then I can't help but put out an opinion (which, like everyone else's on this matter, is practically worthless):

Drinking for fun takes practice. It took me three years of underage drinking to find a point where I didn't hurt myself, a couple more years to find a point where I could remember the whole night, and for several years now I can control where I am on a scale of drunkenness tailor-made for each situation.
Now I would hate to give fuel to anyone who would like to come at me with a blunt and ridiculous attack so I will add the caveat that in these formative years I did enjoy sociable drinking and I didn't get it wrong every time I tested the waters of the deep end. But when I did get it wrong I would look back and say "now where can I improve" and tried harder the next time I went for a dive. Trial and error friends, trial and error.
Eventually we can all turn out like this:

Now, of course, if you can moderate your drinking, you're fine. Being a moderate drinker means you probably won't drink and drive, you'll probably avoid any long-term damage to your liver, you'll avoid addiction, you'll avoid the expense that comes with addiction and you'll only marginally raise your chances of getting cancer later in life (equivalent to eating a beef-burger every now and then, it's mostly harmless). So if you are a moderate drinker, good on you. You'll have a fun time and you'll stay safe.

I'm not saying it's more fun than sobriety, that entirely depends on the situation, but at least as a well-practiced drinker you have the option.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Get some help.

Alcohol is my help. Little else worked, but it tends to get the job done.

Yeah, have fun with that >.>

 

[Volafortis]

I like being in an altered state of mind at any sort of social gathering, because I'm typically very reserved, and don't really talk to anyone I don't know well. When I'm drunk or otherwise not sober, however, I sort of just become far more sociable.

 

[mega48man]

i can't control my fingers, i can't control my brain, oh noohoohooooo OH NOOOOOOOO

yeah, i kinda have to agree. there have been plenty of times when i could of really used a beer, like history class, 4 hours on a saturday morning sucks.

 

[James Stanbridge]

I'm from the interwebs!! I have unreasonably strong, detailed opinions!!!

I'm in the same basket as the socially awkward folk. Alcohol turns me into the life of the party. I never had a drinking problem. I didn't drink underage. I did get shitfaced drunk many times, its deeply ingrained in NZ culture, we're as bad as the Aussies and the Irish. When I got diagnosed with diabetes I chose to stop drinking, and I have. If I'm careful, I can have a beer now and then, but since thats not enough to even get a buzz, it hardly seems worth the effort. Unless its a scorcher or its hot and nothing can take the taste of a beer.

So I smoke weed now, for reasons other than getting high as well. Its pretty awesome, and unlike alcohol, once you get a certain tolerance to it you actually think in expanded ways and make connections and have ideas that would never cross my mind as my cynical, jaded sober mind. Maybe some of you aren't pessimists and feel a bit dark while sober, and aren't introverts. Extroverts cannot grasp what it means to be introverted, it is an entirely different mindset. When I get inebriated, it means for at least a few hours I can slip into the mindset of an extroverted person. When you get drunk you don't switch to introversion. You just become an amplified version of yourself. Stop being so quick to analyse and judge people when you haven't taken the time to view life from a different window from your own. Every man (okay not sociopaths etc) looks from his own window and believes himself to be a good person.

 

[axlryder]

As someone who has been on both sides of the fence, I find that, in general, drinking is overrated (especially by adolescents). It's nice in the moment, and fairly harmless once in a while, but certainly not an activity you want to engage in every day.

Here's an experiment that none of you will ever do for one reason or another.

For two years, spend a few hours a day meditating and a few more hours attempting to perfect something you aspire towards. Journal consistently, and attempt to help other people when you have the opportunity. Recognize your vices/shortcomings and attempt to curb them in a healthy way. Don't indulge in too much media stimulation and, when you do, try and make it something constructive. Employ moderation in all things.

For two more years, drink a lot and party frequently. Live the lifestyle that usually accompanies both of those activities.

compare how you feel at the end of the two 2 year periods.

 

[VladG]

Getting buzzed is fun but I do remember a few times just wishing that my head cleared up faster so I could go home or do something else. So no, I don't think it's always better to be intoxicated.

Saying alcohol makes everything better.. that's borderline if not full blown alcoholism.

 

[FatalFox]

not at all, I can have just as much fun being sober all the time, strongest thing I drink is like orange juice, and I have just as much fun with friends as the other guy, if not more staying my self-conscious self.

I'm not a big supporter of alcohol I might add, but people do what they want, as long as they don't turn into drunk assholes in the process and annoy me.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

No. I like being able to think, recall, talk and otherwise act like a reasonable person.

There are plenty of things that leave you capable of acting in such a way. Things are just better.

Hell. Just drink a few shots of vodka. You can still participate in society fine and you'll just feel cool.

Now, I know this isn't a good idea for work or classes. Those are the circumstances I'm talking about that absolutely makes it impossible to not be sober. And I'm fine with that. But otherwise, if you can make things a little better: why not?

You think you can still participate in society fine, but in fact you act and look like a moron and most normal people will try to avoid you.

I have jet to find a person who I like to be with when he/she is drunk. Even a few "shots", as you say, are enough to turn you in a different person. The drunk person won't notice the change, but a sober one will.

Being drunk sucks. Having full control over me self is a better feeling than any drugs can give you.

 

[FatalFox]

not at all, I can have just as much fun being sober all the time, strongest thing I drink is like orange juice, and I have just as much fun with friends as the other guy, if not more staying my self-conscious self.

Just a small note; I don't think being self-conscious is actually a good thing. If alcohol makes you less so, that would be positive.

Self-conscious in a way where I know when I am being annoying to other people, when I know what I'm doing is overly unnecessary and negatively impacting things around me.
I think self-consciousness is a good thing in that way, while in for example a constantly correcting yourself and restricting yourself from speaking because you think about it too much or something like that I think is the bad kind of self-consciousness.