I have certainly started drinking more at home due to Covid. Really enjoyed trying different beers from local craft breweries during the summer. But I'm pretty much a one beer a day, every day kind of person. Only have more than that on a special occasions.
Moving into fall and winter, I drink more whisky. Again mainly one a day, every day unless it's a special occasion. And I like trying different types. I hate soda/pop whatever you want to call it. So rarely do I drink spirits with anything other than ice or just neat.
Enjoy wine with dinner, but typically only when eating out.
I have no interest in drugs. And I don't really like taking prescription drugs any longer than I have to. I had an experience with morphine while hospitalized that I will never forget.
So as far as alcohol goes, my answer is an early-mid increase followed by a swift decrease. When the weather first started getting nice, we'd have friends over to sit at the end of our walkway while we sat on our steps, having a few summer alcobevs. However, I'm not a big drinker to begin with, I might have a drink or two maybe twice a month. I'm certain I've gone months at a time without consuming alcohol. I enjoy a good scotch here and there but the opportunity for that usually happens infrequently (even though I have quite the alcohol cabinet in the basement wet-bar). So yeah, less overall because fewer social situations mean fewer times when I would possibly have a drink.
Cannabis is a different thing entirely, and to appreciate my answer here requires understanding that I left a job this spring that was no longer a good fit (a change overdue by a solid 6 months). At my old job, I was self medicating before bed to sleep and sometimes 'just because'. I started my new role in April and since then I can count on one hand the number of times I've touched the stuff in total. It isn't that I don't like it, it's just that I haven't felt the want or need to do it. Pre-COVID, a buddy and I would use it as a precursor to playing video games. So my cannabis use has dropped dramatically.
So answer to both is they've decreased considerably, though how COVID has influenced each is different.
I'm a beer drinker, but also a social drinker. So I've actually drank significantly less during the pandemic. At first I was going on House Party and getting wasted with the boys, but that only last a week or two.
My weed intake is about the same. At first, I would smoke during the day while working but that proved to be very unproductive as Netflix, DIY house projects, Xbox, doing anything BUT work seems a lot more fun while high. So now its the odd beer when watching what little sports there are, and evening marijuana usage. Typically a couple bong rips (big bong full of ice is a game changer for those who don't like to smoke).
As I've gotten older, I have drank less and less. The hangovers, dehydration, etc all just get worse. A night of drinking is a guaranteed wasted day the next day and that just bothers me. Where as with weed, both the benefit and any downfalls are the same as when I was 20 years younger.
One thing that I've discovered during the pandemic is Psilocybin mushroom edibles. While not legal, I believe its only a matter of time. But I've always thought Mushrooms were the best drug out there. All the hard stuff is both brutal and lame in my opinion. Anyways, for $40 you can get a mushroom chocolate bar with 6 doses. For me 2 doses is the way to go, and that lasts about 3-4 hours. Really enjoyable if in the right mood and situation.
Was this your first time doing mushrooms? Did you do it with someone experienced? The gray-market site I buy my weed/edibles from is now offering mushrooms and I've always wanted to try it but had always heard to do it under certain conditions (not in a bad head space/preferably outdoors/with a trustworth, experienced friend, etc). As it's now cold out, my headspace isn't great, and I can't get together with a friend I'm hesitant to try it as much as I really want to.
My relationship with alcohol has always been very minimal with the odd rager once or twice a year. Weed on the other hand...hoo boy. I spend about $250-$300/month on bud and edibles and that's probably way too much. Funny enough, as a pot smoker for 20+ years I started doing a lot more edibles last month as I was too lazy to go out to the garage to smoke and edibles was just easier. It's been enjoyable but also interesting to observe it's effects. I find I get a nice buzz of any initial dose (roughly 5-15mg for me) but after that I could eat any amount and nothing really seems to happen. I plateau I guess. So I'm back to smoking a bit more after an edible has hit it's peak and worrying a bit about how much I'm doing these days.
The ####ty thing is that I love the high but hate the idea of loving it. Like, I know I could be a better person without it, but I enjoy it and don't feel like I'm hurting anyone - just maybe not helping anyone. I'm stuck in a place of kind of wanting to stop while still wanting it almost every waking hour.
I'm usually good for a runaway every couple weeks. Usually it's while jamming with the wife of having a brochat. But in between I don't really touch the stuff. I find in the 2-4 beer range I get super restless and won't be able to sleep so it's not worth it. So weirdly I have to make the decision to get after it a bit. As for hangover's a T3 with my morning coffee goes a long way(thanks herniated discs!).
When I got my impaired driving charge (was pulled over for speeding and officer smelled booze) at 21 years old I blew 0.27. The officers at the station made me sit there for 30 minutes to blow again as they thought there was an issue with the machine because I was totally coherent and answering their questions with ease and not showing any signs of inebriation. They said they have seen people blow half that much that couldn't walk so this couldn't be right. Well after 30 minutes it was something like 0.26. I got pulled over at 12:30 am but had been drinking all day from the afternoon so even though I was in a somewhat normal state I had a lot of alcohol in my blood. Not defending what I did or anything as I deserved the charge and it's a good lesson that if you have been drinking steadily over the course of a day even if you feel fine and feel that you spread things out, there's a good chance you have above the legal limit of alcohol levels in your blood.
Been unemployed too long... finished my booze stash (that I actually want to drink). I have an unopened bottle (maybe 2) of whisky... but don't like the stuff at all.
When I got my impaired driving charge (was pulled over for speeding and officer smelled booze) at 21 years old I blew 0.27. The officers at the station made me sit there for 30 minutes to blow again as they thought there was an issue with the machine because I was totally coherent and answering their questions with ease and not showing any signs of inebriation. They said they have seen people blow half that much that couldn't walk so this couldn't be right. Well after 30 minutes it was something like 0.26. I got pulled over at 12:30 am but had been drinking all day from the afternoon so even though I was in a somewhat normal state I had a lot of alcohol in my blood. Not defending what I did or anything as I deserved the charge and it's a good lesson that if you have been drinking steadily over the course of a day even if you feel fine and feel that you spread things out, there's a good chance you have above the legal limit of alcohol levels in your blood.
Absolutely. Stuff like this is exactly why I don't drive at all after 2 drinks in a day, no matter how far apart they were. How I feel has no bearing on it, especially since I feel normal until about beer number 5-6 anyway. Better safe than sorry
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I've never done drugs of any kind and I honestly cannot remember the last time I've drank alcohol. It might have been when I still lived in North Vancouver which is just over 3 years now. When I did it was only when meeting up with a group of school/work friends on a weekend or at a staff party.
For me, I've found my relationship with alcohol has improved greatly when I have a drink when I feel like it, regardless if it's "correct" to do so. While that seems like it would mean more drinking, it has actually really cut down my consumption. I have a drink or two when I am really feeling like it and enjoy those drinks. Then it makes me avoid having a drink for the sake of it, when I'm not actually really wanting one. Not sure if that makes sense, but it really works for me.
I really wish I could handle weed better though. I have a very low tolerance so mircodosing with pills seemed like a great idea, but they take several hours to kick in (like 5+ hours for me). Even taking just one puff on anything made me feel too out of it, so I unfortunately have to avoid it.
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My alcohol consumption took a nose dive after covid hit. I can't say it was specifically due to covid. I drank socially and for about a year or more now, I just didn't really enjoy the early headaches, stiff muscles and cotton mouth. I basically get a hangover before I go to sleep.
I consumed occasionally during covid and the only time I drank a ton was a few weeks ago when I got in a mulled wine mood and within a few weeks I had used up a dozen bottle of wine, two bottles of Amaretto and half a bottle of cognac making the stuff. No buzz though, basically all just flavour. During the summer it was the occasional beer on a hot day and maybe a gin and tonic when others were still able to visit.
I am similar to others that pop consumption has skyrocketed. Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew, Ginger Ale, Ginger Beers of varying brands, Coca Cola, Monster Energy, Full Throttle etc. I'm pounding these back like crazy and wanting it more and more. I'm also drinking a lot more juice and water as well. I'm always thirsty which is kinda weird. I'm also drinking a ridiculous amount of milk tea and coffee. I think my body wants caffeine a lot... but it doesn't affect my ability to sleep.
Every month or so, once or twice I'll do a dose of high concentration CBD for a bit of a stress reset. I sneak this in though. I'm a bit self conscious about letting my wife and kids know when I am going to do it. I am very tempted to hop out and look for a more gentle CBD/THC oil for a bit more of a mellow trip. I used to have a herculean resistance to cannabis. This oil I'm using now I think is around 22 mg CBD per mL or something like that, I've done 1.5 mL plus other pre-rolls in the past with completely no reaction after 4 hours and requiring the use of cross fade to get a light buzz reaction by the 5th hour.
Luckily, my body figured it out and 0.3-0.4 mL of the same stuff feels like the iconic back seat of the car gif from Night at the Roxbury after around 3 hours with the buzz usually starting around 2.5 hours after consumption. I kinda want to increase the frequency of use, but I'm hesitant because it feels a bit irresponsible to do it, especially if I'm technically sneaking in the doses around my family.
Lastly, I have adult ADD and thus I take Vyvanse for concentration as needed. I luckily do not have to take it daily and I generally don't really like it in general, but when things get busy at work, I will take it to stay on track. On the days I take it, I have to be careful with everything else I take (caffeine, booze etc.) as this one can really affect my sleep, energy, tunnel vision, mood swings that are usually linked with me only wanting to sleep 4-6 hours a day and not interested in eating meals because I'm not hungry and it's taking away from productivity after a few days in a row... etc.
A little worrisome to me... I really want to smoke cigarettes or cigars. I have no idea why. I generally smoke once or twice a year for a scotch night or something. Lately, I inexplicably really want to just grab a pack of cigarettes and quietly smoke half a pack in total darkness while sitting on my new backyard porch. It feels like a movie scene in my head and I don't know why I want to do it. The only thing keeping me from doing it is not being able to get away with it and not wanting the conversation with my wife as to why I smell like smoke. If I were single, I'd probably have gone through many packs of cigs already. I tried vaping with non-nicotine juice. It's not the feeling I'm looking for.
Been unemployed too long... finished my booze stash (that I actually want to drink). I have an unopened bottle (maybe 2) of whisky... but don't like the stuff at all.
No drugs except odd tylenol.
Interested in a trade of some sort? Depends on what you've got...
I actually don't drink that much/often. When I play poker with the guys I do pour 4-5 finger scotches (for all of us, not just me). They make fun of that, but it's really because I don't want to have to get up more often than required.
Interested in a trade of some sort? Depends on what you've got...
I actually don't drink that much/often. When I play poker with the guys I do pour 4-5 finger scotches (for all of us, not just me). They make fun of that, but it's really because I don't want to have to get up more often than required.
I just can’t. I’m a rule follower and it was illegal for so long that I just couldn’t do it now. I know everyone loves it and basically all my friends have no issues with it, and really I don’t have any issues with it either, but I can’t.
