How is your relationship with drugs and alcohol?

[Cheese]

I have no relationship with either. I do love a good whiskey now and then, maybe once every two weeks and usually only an ounce or two. I'm a cheap drunk. Hate all beer, tastes like pee and although I love the smell and taste of red wine, the tanins give me horrible allergic reactions. Haven't smoked weed in 35 years and don't miss it at all.

[CaptainCrunch]

I rarely drink anymore, I mean a couple of beers with dad once in a long while, but he's stopped drinking at all. I do have an annual tradition, where Christmas is that magical time of year where I pretty much make a 26 of Jack dissapear.

The bottom line is that if I start drinking out of mental health reasons I don't stop. When I lost my job earlier this year, I was pretty well drunk for the first two days and started having leaving Las Vegas fantasies, I also remember feeling a lot of self resentment for some reason. (professional hint, don't start doing job applications when you're drinking)

I also learned in about my mid 30's that I really had no tolerance for it, I wasn't the legendary drinker from my 20's. And I'm an absolutely miserable drunk, and my instinctual hatred of all things people bubbles to the surface. I also used to really like to fight when I drank for some reason, maybe because it hurt less.

I used to go through 3 phrases at the bar as described by friends. Stage one, the light buzz, I'm smiling and laughing, and I might initiate conversation. Stage two, I get really quiet and withdraw from the conversation (usually I decide at that point to call it a night, because for some reason I start not liking the people I'm around). Stage 3, if my friends convince me to stick around and have a few more, then at some point all hell is going to break loose. (knowing you have a problem and admitting that your a jacka$$ is the first step to anything)

so yeah, I try to maybe keep to about a dozen beers a year, and one night of pounding a bottle if I'm by myself at Christmas or new years.

Drugs, I can't say I had a relation. I smoked week a few times, there was that way over the top intro to cocaine 101 when I lived in Texas and got invited to a party. But I never really liked weed and its effects on me, it certainly didn't make me all mellow. I felt that all the nerves in my body were scraped raw. Cocaine was too amazing so I made a decision to stay the F away from it. Oh by the way smoking a lot of weed for me and going to an Ozzy Osborne concert, not a good thing.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Don't like weed, makes me paranoid and my lungs feel like absolute #### the day after if I smoke. Beer is my jam though, not to get drunk but just because it's delicious and I love trying new craft beers. I'll usually grab a 6-pack and 4-pack of tall boys when I hit the liquor store and that will last me a month during normal times. Now with another covid lockdown and working from home, it's turning into a 2 week supply. Getting full on drunk is a rare event now, last time was in August for my cousin's wake when I got completely wrecked (which is exactly what he would have wanted). I imagine the next time will be when vaccinations are available for the common folk and I can visit some friends again

[Sr. Mints]

I'm now taking codeine phosphate almost daily and feel like i'm walking on the edge of a blade

edit: yeah that sounds dire, thanks for the PMs of concern. To clarify, I take it by prescription as most other treatments haven't been as effective as they were. And what I mean by walking on the edge of a blade is that there's this warmth that envelopes you, it's quite the feeling and hard to describe, but when you see a movie of a guy getting high and they just sort of roll back into a stupor, I imagine it's the similar. Feels like I don't want to get hooked on this stuff and slip.

[MoneyGuy]

I have two beers a week, maybe a glass of Scotch or rye a week, and the occasional glass of wine. I can take it or leave it. I’ve never smoked weed or taken any drug. Nothing has changed with COVID.

[81MC]

Pot - very rarely now. Enjoy it in a good social setting, but really not for me alone.
Alcohol - would like to cut back. 2 pints a night, 3 or 4 if I’m in good company. Too much, rarely drunk but def need to cut back.
Quit smoking Nov. 10 so that’s good I guess.

[dammage79]

I broke up with pot in2006, had a couple flings with pot up intl 2015 ish. The new fandangled super thc weed is death to me. Haven't seen her since.

I broke off my marriage to alcohol in 2012. Only get together for farmily vacations in late July early August. Then it a torrid love affair for two weeks and then we go our separate ways.

Beer and I got together a few times since covid. If only to add a little spice to the sheer doldrums of being in quarantine.

[JohnnyB]

Have we ever had a poll on how old people are? I feel like we've got a lot of people in this thread with a reasonable amount of life experience.

[Muta]

I don't really drink that much. Living by myself at 37, I may, at most, have two glasses of wine a week at most. I feel no need to drink on my own, not even out of boredom or lockdown. Outside of covid restrictions, I'll have some drinks or a party favour here and there with friends while at a music show, but I'll definitely feel it the next day. I'd rather go to the gym, go golfing or nap.

[edslunch]

Haven’t been able to smoke since high school - it made me waaaay too uncomfortably introspective. Can’t drink much beer - it doesn’t agree with no matter how much I like it.

Used to drink scotch regularly but have pretty much switched to bourbon and cocktails but only one or two.

My weakness is wine. It used to be self-limiting by a relatively low tolerance but started some unrelated medication a few years ago that keeps me cognizant no matter what quantity I drink. It makes for better nights and worse mornings

[Samonadreau]

Thanks for the write up Greenlantern. I can relate to almost everything you said. I too just like to drink whatever is in front of me. I will go through a case of cherry bubly's in like 2 days..... the same will happen if am having some beers i will just drink it and crack another one.

I probably have 2 beers every second night but If I wasnt married, with children... it would be more, maybe 2-4 every night. Found myself drinking a bit more over this last year too for sure.

I cant smoke because of my job but thats probably for the best in the end anyways.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

[topfiverecords]

Haven’t had an alcoholic drink in over a decade. Never done any drugs... well maybe when I was a fetus (it was the 70s). Even my coffee intake is down but that’s mostly due to laziness that’s leading to expired cream in the fridge.

[Mass_nerder]

I got pretty carried away with drinking/partying until around 23-24; I definitely slowed down significantly and would have maybe 2-3 drinks a week until about a year ago. Now that I'm in my mid-30s, anything more than 1-2 drinks in a night and I'm hung over the next morning, so I've just started steering clear almost completely. If I have more than 1-2 beers in a month now, it's rare. I don't even really miss it.
In the summer I was smoking a little weed a few times a week at night to sleep better, but I just had my first kid a few months ago and it doesn't seem like a very responsible thing to do now, so I'm pretty much clean.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Never been much of a drinker, but I went through an odd phase where I was trying to manage my insomnia with alcohol. That's' not a good path. It didn't get out of hand as I pulled out of it before it did. But that type of self medication for something like sleep issues can get away in a hurry.

I've never enjoyed getting drunk. Happens once every few years. Most recently as my wife brought home a bottle of Pink Whitney and I thought it was Pink lemonade with Vodka and not Pink Lemonade Flavored Vodka. After working in the garden I came in and chugged a nice tall glass and found myself unintentionally bombed.

Tried pot a couple times in my younger years, and then again when it was legalized and easily accessible. Not my thing though.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Most recently as my wife brought home a bottle of Pink Whitney and I thought it was Pink lemonade with Vodka and not Pink Lemonade Flavored Vodka.

Huh, that's what I thought it was too

[PepsiFree]

It’s good thanks for asking.

[Dion]

I got a divorce from alcohol back when I was in my teens. Too many bad drunks and hangovers. Today I might enjoy a cold beer on a hot summers day but that's about it.

Drugs were never my thing growing up and it's much the same today.

[OutOfTheCube]

I rarely drink at all anymore, at least to any level worth mentioning. I might have a cider or hard iced tea when cooking dinner. Every few weeks me and the Mrs. crack a bottle of wine on a rare night we can get all the kids sleeping at the same time. That’s about it.

Never done any drugs and not planning to start now in my 30’s.

[flylock shox]

I was never a "drink alone" type until Covid. Not to say I didn't have the odd glass of wine or beer by myself on occasion before then, but when the lock-down happened I was good for a tallboy a day in the afternoons. Plus trying new beers gave me something to do and to look forward to.



I've liked beer a long time, and find it to be predictable, controllable, and varied enough to keep things interesting, so wasn't too worried about the increased consumption, which had a sort of placebo friend-replacement effect in the absence of an actual social life. But after a few months of no sports, no commute, no gym, and a beer a day, I was up about 15 pounds. Had to kybosh that particular habit over the latter part of the summer.


Now that it's dark all day again though, I'm back to a beer or couple of glasses of wine every other day or so. No regrets - I enjoy it, and now have a home gym to help fight off the weight gain. Plus it still serves that social placebo function.


Never been interested in other substances, since I've been lucky enough that alcohol is something I've never had trouble controlling, and it has so much variety, availability, and social normalcy. I've got a friend or two who aren't so lucky when it comes to keeping the booze in check though, and its destructive potential for them is pretty obvious. Sounds like others here have recognized this in their own experience (the first step in solving the problem, as they say).



One day I'd probably give something like shrooms a try, just because of the perspective and in some cases life-altering experiences I know some folks have had with it. Now that I'm on the back nine, gotta do something to keep the game interesting after all.

[Blaster86]

I'm literally paid to be an alcoholic. My job is fantastic.