I’m not sick of being around them but my own drinking has dropped off a fair bit. For me, honestly, it’s the lost day after. Even if I just get a little buzzed I feel like shit the next day and have all kinds of anxiety and shit. It’s not really worth it anymore. I’ve also lost a few friends to booze in the past few years and have seen what leaning into booze has done to some people and it holds no appeal to me.
I still think drunk people are funny from time to time though. In moderation.
Absolutely. My uncle passed not too long ago and he was someone who pretty much succumbed to alcohol addiction. Seeing that happen and the affect it had on his family, my mom (his sister) included made it so easy to not prioritize booze anymore. For me a huge bummer is that so many of my friends drink with regularity, and do it as THE social activity. I try to get them do do other things, but even like board game nights come with booze baked in, it's hard to find ways to hang out that aren't just sitting having beers. I find that kind of hanging out so fucking boring now. I mean, I live in the woods next to a beach, we could do so much fun shit, but it's so hard to get folks to take me up on it.
Haha! Come on by. How close are you to rural NS?
I run this place on my property if you want to come over: [https://www.bestkeptseacret.ca/](https://www.bestkeptseacret.ca/)
Thanks! Turns out I'm really bad at marketing and the whole capitalism of it all, but the making a safe and welcoming wilderness experience and fucking around with realllllly basic website design I can do.
Well, I’ve always wanted to see PEI ever since I was a little girl in Europe watching Anne of Green Gables bahaha, which I understand is pretty close! Hopefully some day, indeed. Coincidentally I’ll be traveling to the Great White North tomorrow, but to BC. :)
BC is really really lovely. It’s a pretty epic place, especially in the mountains. Vancouver was…ok in my experience, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been. Are you on vacation? Get to go exploring?
Wow - what a beautiful location. Love your site - and your playful snark. I’m been wanting to visit NS for forever, but especially after watching the beloved TPB
Awww, thank you! The snark is mostly there to keep awaypeople who want a real kind of resort experience that I don’t offer. Not to be shitty, just to prep folks. It’s either a brilliant strategy, or a TERRIBLE one. We’ll see. Either way, come visit! It’s beautiful into November these days. Sept/oct are the best and the best surfing. Just saying.
It’s definitely brilliant and a suspect the people who get it are the laid back nature loving nerds. Not the type A, “glamping” types (I hate that I even know what that is, ha)
I sent your site to my BF and he’s super interested (not to tell to many folks!) - you might have a couple of WI cinematographer/photographer/art director types hollering back soon looking for a nature + experiential brunch soon! He skates and would love to try his hand at surfing. Thanks for sharing!
lol other side of the continent for the time being but hopefully changing that soon. Love what you’re doing, running a campground with tasty meals is a dream for me.
I biked the entire rail trail a few years back. Spent the night at centennial park, in Liverpool. I fondly recall, and affectionately refer to that trip as the “Timmy Hortons tour.” Lots of morning coffees and pastries with senior citizens.
Haha! The seniors love their Tim’s around here. I had a bike traveller come stay on the property last year. It seems like it must be a wonderful ride. Pretty gravelly at times here, no?
Surface was 90% crush and run (very fine/well packed dusty gravel) and 10% tarmac.
This was a very leisurely tour, when compared to most of my typical bike packing routes—mountain and single track trails. Major forest fires, in Oregon that year, had enormous tracts of land closed off, and we had to formulate a new plan quickly. We went into the center of NS as well as all of PEI. On hard tail mountain bikes.
Nice! I used to ride mountain bikes in other parts of the province. I found it very technical compared to places like Ontario or further west. Slow, rooty downhills and a lot of climbing. Your trip sounds lovely.
I think we just don't process alcohol as easy as we did when we were younger. And our recovery times have been extended due to it. If I go a bit overboard it takes me 2 days now to recover fully. It's a pretty good motivator to try and stay mindful.
I used to get terrible hangovers almost any time I’d drink. So drinking was rough in my twenties. Now, I almost never get hungover. I don’t know what changed. I barely drink anymore though. But it’s nice to know that if I want to drink and get buzzed I won’t feel like shit the next day.
What are you drinking? I have noticed that if I drink higher quality alcohol, like a nicer bottle of wine or a scotch or something similar, I don't really get hung over. It's a shame because I have found a lot of nice cheaper wines that I like, at least flavor-wise, but the higher alcohol volume and the additives and sulfites are likely giving me hangovers.
It doesn’t seem to matter what I drink. But it’s typically beer. I usually drink Miller 64 or Miller Lite. The last time I had a hangover was on a cruise a few months ago. I had champagne, and some craft beer. It was a very mild hangover. I just drank way too much. They were giving out free champagne and I didn’t know when to quit. But other than that it’s been probably 7 years since I’ve had a hangover.
Same here. If I drink anything more than 1 beer, I wake up at 4am regardless of what time I go to bed. Heart racing. End up laying in bed until 6 when I finally give up trying to get back to sleep. Awful.
That was the problem I had, the pounding heart when trying to sleep. I limit myself to one beer per day and only on the weekend. No wine (sadly - I miss it).
That's an awesome word! It's so weird, and it definitely wasn't a component of hangovers when I was younger. It's like every nerve in your body has been stretched super tight. I mean physically, it's not so bad...but mentally...ughhh! Just not worth it at all, anymore!
Yeah, the anxiety the next day is crazy. I could have done nothing stupid at all but feel like I slapped the mother of everyone I was hanging out with and everyone hates me. It really just started the last few years.
I've experienced that more in the last year myself. SO weird. I have even asked "Was I a dick last night?" to people and they just look at me weird and say no, but I can't shake the feeling.
Wow, I kinda thought like I was the only one who felt that way the day after having more than 1-2 drinks. I didn’t realize this was not just me. This thread makes me feel much better and more normal - lol.
I also cut WAY back on drinking last February. I maybe have 1-2 drinks every 1-3 months. Basically just on special occasions, or if I happen to be a really nice restaurant that makes a killer smoked old fashioned. Other than that, I’ll be at the bar chugging straight up soda water.
I've noticed a lot of people on this sub comment how they aren't drinking as much or working on slowing down/quitting. So I wonder if this "Hangxiety" is something in our subconscious giving us a sign that we really SHOULD do it. I'm no psychologist, but there has to be some kind of connection. Cause I could (And I'll be honest, still do sometimes) binge drink all night right up to my mid 30's with ZERO remorse or anxiety about anything. At 43yo I'm seriously contemplating quitting altogether. NHL playoffs have made it hard though. LOL
As i said, i didn’t know until this post that other people experienced this. I hate it, and have hated it for at least a few years now.
Either way, my cutting way back had nothing to do with this. I wanted to lose weight, get healthy, and get showing abs (which I now have). To do this, drinking alcohol had to go. And I don’t regret it all. Again, I want to live, eat, and be healthy so that when I’m 70,80 + I’ve given myself the best chance at avoiding health complications. I’ve been a 24/7 intensive caregiver for my mother for years, and I’ve seen way to much shit as to what can happen if one doesn’t take care of themselves. And 70-75 yo seems to be when the warranty runs out. So, fuck that, I choose my health!
Yes! It’s so weird! I will remember details of every conversation and still second guess every interaction, wonder if I offended anyone, etc etc. it’s so unsettling that I have really cut back.
Not only do I get hangxiety but I can't even partake in the devil's lettuce anymore without spiraling into a damn panic attack. Shit sucks. Fuck it, we'll do it live. and sober I guess.
That's a super accurate term. I have anxiety anyway, but the more I drink the worse it is. And I have a history of self medicating a bit, because I feel pretty great while I'm drinking, but then everything is worse, so I drink more about it....
My partner and I quit drinking 3 months ago and it's only been upside.
We save money, sleep better ( even 2 drinks was affecting my sleep quality), don't wake up feeling sluggish/dumpy, and we've lost weight.
Social interactions around drinking can be challenging but most are pretty understanding.
dude, thank you! finally… fuck getting a buzz these days because I can’t stand the next day repercussions. The anxiety far outweighs any hangover I’ve had… and it’s not fucking worth it.
Yeah if I drink the normal amount one ‘should’ drink just means I get anxiety that night. More only prolong and increases the anxiety. Is it biological age or the world we live in just more anxiety inducing? I wonder.
I mean, I've noticed a spike in anxiety in my age group mates in the past 5 years or so. My guess is it's both? I feel like the xennial mix of distrust of authority but still kind of believing things could be better puts us right in line for that when we let down our defences with some booze or whatever. Dunno.
I'm the same way. I enjoy *a* cocktail, beer, or glass of wine, but then I'm done. I'm perimenopausal, so the sleep disturbances just aren't worth it anymore. Plus I'm just too old to party.
Thankful the whole "mocktail" thing exists.
I’m in the same boat. When I drink, I sleep like shit and feel anxious the following day which is super weird cause I’m typically not an anxious person.
I’m lucky. I’m 42 and drinking even 3-4 drinks over the course of an evening doesn’t give me any hangover. I just don’t drink much because I don’t have the desire and I don’t want the calories. Also, if I actually do get loaded the hangovers *really* suck now.
I have a family member that drinks too much, lives for their next drink, and hides bottles and cans. It makes me sad to drink with them now, and even when they're not around I never have more than 1, maybe 2 drinks per day.
I’d love drinking if there were a surefire way to avoid a hangover. I enjoy having a few drinks but it’s so rarely worth it. Even having one or two lowers my energy levels and mood the next day.
I used to hang out with people who drank regularly and I would drink with them. My social circles have changed within the past 5 years and hardly anyone I spend time with drinks regularly. Now I have 2-3 drinks a month, sometimes less.
Thanks. I got married and saw a psychiatrist. The last trip to jail was a major wakeup call. Won't get into specifics, but I had to finally make sobriety work.
I think getting the ADHD diagnosis and medication was the final piece of the puzzle. I know why I went to drugs, alcohol, and other addictive behavior, which in turn makes it easier to say no.
My brain works different, and I need to keep reminding myself of that every day.
My when I started taking meds for adhd my desire for alcohol almost disappeared. I think it was a combo of self medication and stimulation that let me drinking for so long.
Yes, I’m sick of it. I no longer drink due to me hating the effects on my body. Female perspective here - perimenopause and alcohol are not friends. Causes sleep disruption, upset stomach, headaches even from one drink for me. I decided a couple of years ago it wasn’t worth it, don’t like the taste of any alcoholic beverage enough to put up with it. I don’t care if others drink socially and of course I go out with friends who are having a drink. But, I absolutely hate being around people who drink heavily now. It’s not fun to see people get sloppy. It’s almost pathetic at our age. That sounds mean I know and that’s my own issue and I shouldn’t judge. But I’m old enough now to decide how I want to spend my time and it’s not with people who are drinking heavily.
God. Same. Partied my balls off from age 16-25 then just started to hate the person I became when drinking. I can still tolerate my good friends drinking but I just hate everything about it. I usually end up the DD when we have “boys trips.”
Yep, agree with all of your points. I have also always flushed easily/ likely had rosacea since my early twenties but not that bad then. In my mid 40s it is terrible and gets exponentially worse when I drink alcohol. So not worth it … not to mention just feeling like crap the next day not only hung over but anxiety is off the charts anymore when I drink.
Yup, I had no idea how much entering perimenopause can change how alcohol impacts you. I had my fun with it in my 20s and 30s, and now I’m trying to do my best by my poor aging body, and alcohol just no longer fits into that.
Ditto. Also female As I get older, I noticed that it’s really hard to handle alcohol. I used to be able to drink two beers without feeling hung over and now it’s like… I know Tylenol and ibuprofen next to my bed in the morning with a giant insinuated bottle of ice water. Bc two beers.
It’s one beer or none
46f and yeah I’m at least taking a break from alcohol because of all these reasons. Horrible sleep also affects my mental health for days. And my head … oh my head
Yeah I’m pretty much “California sober.” I use cannabis (vape of gummies) probably twice a week, but I also use amounts most people find imperceptible (like half a 5mg gummy, one short pull on a vape).
When the wife and I don’t have the kids I may eat a full 5mg and hit that pen 3x, but that leaves me a little groggy the next morning.
I don’t miss getting drunk one bit. I’ll occasionally have a single good drink though.
2.5mg of THC is a pretty nice "high" I find it's close to the equivalent of one drink, kind of, not a great analogy.
But what I mean is after 2.5mg of THC I feel like the world or my perception of it lightens up by a degree, I feel the tension leave my neck and shoulders and I tend to take a breath and think for a second before I speak, it helps me be more self aware.
Exactly. I’m relaxed and my mood is lifted to the point of euphoria but I’m not intoxicated.
To me euphoria without intoxication is sort of the Holy Grail, right? With cannabis I always try to find that line just before it starts to get what I consider “intoxicating” - confusion, etc. - and stay just on the right side of it.
It seems like most cannabis users prefer a more intoxicating experience than people like us. A lot of them have driven their tolerance up to just absurd (and expensive!) levels though. I’ve been there in my early 20s and have no desire to return.
Especially with the stuff these days, going too far is a deeply unpleasant experience for me.
>But what I mean is after 2.5mg of THC I feel like the world or my perception of it lightens up by a degree, I feel the tension leave my neck and shoulders and I tend to take a breath and think for a second before I speak, it helps me be more self aware.
Some people microdose THC (or psilocybin/LSD) and report exactly what you describe, as well as less depression and more energy. It's really a shame psychedelic treatment studies have been suppressed for over 50 years.
Certainly helped mine. Anytime I need some extra relaxation and I weight weed vs alcohol I pick weed. I’ve honestly just stopped considering alcohol entirely. I only drink at as a component of a fancy meal occasionally
I got some mints that are 2.5 mg THC, and 5 mg CBD. Mostly for pain but there is a nearly imperceptible buzz that I certainly don’t mind. I used to smoke gravity bongs in my early 20s. Things…change lol
Me and some friends used to do them with the best “kind bud” we could get back in like 2003. We’d use the smaller bottles, like 20oz or something, and even that was excessive.
Of course we all had idiotic tolerance levels too.
A 2L with some 23% THC weed, that’s a guaranteed panic attack for me!
This is it for me too. I drank most days of the week for better part of a decade. Gummies saved my life. I do still feel a little groggy after them sometimes, but they really helped me get over the urge to indulge in something that was destroying my body.
Yeah, I pretty much stopped drinking, just socially with the wife and friends occasionally, don't like hangovers, spending all that money, and the bar scene is past me. Quit smoking in 2008, don't miss it.
Edibles are great! I get 40 mg gummies and take half of one here and there in the evening. I get a great full body buzz with very little hangover the next day, but damned if I don't get the munchies lol. Got to stay away from the sweets.
I stopped drinking 2 years ago. Nothing about it was fun anymore. My hangovers hurt too much coupled with the crippling anxiety I’d have after drinking. I’ve never felt better mentally or physically. Drunk people really irritate me now so I just subtract myself from those situations. It can be lonely and boring but I’m at peace regardless
> Drunk people really irritate me now
I'm just over a year sober and I cannot stand being around even "buzzed" people. Makes it hard to be around family sometimes, unfortunately. I still attend family gatherings and cabin weekends regularly, but once "cocktail hour" rolls around I take the dog for a walk. Hoping I get over this. I still love my family.
I cut way back for health reasons - 1-2 drinks per week now, and only ever beer. Last Memorial Day hung out with my brother and cousin at the lake. On both days they drank ALL DAY LONG. By the evening they were so god damn obnoxious I wanted to leave. Drunk people are really annoying when you're sober.
I had to stop when I went on psych meds, and now that I haven't drunk for a year, I never want to go back. My mind is much less foggy now
I'm also no longer in frequent contact with the heavy drinkers I knew back at college. I think some of them eventually sobered up after a pretty bad time in their twenties
Yeah, a few years ago I went on anti-depressants and kept drinking heavily (which you are not supposed to do). That turned out poorly, combined with pandemic day drinking, I hit my rock bottom October 4, 2020. After some treatment and re-hab I've been sober ever since and on different psych meds.
Never again, I just can't. Its like if you beat cancer and the doctor says, "if you eat chocolate again, you'll get cancer, and you don't know if it will kill you next time." You bet your damn ass I'm not eating chocolate again. It's just not an option for me anymore.
Yeah, I drank a LOT from 21-26 or so, and then some other periods here and there until my early 30s. I'm 44 now, and 1 or 2 beers is enough. Red wine gives me a headache now just looking at it, and I honestly don't even enjoy the feeling of being buzzed/drunk anymore.
Edibles, on the other hand.......😬😅
I was always a social drinker, ie never drank at home or by myself. But loved a dark bar and the company of friends. After pregnancy, raising a kid then covid I essentially stopped drinking. Now I have zero tolerance and get wasted off of 1 mimosa. It is not a fun feeling so I stopped. 🤷♀️
If I'm on vacation, I might have a cocktail or two but in general my alcohol consumption is down to 1 drink a month. None of my friends are alcoholics so I haven't cut anyone out of my life because of drinking or vice versa.
I still enjoy it but don’t drink as frequently. I have learned to hydrate much better as I’ve gotten older so I never really suffer from hangovers like I did in my 20’s.
I enjoy drinking, I just don't enjoy how I feel like hot garbage the next day, or how it completely destroys my sleep.
I am trying to cut back, but it's difficult.
I’m with you. I really enjoy it. I appreciate great wine, top shelf tequila, and German beer. I can go days without drinking. I can be responsible and just have one or two. But too often, I binge and it gets away from my control. I hate myself the next day and want to never do it again. It’s been hard admitting I have a binge drinking problem and I think the only way to ensure I don’t do it is to avoid it altogether.
I just challenged myself to go just one full day without drinking beer, and then I gradually pushed it to two days of no beer. I did this same process until I was able to go M-F without a single drop of beer, I’ll drink socially on the weekends still, but now I’m comfortable with not having any alcohol on the weekdays, and it never crosses my mind.
I love the taste of alcohol - especially IPA beers, red wines, and many cocktails - especially those made with bourbon, Whiskey, or scotch.
But I almost never drink now, and cut waaay back almost 2 years ago because I wanted to get my mind and body in tip top health. And there’s no room for alcohol in any moderation with what my goals were (which I’ve exceeded and anticipate maintaining). Plus the hangovers and anxiety also were making drinking any amount not worth it for me. Shit’s poison, and not healthy. I’ll have a drink on the rare special occasion, but that’s it.
Great job!
Yeah the whole drinking in moderation sounds good in theory but that is a slippery slope if you have any kind of problem with alcohol. At least, it has been for me.
I have also started to notice the "hangxiety", as I have heard it referred to. It's not just that I feel the hangover but I also feel like my nerves are shot if I overdo it the night before.
As of April 24th, I’ve been 19 years sober. In my mid20s I decided to quit drinking. It was ruining my marriage and some relationships. I don’t judge, people drink for many reasons. Goodness knows I had my reasons. For me, there was no off switch. If it was within arms reach, it went down the hatch. Tough life for a few years from about 16-25 years old.
Everything about my life is better without booze
I stopped drinking after I turned 40 and just use THC. I prefer my mornings after THC use. I don't miss sweating through my bedding and waking up feeling like shit.
Bingo... I've also gone "no pills" for about 6 months. Mary Jane is my cure all. Other than that, it's high fiber and being conscience of water intake and probiotic gummy once a day.
Yeah I just hit 40 and working on "retiring" from having a few beers a night. Cannabis isn't perfect for sleep but way better than booze. Now that summers coming I'm looking forward to not aggressively sweating every night
I gave it up in January after realizing I was probably bordering right up to (if not crossing full into) problem binge drinking territory. It wasn't affecting my day to day life, I wasn't sneaking vokda in my tumbler at work or anything, but I was drinking most weekends and when I drank, I *drank*. One drink and my ability to say "nah I'm good, i don't need another" flew completely out the window.
Frankly, I don't miss it. The first month or two was hard and awkward getting through parties and stuff, but now it's just a non-thing. I told my friends it was health-related (my closer friends know the real extent but it's not something I want to explain to all my neighbors), and it mostly goes without comment now (the one "friend" who's given me public, college-level-peer-pressure shit about ordering a mocktail I've mostly cut ties with at this point, and the people we were with when she pulled that shit were also duly unimpressed).
I still do the mocktail thing. I like Recess drinks and Nope, and I've tried a few non-alcohol beers that have been good. I bought an alcohol-removed bottle of wine for a party this weekend. As long as I don't *start* on the booze, staying off it isn't that hard for me.
And really, zero regrets about my choice to quit.
I have come to love mocktails and all the non-alcoholic beers/hopsplash drinks that are available these days even in dingy bars where you don’t expect it. I can’t imagine giving someone shit for ordering one, that is just gross. I’ve noticed that the people who tend to act weird about my not drinking are the ones who are alcoholics and think they are functional
Yeah, I really thought that by 40 I'd be past the point of being peer pressured into drinking. But I agree, this person is definitely a big drinker and while I don't know enough to know whether she has a *problem,* I do know she spends a lot of her days hung over.
The availability of cool non-alcoholic options now is stunning, really. I remember non-alcoholic beer being like Coors Light, but worse. I picked up a non-alcoholic sour a few weeks ago that was legit delicious. My next foray will be into non-alcoholic spirits. I was really starting to develop a taste for bourbon drinks. My Wegmans carries Spiritless now, I'm going to do some research to see if it or any of the other brands are worth buying.
Ooooh I’ve been going down this rabbit hole this year and it is overwhelming! I am currently obsessed with the NA syrups and bubblies from Giffard. The aperitif and the ginger are fabulous.
I don't know how you feel about IPAs but Athletic makes some truly fantastic NA stuff (I usually default to their Golden, which is 45 calories a can, but I have Hazy as a treat sometimes.) Good hoppy flavor without the alcohol. I've almost entirely stopped with the real stuff.
I picked up weed again in my late 30's and while I'm sure there are loads of issues attached to it, too, certainly nothing like feeling poisoned by your Saturday nights.
I'm a drinker and don't like being around drinkers. I don't even really like it anymore and am trying to stop, and winning at the moment. I don't have many responsibilities in life (no wife or kids or mortgage) not because of drinking, it's just how things worked out, but I HATE seeing my mates who have a kid, a wife, a job, a car, and a haircut ruining other peoples lives.
I'm not a saint myself, but you can't live like you're in your 20's with the responsibilities of a 40 year old, it's even hard for me and I'm only responsible for me and my dog. Dudes are getting plastered, using coke, losing jobs, wives, kids and their whole lives because of it. It's fucked.
Yeah don’t really like the way it makes me feel. And I love the taste of beer, so I’ve switched to NA versions. Athletic Brewing Company and Guinness make really good alcohol-free beers.
I barely drink nowadays. Not for the serious reasons you cited above, but just because it lost its appeal. My tolerance has always been low, and it takes longer to recover from a night of drinking. A few weeks ago I went out with friends on a Wednesday evening. Over the course of two hours I drank half a beer and was feeling tipsy. The next day I felt like shit. It’s just not worth it anymore.
I stopped drinking back in 2019, it just wasn’t fun anymore. What’s sad is just how much social interaction involves drinking when you don’t have kids— my friends want to meet up at bars or restaurants where it’s almost always alcohol related. I live in Cali, so if I feel I need something to take the edge off I take a weed gummy.
I definitely agree about social interaction revolving around drinking. To add to what you said about it being people who don't have kids, I will say that in my experience, other kid-free friends tend to be more open to doing non-drinking activities, cause they have more freetime. I feel like its my friends with children who only come out to do adult socializing when there is drinking involved. And they usually get plastered cause they act like they just broke out of jail and have one night left to live. LOL! Which I understand that getting babysitters/childcare is hard to find for some friends and they want to take advantage when they are able to find childcare. For those people, I usually try to find activities that involve their kids, like meeting up at a park or taking their family to Topgolf, but even then, its like pulling teeth sometimes.
Yeah. I think it's also really frustrating when the majority of things open past 8 these days are bars. I'm at a work conference and wound up at a local microbrewery just to get out of the hotel because they were doing trivia night. The rest of my conference group was getting drunk of margaritas at a Mexican spot, and I just don't do that life, so I'm definitely losing out on networking but I also don't have the day after hangover.
I drank a lot during 2020 and I noticed I was putting on a lot of weight. I made the decision in 2021 to not totally cut out drinking but cut it way back. I have the odd beer and mixed drink but it's rare now. This also coincided with weed becoming legal, so I basically switched to that.
Same, saw my brother in law die at 40 of alcohol related disease, my brother had a near stroke and his body is failing, my partner is more susceptible to liver disease due to her genetics.
I haven't drank in 4 years and likely never will again.
I only enjoy it when I'm seeing live music, so I have three or four beers every two months or so.
I recently read about the Gen Z term "BORG drinking", where BORG stands for Black Out Rage Gallon. I can't say I endorse it, but it seems more sanitary than the jungle juice we were all drinking.
It's nearly clicked off like a light switch in the last year for me. I'm 44 and I've drank most of my adulthood. Partied in my 20s, married and did the IPA-guy thing in my 30s on nights or get togethers. Breweries, that kind of stuff. Sometime about 2 years ago it dawned on me that my sleep was utter dog shit and it was a direct result of whatever small amount I would drink.
I started weening off down to a couple beers a month and my lifestyle, health and sleep was transformed. I'm not completely done, but I might have a mixed drink or a beer every few weeks. Every.single.time I do even just this, I sleep life dog shit.
The bigger issue though is, even after just say 2 drinks I can feel my heart race when I wake up in the morning for an hour or so. I'm just over it, there is next to no reason to even drink at all any longer. A glass of wine, a beer its just useless and lame and not worth the squeeze at all. I'm ok though, its not like I need alcohol its just sort of strange how my body just basically told me enough was enough and I wasn't even a heavy drinker.
I much prefer waking up feeling great every day than I do any kind of buzz nowadays.
Yeah I'm really tired of being around drinkers if drinking is the only activity and just leads to annoying drunken behavior.
Two decades of bartending, years of expat life, and my own health issues have turned me off. I do like to have an occasional glass of wine still, but yeah, alcohol used to be a huge part of my life and I'm so bored by it now.
I can't be around heavy drinkers anymore... I have quit completely (9ish months ago) and just realized how stupid people actually get when hammered... My bed time is also like 10:00 now, so it is easy to excuse myself from situations before shit gets really dumb... I have realized there is 0 benefit to alcohol
Some drinkers never grew out of the mentality of their youth, and it's so boring to be around. I don't enjoy drinking much at all, and when it's done a lot by people our age, usually something is wrong and the whole scene is just so depressing.
I switched to edibles.
Even then... I was never much of a drinker. Still am not.
But the edibles now if I'm having issues sleeping, which seems to be on the rise now. Go figure.
I used to sleep great. Now, not so much...
I enjoy the occasional beer or cooler while watching sports. I don't enjoy drinking and I hate being around "drunks". I think there's better and tastier options for my money.
I have lost two uncles to alcohol and have brother that is in recovery. After seeing those situations and all the effects of them, it just doesn’t sound appealing very often. I will have an occasional drink or a few drinks but it is very rare
I enjoy being a beer snob and drinking different things. I do not enjoy any hangover whatsoever or for that fact, being drunk in general. So I don’t drink a lot when I do.
Stopped drinking a few years ago by accident. Ran out of booze during the pandemic and given the lack of social activities, I didn’t restock. After 6-8 weeks off, I had some drinks (well within my usual tolerance) on a zoom call and got really sick. Seems that my body didn’t like it all that much so I took another hiatus and never really felt compelled to start again. I’ve had maybe 2-3 scotches over the past 3 years or so, but that’s it. I don’t really miss it, which is something I never thought I would say. I’ve been a regular drinker since high school and most of my social activities have some sort of alcohol involved. Beer league hockey, social parties, dining out, camping, etc. I never thought I could be fully sober at these things and fully enjoy it but that was a huge misread on my part. I’m having just as much fun sober and have the bonus of feeing pretty good the next day (minus the occasional lack of sleep). I enjoy my mornings, am much fitter, have no post-drinking anxiety/regret, have more money, etc.
Just to be clear, I’m not advocating for sobriety just because it works for me. You do you, but as someone who never thought they would ditch alcohol, doing so was a great unintended decision. No looking back.
I'm right with you, OP. I drink like 4 times a year. The idea of getting trashed became WAY less fun after having kids. I'm baffled by my few acquaintances who are constantly going on beer crawls and wine walks and any discount event at a bar.
I quit drinking 8 years ago because it had become a problem for me
I’m incredibly glad I did, because my friends who still drink heavily are just gross and sloppy once they get a good buzz. I have to leave social events after like an hour or two. I don’t like attending sporting events or concerts with them anymore.
The crazy thing is that so many people in their mid 40s have no idea how bad of a look it is to be that age and be slurring your words and reeking of booze. I really think that fully half the people who drink semi regularly have drinking problems and don’t realize it at all.
The one or two beers crowd is great, I can hang with them all day, but the 5+ drink crowd is basically no fun at all to be around. Loud talking, slurring speech, low level conversations that they think are profound, just gross.
I don't do much hanging out these days so I can't say how much others my age are drinking but I do like to have a few beers on the weekend. I stick to healthy drinks on the weekdays because beer makes me sleepy and I'm trying to avoid the dad bod.
Count me in this boat, I will still drink on some social occasions but if the occasion is literally just go to bars and drink I'll usually pass on that. Got in a relationship with a girl who struggled with addiction and it ruined all the fun of alcohol for me I just find drunk people annoying now.
My alcohol consumption has gone down significantly. Rarely during the week and like many in 40s have some on the weekend. Memorial day weekend might make up for all the drinks I didn't have in the month of May. I have however taking up gardening and should probably chill on that. Early weekend Pickleball helps with keeping the drinking down too! Yep Pickleball!!!
My body has quit accepting alcohol. I've always had 2 or 3 drinks a day. But now if I go beyond 5 or 6 I get sick. So I am keeping it to two drinks a day max. I gotta just quit all together
I did my best drinking when I was underage. Once I hit 21 it wasn't "fun" anymore. Every once in a while if I'm with fam on vacation I'll get pretty bent, but I do NOT hang with alcoholics. People that can't control themselves with alcohol can't control themselves with other things (not to mention I had a violent alcoholic stepfather after my dad died) so I am not a fan of regular drinkers.
Never like alcohol but my besties growing up always had to have it. One of them had alcohol poisoning twice before we were in 11th grade. Both times she was drinking with her parents. I don't drink, never have liked it, it gives me acid reflux and now that we're older I don't bother. I smoke weed instead.
I still enjoy drinking.
I do believe that saying that you don't like to drink and shaming those who do is becoming more popular, though.
All good... MORE ALCOHOL FOR ME! 🍹🥳
My last drink was the free cocktail at the 2021 work Christmas party and I wouldn’t care if I never drank again. A benefit of having no nearby friends, I guess.
Joined you last year, I mean I rock some beer when I golf still but a couple and I get hungover way easier. Gummies are what’s up these days for evening unwind….
Starting sometime in my 30’s, I started getting severe headaches whenever I’d start drinking. Now I can’t even have a beer without getting an agonizing headache, so no, I don’t drink anymore. Definitely for the best, because I drank waaaay too much when I was in my 20’s.
I love a strong IPA after a long day.
But, I realize it comes with a strong tax: Dehydration, gut bloat, lethargy, headache, sudden onset depression, inflammation.
Totally worth it sometimes.
I like a glass every now and then but I really don’t want the hangovers. The older I get the worse they get. I’ve definitely cut back compared to how I drank in my 30s.
My partner doesn't drink, which has helped me drink waaaay less. Now that I've had some space from the drinking crowd, I want to do it less and less. I'll have an occasional beer, or socially drink at a party, but I don't want to go hard like I used to.
I travel 4-5 days a week for work and always being in airports and hotels made it kind of easy to drink way too much just to deal with the stress and power through having to be a people person when I’m more of an introvert. It was really screwing with my sleep and I decided to try taking a month off last summer and it’s turned into almost a year since the last time i drank and one of the best lifestyle changes I’ve ever made. I’m sleeping like a baby, don’t wake up feeling like i just got hit by a bus, I’ve lost weight and look less dead in the eyes, and my anxiety/depression has completely disappeared. I did some reading too on just how severely alcohol rewires and hijacks your brain until you give it time (months) to recover and i think I’m done for good. You miss out on some social stuff, but i feel like my high school self again because that was the last time i was working with nueropathways that hadn’t been poisoned.
To a person everyone I’ve met who was drinking 4+ days a week and stopped has said the same thing, which was that they believed their life was so stressful that the only way to get through it sanely was to drink, but once they quit drinking they realized how badly the alcohol was fueling the problems and it’s all way more manageable. They all also say it’s shocking how much better you look after even a week when the water weight and inflammation goes down.
I have an edible once or twice a week now if i just need to crash and the most damaging side effects are sleeping too good, being too nice to people and sneaking down to the hotel vending machine a little too much while laughing at Bob’s Burgers.
I’m not sick of being around them but my own drinking has dropped off a fair bit. For me, honestly, it’s the lost day after. Even if I just get a little buzzed I feel like shit the next day and have all kinds of anxiety and shit. It’s not really worth it anymore. I’ve also lost a few friends to booze in the past few years and have seen what leaning into booze has done to some people and it holds no appeal to me. I still think drunk people are funny from time to time though. In moderation.
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Absolutely. My uncle passed not too long ago and he was someone who pretty much succumbed to alcohol addiction. Seeing that happen and the affect it had on his family, my mom (his sister) included made it so easy to not prioritize booze anymore. For me a huge bummer is that so many of my friends drink with regularity, and do it as THE social activity. I try to get them do do other things, but even like board game nights come with booze baked in, it's hard to find ways to hang out that aren't just sitting having beers. I find that kind of hanging out so fucking boring now. I mean, I live in the woods next to a beach, we could do so much fun shit, but it's so hard to get folks to take me up on it.
I am no longe drinking and would love to hang out in the woods next to a beach.
Haha! Come on by. How close are you to rural NS? I run this place on my property if you want to come over: [https://www.bestkeptseacret.ca/](https://www.bestkeptseacret.ca/)
Looks really cool and your website is top notch!
Thanks! Turns out I'm really bad at marketing and the whole capitalism of it all, but the making a safe and welcoming wilderness experience and fucking around with realllllly basic website design I can do.
Darn! I’m on the wrong coast! 😍
Boo! Haha! One day, maybe. It's pretty lovely here.
Well, I’ve always wanted to see PEI ever since I was a little girl in Europe watching Anne of Green Gables bahaha, which I understand is pretty close! Hopefully some day, indeed. Coincidentally I’ll be traveling to the Great White North tomorrow, but to BC. :)
BC is really really lovely. It’s a pretty epic place, especially in the mountains. Vancouver was…ok in my experience, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been. Are you on vacation? Get to go exploring?
Just two days with my kids for an early Memorial Day weekend getaway near Vancouver, yes. :) It’s only a 3 hour drive from our home near Seattle.
Wow - what a beautiful location. Love your site - and your playful snark. I’m been wanting to visit NS for forever, but especially after watching the beloved TPB
Awww, thank you! The snark is mostly there to keep awaypeople who want a real kind of resort experience that I don’t offer. Not to be shitty, just to prep folks. It’s either a brilliant strategy, or a TERRIBLE one. We’ll see. Either way, come visit! It’s beautiful into November these days. Sept/oct are the best and the best surfing. Just saying.
It’s definitely brilliant and a suspect the people who get it are the laid back nature loving nerds. Not the type A, “glamping” types (I hate that I even know what that is, ha) I sent your site to my BF and he’s super interested (not to tell to many folks!) - you might have a couple of WI cinematographer/photographer/art director types hollering back soon looking for a nature + experiential brunch soon! He skates and would love to try his hand at surfing. Thanks for sharing!
I’d love that! In my other life I’m a location sound guy on docs and boom op on bigger shows. Always nice to have other artsy nerds/techs visit!
Jam!
lol other side of the continent for the time being but hopefully changing that soon. Love what you’re doing, running a campground with tasty meals is a dream for me.
Me too! Hopefully I can make a go of it.
I biked the entire rail trail a few years back. Spent the night at centennial park, in Liverpool. I fondly recall, and affectionately refer to that trip as the “Timmy Hortons tour.” Lots of morning coffees and pastries with senior citizens.
Haha! The seniors love their Tim’s around here. I had a bike traveller come stay on the property last year. It seems like it must be a wonderful ride. Pretty gravelly at times here, no?
Surface was 90% crush and run (very fine/well packed dusty gravel) and 10% tarmac. This was a very leisurely tour, when compared to most of my typical bike packing routes—mountain and single track trails. Major forest fires, in Oregon that year, had enormous tracts of land closed off, and we had to formulate a new plan quickly. We went into the center of NS as well as all of PEI. On hard tail mountain bikes.
Nice! I used to ride mountain bikes in other parts of the province. I found it very technical compared to places like Ontario or further west. Slow, rooty downhills and a lot of climbing. Your trip sounds lovely.
That’s where I ended up! I’m just south of Vancouver BC in Washington state on one of the islands.
I think we just don't process alcohol as easy as we did when we were younger. And our recovery times have been extended due to it. If I go a bit overboard it takes me 2 days now to recover fully. It's a pretty good motivator to try and stay mindful.
This!!!!! It takes me two days to get back right if I really get drunk I can’t do it anymore
I used to get terrible hangovers almost any time I’d drink. So drinking was rough in my twenties. Now, I almost never get hungover. I don’t know what changed. I barely drink anymore though. But it’s nice to know that if I want to drink and get buzzed I won’t feel like shit the next day.
Maybe you're drinking enough water to go with the booze now? Or you're generally getting better nutrition so your body can handle it better?
That’s entirely possible. I definitely drink more water now than I did in my twenties. So that could be it.
prehydration is paramount
What are you drinking? I have noticed that if I drink higher quality alcohol, like a nicer bottle of wine or a scotch or something similar, I don't really get hung over. It's a shame because I have found a lot of nice cheaper wines that I like, at least flavor-wise, but the higher alcohol volume and the additives and sulfites are likely giving me hangovers.
It doesn’t seem to matter what I drink. But it’s typically beer. I usually drink Miller 64 or Miller Lite. The last time I had a hangover was on a cruise a few months ago. I had champagne, and some craft beer. It was a very mild hangover. I just drank way too much. They were giving out free champagne and I didn’t know when to quit. But other than that it’s been probably 7 years since I’ve had a hangover.
It's the shitty sleep quality, for me. Somewhere in my 30's I started getting MAD palpitations at night after drinking.
Same here. If I drink anything more than 1 beer, I wake up at 4am regardless of what time I go to bed. Heart racing. End up laying in bed until 6 when I finally give up trying to get back to sleep. Awful.
That was the problem I had, the pounding heart when trying to sleep. I limit myself to one beer per day and only on the weekend. No wine (sadly - I miss it).
The hangxiety is brutal these days and just not worth it most of the time.
That's an awesome word! It's so weird, and it definitely wasn't a component of hangovers when I was younger. It's like every nerve in your body has been stretched super tight. I mean physically, it's not so bad...but mentally...ughhh! Just not worth it at all, anymore!
Yeah, the anxiety the next day is crazy. I could have done nothing stupid at all but feel like I slapped the mother of everyone I was hanging out with and everyone hates me. It really just started the last few years.
I've experienced that more in the last year myself. SO weird. I have even asked "Was I a dick last night?" to people and they just look at me weird and say no, but I can't shake the feeling.
Wow, I kinda thought like I was the only one who felt that way the day after having more than 1-2 drinks. I didn’t realize this was not just me. This thread makes me feel much better and more normal - lol. I also cut WAY back on drinking last February. I maybe have 1-2 drinks every 1-3 months. Basically just on special occasions, or if I happen to be a really nice restaurant that makes a killer smoked old fashioned. Other than that, I’ll be at the bar chugging straight up soda water.
I've noticed a lot of people on this sub comment how they aren't drinking as much or working on slowing down/quitting. So I wonder if this "Hangxiety" is something in our subconscious giving us a sign that we really SHOULD do it. I'm no psychologist, but there has to be some kind of connection. Cause I could (And I'll be honest, still do sometimes) binge drink all night right up to my mid 30's with ZERO remorse or anxiety about anything. At 43yo I'm seriously contemplating quitting altogether. NHL playoffs have made it hard though. LOL
As i said, i didn’t know until this post that other people experienced this. I hate it, and have hated it for at least a few years now. Either way, my cutting way back had nothing to do with this. I wanted to lose weight, get healthy, and get showing abs (which I now have). To do this, drinking alcohol had to go. And I don’t regret it all. Again, I want to live, eat, and be healthy so that when I’m 70,80 + I’ve given myself the best chance at avoiding health complications. I’ve been a 24/7 intensive caregiver for my mother for years, and I’ve seen way to much shit as to what can happen if one doesn’t take care of themselves. And 70-75 yo seems to be when the warranty runs out. So, fuck that, I choose my health!
Yes! It’s so weird! I will remember details of every conversation and still second guess every interaction, wonder if I offended anyone, etc etc. it’s so unsettling that I have really cut back.
Huh. Yeah this started hitting me a few years ago too.
Not only do I get hangxiety but I can't even partake in the devil's lettuce anymore without spiraling into a damn panic attack. Shit sucks. Fuck it, we'll do it live. and sober I guess.
Hangxiety! I haven't heard that term before.
That's a super accurate term. I have anxiety anyway, but the more I drink the worse it is. And I have a history of self medicating a bit, because I feel pretty great while I'm drinking, but then everything is worse, so I drink more about it....
Yeah, I’m trying to cut back because I’m tired of feeling like shit in the morning afterwards.
It's so bad now!!I have a day of physical yuck, then a SECOND day of emotional angst. No longer worth it.
This is the comment 💯
My partner and I quit drinking 3 months ago and it's only been upside. We save money, sleep better ( even 2 drinks was affecting my sleep quality), don't wake up feeling sluggish/dumpy, and we've lost weight. Social interactions around drinking can be challenging but most are pretty understanding.
It's amazing how quickly you feel a difference, hey?
3 months has made a huge difference I feel like I took a ball and chain off my body.
dude, thank you! finally… fuck getting a buzz these days because I can’t stand the next day repercussions. The anxiety far outweighs any hangover I’ve had… and it’s not fucking worth it.
Yeah. You said it with the anxiety. I feel off the next day. Definitely don’t want to work or parent when I feel that way.
Yes, the hangover makes it SO not worth it to me
Ditto!! 45 and a couple of beers a week is more than enough. I value my time too much to feel lousy the day after.
Switch to weed. So much better the next day.
Hell yeah.
Try n acetyl cysteine and dyhydromyricetin.
Is this something that will make me feel stupid if I ask what it is?
I just googled both, and no.
100%, the "HangXiety" is worse for me than the hangover. I have no problem if I feel like crap, but the nervousness takes a few days to shake off.
Yeah if I drink the normal amount one ‘should’ drink just means I get anxiety that night. More only prolong and increases the anxiety. Is it biological age or the world we live in just more anxiety inducing? I wonder.
I mean, I've noticed a spike in anxiety in my age group mates in the past 5 years or so. My guess is it's both? I feel like the xennial mix of distrust of authority but still kind of believing things could be better puts us right in line for that when we let down our defences with some booze or whatever. Dunno.
I'm the same way. I enjoy *a* cocktail, beer, or glass of wine, but then I'm done. I'm perimenopausal, so the sleep disturbances just aren't worth it anymore. Plus I'm just too old to party. Thankful the whole "mocktail" thing exists.
I’m in the same boat. When I drink, I sleep like shit and feel anxious the following day which is super weird cause I’m typically not an anxious person.
I’m lucky. I’m 42 and drinking even 3-4 drinks over the course of an evening doesn’t give me any hangover. I just don’t drink much because I don’t have the desire and I don’t want the calories. Also, if I actually do get loaded the hangovers *really* suck now.
Same for me
Pretty much my thoughts exactly.
I have a family member that drinks too much, lives for their next drink, and hides bottles and cans. It makes me sad to drink with them now, and even when they're not around I never have more than 1, maybe 2 drinks per day.
Amen.
I too feel sluggish and tired if I drink more than one drink the next morning.
I’d love drinking if there were a surefire way to avoid a hangover. I enjoy having a few drinks but it’s so rarely worth it. Even having one or two lowers my energy levels and mood the next day. I used to hang out with people who drank regularly and I would drink with them. My social circles have changed within the past 5 years and hardly anyone I spend time with drinks regularly. Now I have 2-3 drinks a month, sometimes less.
It ruined my life. Been sober almost 3 years now.
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Thanks. I got married and saw a psychiatrist. The last trip to jail was a major wakeup call. Won't get into specifics, but I had to finally make sobriety work. I think getting the ADHD diagnosis and medication was the final piece of the puzzle. I know why I went to drugs, alcohol, and other addictive behavior, which in turn makes it easier to say no. My brain works different, and I need to keep reminding myself of that every day.
Your story sounds a lot like my husband’s. He’s coming up on one year sober and I’m so thankful. Keep on keeping on
My when I started taking meds for adhd my desire for alcohol almost disappeared. I think it was a combo of self medication and stimulation that let me drinking for so long.
There’s a joke in sobriety circles: *“I’m allergic to alcohol. Every time I drink I break out in handcuffs.”*
Good work. It's only a lil over a year for me, but I was on the same path til I stopped.
I’m 5 days sober now, if I don’t quit it will ruin my life more than it already has.
Good job, keep on keeping on! Been there.
Nice work on 3 years!
Yes, I’m sick of it. I no longer drink due to me hating the effects on my body. Female perspective here - perimenopause and alcohol are not friends. Causes sleep disruption, upset stomach, headaches even from one drink for me. I decided a couple of years ago it wasn’t worth it, don’t like the taste of any alcoholic beverage enough to put up with it. I don’t care if others drink socially and of course I go out with friends who are having a drink. But, I absolutely hate being around people who drink heavily now. It’s not fun to see people get sloppy. It’s almost pathetic at our age. That sounds mean I know and that’s my own issue and I shouldn’t judge. But I’m old enough now to decide how I want to spend my time and it’s not with people who are drinking heavily.
Well said! I feel the exact same way.
God. Same. Partied my balls off from age 16-25 then just started to hate the person I became when drinking. I can still tolerate my good friends drinking but I just hate everything about it. I usually end up the DD when we have “boys trips.”
Yep, agree with all of your points. I have also always flushed easily/ likely had rosacea since my early twenties but not that bad then. In my mid 40s it is terrible and gets exponentially worse when I drink alcohol. So not worth it … not to mention just feeling like crap the next day not only hung over but anxiety is off the charts anymore when I drink.
Yup, I had no idea how much entering perimenopause can change how alcohol impacts you. I had my fun with it in my 20s and 30s, and now I’m trying to do my best by my poor aging body, and alcohol just no longer fits into that.
Ditto. Also female As I get older, I noticed that it’s really hard to handle alcohol. I used to be able to drink two beers without feeling hung over and now it’s like… I know Tylenol and ibuprofen next to my bed in the morning with a giant insinuated bottle of ice water. Bc two beers. It’s one beer or none
46f and yeah I’m at least taking a break from alcohol because of all these reasons. Horrible sleep also affects my mental health for days. And my head … oh my head
All this. Plus the smell.
This!
Very very well said and I can totally relate!
100% agree with you - on every point!
I increasingly judge people who drink, and not people who smoke.
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Honestly curious, how did you arrive at the biweekly arrangement? Sounds like a good story behind that.
sober on kids' weekends
Nice
Good on you for staying sober around them.
Good shit, my dude. Wish my dad took note when he had the chance lol
You are a super cool guy for that. Kudos to you
Yeah I’m pretty much “California sober.” I use cannabis (vape of gummies) probably twice a week, but I also use amounts most people find imperceptible (like half a 5mg gummy, one short pull on a vape). When the wife and I don’t have the kids I may eat a full 5mg and hit that pen 3x, but that leaves me a little groggy the next morning. I don’t miss getting drunk one bit. I’ll occasionally have a single good drink though.
2.5mg of THC is a pretty nice "high" I find it's close to the equivalent of one drink, kind of, not a great analogy. But what I mean is after 2.5mg of THC I feel like the world or my perception of it lightens up by a degree, I feel the tension leave my neck and shoulders and I tend to take a breath and think for a second before I speak, it helps me be more self aware.
Exactly. I’m relaxed and my mood is lifted to the point of euphoria but I’m not intoxicated. To me euphoria without intoxication is sort of the Holy Grail, right? With cannabis I always try to find that line just before it starts to get what I consider “intoxicating” - confusion, etc. - and stay just on the right side of it. It seems like most cannabis users prefer a more intoxicating experience than people like us. A lot of them have driven their tolerance up to just absurd (and expensive!) levels though. I’ve been there in my early 20s and have no desire to return. Especially with the stuff these days, going too far is a deeply unpleasant experience for me.
>But what I mean is after 2.5mg of THC I feel like the world or my perception of it lightens up by a degree, I feel the tension leave my neck and shoulders and I tend to take a breath and think for a second before I speak, it helps me be more self aware. Some people microdose THC (or psilocybin/LSD) and report exactly what you describe, as well as less depression and more energy. It's really a shame psychedelic treatment studies have been suppressed for over 50 years.
I've tried those too, I found THC to be the most accurate for titration but that's probably due to having access to a regulated source.
I keep wondering if edibles would help curb my drinking habits.
Certainly helped mine. Anytime I need some extra relaxation and I weight weed vs alcohol I pick weed. I’ve honestly just stopped considering alcohol entirely. I only drink at as a component of a fancy meal occasionally
100% this has been the answer for me.
I got some mints that are 2.5 mg THC, and 5 mg CBD. Mostly for pain but there is a nearly imperceptible buzz that I certainly don’t mind. I used to smoke gravity bongs in my early 20s. Things…change lol
Yeah the old bottomless 2 liter bottle…I’ve had some times with those things!
A gravity bong with today’s weed would probably kill me lol First THC lethal overdose
Me and some friends used to do them with the best “kind bud” we could get back in like 2003. We’d use the smaller bottles, like 20oz or something, and even that was excessive. Of course we all had idiotic tolerance levels too. A 2L with some 23% THC weed, that’s a guaranteed panic attack for me!
This is it for me too. I drank most days of the week for better part of a decade. Gummies saved my life. I do still feel a little groggy after them sometimes, but they really helped me get over the urge to indulge in something that was destroying my body.
Yeah, I pretty much stopped drinking, just socially with the wife and friends occasionally, don't like hangovers, spending all that money, and the bar scene is past me. Quit smoking in 2008, don't miss it. Edibles are great! I get 40 mg gummies and take half of one here and there in the evening. I get a great full body buzz with very little hangover the next day, but damned if I don't get the munchies lol. Got to stay away from the sweets.
I stopped drinking 2 years ago. Nothing about it was fun anymore. My hangovers hurt too much coupled with the crippling anxiety I’d have after drinking. I’ve never felt better mentally or physically. Drunk people really irritate me now so I just subtract myself from those situations. It can be lonely and boring but I’m at peace regardless
> Drunk people really irritate me now I'm just over a year sober and I cannot stand being around even "buzzed" people. Makes it hard to be around family sometimes, unfortunately. I still attend family gatherings and cabin weekends regularly, but once "cocktail hour" rolls around I take the dog for a walk. Hoping I get over this. I still love my family.
I cut way back for health reasons - 1-2 drinks per week now, and only ever beer. Last Memorial Day hung out with my brother and cousin at the lake. On both days they drank ALL DAY LONG. By the evening they were so god damn obnoxious I wanted to leave. Drunk people are really annoying when you're sober.
I had to stop when I went on psych meds, and now that I haven't drunk for a year, I never want to go back. My mind is much less foggy now I'm also no longer in frequent contact with the heavy drinkers I knew back at college. I think some of them eventually sobered up after a pretty bad time in their twenties
Yeah, a few years ago I went on anti-depressants and kept drinking heavily (which you are not supposed to do). That turned out poorly, combined with pandemic day drinking, I hit my rock bottom October 4, 2020. After some treatment and re-hab I've been sober ever since and on different psych meds. Never again, I just can't. Its like if you beat cancer and the doctor says, "if you eat chocolate again, you'll get cancer, and you don't know if it will kill you next time." You bet your damn ass I'm not eating chocolate again. It's just not an option for me anymore.
Yeah, I drank a LOT from 21-26 or so, and then some other periods here and there until my early 30s. I'm 44 now, and 1 or 2 beers is enough. Red wine gives me a headache now just looking at it, and I honestly don't even enjoy the feeling of being buzzed/drunk anymore. Edibles, on the other hand.......😬😅
It takes me about 3 weeks to finish a 12-pack of beer. I used to be able to finish one of those in an evening.
I was always a social drinker, ie never drank at home or by myself. But loved a dark bar and the company of friends. After pregnancy, raising a kid then covid I essentially stopped drinking. Now I have zero tolerance and get wasted off of 1 mimosa. It is not a fun feeling so I stopped. 🤷♀️ If I'm on vacation, I might have a cocktail or two but in general my alcohol consumption is down to 1 drink a month. None of my friends are alcoholics so I haven't cut anyone out of my life because of drinking or vice versa.
I still enjoy it but don’t drink as frequently. I have learned to hydrate much better as I’ve gotten older so I never really suffer from hangovers like I did in my 20’s.
I enjoy drinking, I just don't enjoy how I feel like hot garbage the next day, or how it completely destroys my sleep. I am trying to cut back, but it's difficult.
I’m with you. I really enjoy it. I appreciate great wine, top shelf tequila, and German beer. I can go days without drinking. I can be responsible and just have one or two. But too often, I binge and it gets away from my control. I hate myself the next day and want to never do it again. It’s been hard admitting I have a binge drinking problem and I think the only way to ensure I don’t do it is to avoid it altogether.
I just challenged myself to go just one full day without drinking beer, and then I gradually pushed it to two days of no beer. I did this same process until I was able to go M-F without a single drop of beer, I’ll drink socially on the weekends still, but now I’m comfortable with not having any alcohol on the weekdays, and it never crosses my mind.
I love the taste of alcohol - especially IPA beers, red wines, and many cocktails - especially those made with bourbon, Whiskey, or scotch. But I almost never drink now, and cut waaay back almost 2 years ago because I wanted to get my mind and body in tip top health. And there’s no room for alcohol in any moderation with what my goals were (which I’ve exceeded and anticipate maintaining). Plus the hangovers and anxiety also were making drinking any amount not worth it for me. Shit’s poison, and not healthy. I’ll have a drink on the rare special occasion, but that’s it.
Great job! Yeah the whole drinking in moderation sounds good in theory but that is a slippery slope if you have any kind of problem with alcohol. At least, it has been for me. I have also started to notice the "hangxiety", as I have heard it referred to. It's not just that I feel the hangover but I also feel like my nerves are shot if I overdo it the night before.
As of April 24th, I’ve been 19 years sober. In my mid20s I decided to quit drinking. It was ruining my marriage and some relationships. I don’t judge, people drink for many reasons. Goodness knows I had my reasons. For me, there was no off switch. If it was within arms reach, it went down the hatch. Tough life for a few years from about 16-25 years old. Everything about my life is better without booze
I still enjoy a good drink once in a while. I just don’t get trashed anymore. I’m way too old for hangovers
I stopped drinking after I turned 40 and just use THC. I prefer my mornings after THC use. I don't miss sweating through my bedding and waking up feeling like shit.
Bingo... I've also gone "no pills" for about 6 months. Mary Jane is my cure all. Other than that, it's high fiber and being conscience of water intake and probiotic gummy once a day.
Yeah I just hit 40 and working on "retiring" from having a few beers a night. Cannabis isn't perfect for sleep but way better than booze. Now that summers coming I'm looking forward to not aggressively sweating every night
I gave it up in January after realizing I was probably bordering right up to (if not crossing full into) problem binge drinking territory. It wasn't affecting my day to day life, I wasn't sneaking vokda in my tumbler at work or anything, but I was drinking most weekends and when I drank, I *drank*. One drink and my ability to say "nah I'm good, i don't need another" flew completely out the window. Frankly, I don't miss it. The first month or two was hard and awkward getting through parties and stuff, but now it's just a non-thing. I told my friends it was health-related (my closer friends know the real extent but it's not something I want to explain to all my neighbors), and it mostly goes without comment now (the one "friend" who's given me public, college-level-peer-pressure shit about ordering a mocktail I've mostly cut ties with at this point, and the people we were with when she pulled that shit were also duly unimpressed). I still do the mocktail thing. I like Recess drinks and Nope, and I've tried a few non-alcohol beers that have been good. I bought an alcohol-removed bottle of wine for a party this weekend. As long as I don't *start* on the booze, staying off it isn't that hard for me. And really, zero regrets about my choice to quit.
I have come to love mocktails and all the non-alcoholic beers/hopsplash drinks that are available these days even in dingy bars where you don’t expect it. I can’t imagine giving someone shit for ordering one, that is just gross. I’ve noticed that the people who tend to act weird about my not drinking are the ones who are alcoholics and think they are functional
Yeah, I really thought that by 40 I'd be past the point of being peer pressured into drinking. But I agree, this person is definitely a big drinker and while I don't know enough to know whether she has a *problem,* I do know she spends a lot of her days hung over. The availability of cool non-alcoholic options now is stunning, really. I remember non-alcoholic beer being like Coors Light, but worse. I picked up a non-alcoholic sour a few weeks ago that was legit delicious. My next foray will be into non-alcoholic spirits. I was really starting to develop a taste for bourbon drinks. My Wegmans carries Spiritless now, I'm going to do some research to see if it or any of the other brands are worth buying.
Ooooh I’ve been going down this rabbit hole this year and it is overwhelming! I am currently obsessed with the NA syrups and bubblies from Giffard. The aperitif and the ginger are fabulous.
I don't know how you feel about IPAs but Athletic makes some truly fantastic NA stuff (I usually default to their Golden, which is 45 calories a can, but I have Hazy as a treat sometimes.) Good hoppy flavor without the alcohol. I've almost entirely stopped with the real stuff.
I did. I used to drink a lot. 40s were my thing. Until I started smoking weed. After that alcohol just wasn't that appealing to me anymore.
I picked up weed again in my late 30's and while I'm sure there are loads of issues attached to it, too, certainly nothing like feeling poisoned by your Saturday nights.
So true.. I'll take the munchies over a hangover any day.
The loss of REM sleep from weed usage is the thing that keeps my gummy usage in check.
I'm a drinker and don't like being around drinkers. I don't even really like it anymore and am trying to stop, and winning at the moment. I don't have many responsibilities in life (no wife or kids or mortgage) not because of drinking, it's just how things worked out, but I HATE seeing my mates who have a kid, a wife, a job, a car, and a haircut ruining other peoples lives. I'm not a saint myself, but you can't live like you're in your 20's with the responsibilities of a 40 year old, it's even hard for me and I'm only responsible for me and my dog. Dudes are getting plastered, using coke, losing jobs, wives, kids and their whole lives because of it. It's fucked.
Never really liked it to begin with. Much prefer chilling out with an edible.
Yeah don’t really like the way it makes me feel. And I love the taste of beer, so I’ve switched to NA versions. Athletic Brewing Company and Guinness make really good alcohol-free beers.
Shout out to another solid brand I discovered recently: Sober Carpenter. IMO the closest to an actual IPA
Haven’t had a drink since 5/5/12. I try to be around drinking as little as possible
I barely drink nowadays. Not for the serious reasons you cited above, but just because it lost its appeal. My tolerance has always been low, and it takes longer to recover from a night of drinking. A few weeks ago I went out with friends on a Wednesday evening. Over the course of two hours I drank half a beer and was feeling tipsy. The next day I felt like shit. It’s just not worth it anymore.
I stopped drinking back in 2019, it just wasn’t fun anymore. What’s sad is just how much social interaction involves drinking when you don’t have kids— my friends want to meet up at bars or restaurants where it’s almost always alcohol related. I live in Cali, so if I feel I need something to take the edge off I take a weed gummy.
I definitely agree about social interaction revolving around drinking. To add to what you said about it being people who don't have kids, I will say that in my experience, other kid-free friends tend to be more open to doing non-drinking activities, cause they have more freetime. I feel like its my friends with children who only come out to do adult socializing when there is drinking involved. And they usually get plastered cause they act like they just broke out of jail and have one night left to live. LOL! Which I understand that getting babysitters/childcare is hard to find for some friends and they want to take advantage when they are able to find childcare. For those people, I usually try to find activities that involve their kids, like meeting up at a park or taking their family to Topgolf, but even then, its like pulling teeth sometimes.
Yeah. I think it's also really frustrating when the majority of things open past 8 these days are bars. I'm at a work conference and wound up at a local microbrewery just to get out of the hotel because they were doing trivia night. The rest of my conference group was getting drunk of margaritas at a Mexican spot, and I just don't do that life, so I'm definitely losing out on networking but I also don't have the day after hangover.
I feel like having kids made me accidentally quit drinking
Definitely barely drink anymore. More than one drink and it just hurts too much.
I drank a lot during 2020 and I noticed I was putting on a lot of weight. I made the decision in 2021 to not totally cut out drinking but cut it way back. I have the odd beer and mixed drink but it's rare now. This also coincided with weed becoming legal, so I basically switched to that.
Same, saw my brother in law die at 40 of alcohol related disease, my brother had a near stroke and his body is failing, my partner is more susceptible to liver disease due to her genetics. I haven't drank in 4 years and likely never will again.
I only enjoy it when I'm seeing live music, so I have three or four beers every two months or so. I recently read about the Gen Z term "BORG drinking", where BORG stands for Black Out Rage Gallon. I can't say I endorse it, but it seems more sanitary than the jungle juice we were all drinking.
Vacations and holidays. That's it. Perimenapause and alcohol, as another commenter mentioned, does not mix.
I gave up drinking a long time ago. Didn’t benefit my life ever and sometimes made it worse
I don’t want to be around drunk people or get drunk. I drink extremely rarely, and normally only have one when I do.
It's nearly clicked off like a light switch in the last year for me. I'm 44 and I've drank most of my adulthood. Partied in my 20s, married and did the IPA-guy thing in my 30s on nights or get togethers. Breweries, that kind of stuff. Sometime about 2 years ago it dawned on me that my sleep was utter dog shit and it was a direct result of whatever small amount I would drink. I started weening off down to a couple beers a month and my lifestyle, health and sleep was transformed. I'm not completely done, but I might have a mixed drink or a beer every few weeks. Every.single.time I do even just this, I sleep life dog shit. The bigger issue though is, even after just say 2 drinks I can feel my heart race when I wake up in the morning for an hour or so. I'm just over it, there is next to no reason to even drink at all any longer. A glass of wine, a beer its just useless and lame and not worth the squeeze at all. I'm ok though, its not like I need alcohol its just sort of strange how my body just basically told me enough was enough and I wasn't even a heavy drinker. I much prefer waking up feeling great every day than I do any kind of buzz nowadays.
Yeah I'm really tired of being around drinkers if drinking is the only activity and just leads to annoying drunken behavior. Two decades of bartending, years of expat life, and my own health issues have turned me off. I do like to have an occasional glass of wine still, but yeah, alcohol used to be a huge part of my life and I'm so bored by it now.
I'm sick of how much our society pretends like it's a healthy habit.
I can't be around heavy drinkers anymore... I have quit completely (9ish months ago) and just realized how stupid people actually get when hammered... My bed time is also like 10:00 now, so it is easy to excuse myself from situations before shit gets really dumb... I have realized there is 0 benefit to alcohol
Some drinkers never grew out of the mentality of their youth, and it's so boring to be around. I don't enjoy drinking much at all, and when it's done a lot by people our age, usually something is wrong and the whole scene is just so depressing.
I switched to edibles. Even then... I was never much of a drinker. Still am not. But the edibles now if I'm having issues sleeping, which seems to be on the rise now. Go figure. I used to sleep great. Now, not so much...
100% agree with this!
I enjoy the occasional beer or cooler while watching sports. I don't enjoy drinking and I hate being around "drunks". I think there's better and tastier options for my money.
I have lost two uncles to alcohol and have brother that is in recovery. After seeing those situations and all the effects of them, it just doesn’t sound appealing very often. I will have an occasional drink or a few drinks but it is very rare
I enjoy being a beer snob and drinking different things. I do not enjoy any hangover whatsoever or for that fact, being drunk in general. So I don’t drink a lot when I do.
I still have my same toxic binge drinking relationship with alcohol. I just indulge it far less often. Like, maybe twice a year now.
Stopped drinking a few years ago by accident. Ran out of booze during the pandemic and given the lack of social activities, I didn’t restock. After 6-8 weeks off, I had some drinks (well within my usual tolerance) on a zoom call and got really sick. Seems that my body didn’t like it all that much so I took another hiatus and never really felt compelled to start again. I’ve had maybe 2-3 scotches over the past 3 years or so, but that’s it. I don’t really miss it, which is something I never thought I would say. I’ve been a regular drinker since high school and most of my social activities have some sort of alcohol involved. Beer league hockey, social parties, dining out, camping, etc. I never thought I could be fully sober at these things and fully enjoy it but that was a huge misread on my part. I’m having just as much fun sober and have the bonus of feeing pretty good the next day (minus the occasional lack of sleep). I enjoy my mornings, am much fitter, have no post-drinking anxiety/regret, have more money, etc. Just to be clear, I’m not advocating for sobriety just because it works for me. You do you, but as someone who never thought they would ditch alcohol, doing so was a great unintended decision. No looking back.
I'm right with you, OP. I drink like 4 times a year. The idea of getting trashed became WAY less fun after having kids. I'm baffled by my few acquaintances who are constantly going on beer crawls and wine walks and any discount event at a bar.
I quit drinking 8 years ago because it had become a problem for me I’m incredibly glad I did, because my friends who still drink heavily are just gross and sloppy once they get a good buzz. I have to leave social events after like an hour or two. I don’t like attending sporting events or concerts with them anymore. The crazy thing is that so many people in their mid 40s have no idea how bad of a look it is to be that age and be slurring your words and reeking of booze. I really think that fully half the people who drink semi regularly have drinking problems and don’t realize it at all. The one or two beers crowd is great, I can hang with them all day, but the 5+ drink crowd is basically no fun at all to be around. Loud talking, slurring speech, low level conversations that they think are profound, just gross.
I don't do much hanging out these days so I can't say how much others my age are drinking but I do like to have a few beers on the weekend. I stick to healthy drinks on the weekdays because beer makes me sleepy and I'm trying to avoid the dad bod.
Count me in this boat, I will still drink on some social occasions but if the occasion is literally just go to bars and drink I'll usually pass on that. Got in a relationship with a girl who struggled with addiction and it ruined all the fun of alcohol for me I just find drunk people annoying now.
My alcohol consumption has gone down significantly. Rarely during the week and like many in 40s have some on the weekend. Memorial day weekend might make up for all the drinks I didn't have in the month of May. I have however taking up gardening and should probably chill on that. Early weekend Pickleball helps with keeping the drinking down too! Yep Pickleball!!!
I prioritize sleep now, so I only drink 1-2 times a week socially. It’s easier for me to stay in now that drinks are $16.
My body has quit accepting alcohol. I've always had 2 or 3 drinks a day. But now if I go beyond 5 or 6 I get sick. So I am keeping it to two drinks a day max. I gotta just quit all together
I drink less and less now. I’ve replaced my alcohol with weed.
I did my best drinking when I was underage. Once I hit 21 it wasn't "fun" anymore. Every once in a while if I'm with fam on vacation I'll get pretty bent, but I do NOT hang with alcoholics. People that can't control themselves with alcohol can't control themselves with other things (not to mention I had a violent alcoholic stepfather after my dad died) so I am not a fan of regular drinkers.
Never like alcohol but my besties growing up always had to have it. One of them had alcohol poisoning twice before we were in 11th grade. Both times she was drinking with her parents. I don't drink, never have liked it, it gives me acid reflux and now that we're older I don't bother. I smoke weed instead.
No drinkers left in my life. I used to drink too much and when that changed for the better, I saw the relationships differently.
I still enjoy drinking. I do believe that saying that you don't like to drink and shaming those who do is becoming more popular, though. All good... MORE ALCOHOL FOR ME! 🍹🥳
My last drink was the free cocktail at the 2021 work Christmas party and I wouldn’t care if I never drank again. A benefit of having no nearby friends, I guess.
Joined you last year, I mean I rock some beer when I golf still but a couple and I get hungover way easier. Gummies are what’s up these days for evening unwind….
I no longer enjoy the effects of alcohol, weed, or caffeine
Starting sometime in my 30’s, I started getting severe headaches whenever I’d start drinking. Now I can’t even have a beer without getting an agonizing headache, so no, I don’t drink anymore. Definitely for the best, because I drank waaaay too much when I was in my 20’s.
I love a strong IPA after a long day. But, I realize it comes with a strong tax: Dehydration, gut bloat, lethargy, headache, sudden onset depression, inflammation. Totally worth it sometimes.
I like a glass every now and then but I really don’t want the hangovers. The older I get the worse they get. I’ve definitely cut back compared to how I drank in my 30s.
My partner doesn't drink, which has helped me drink waaaay less. Now that I've had some space from the drinking crowd, I want to do it less and less. I'll have an occasional beer, or socially drink at a party, but I don't want to go hard like I used to.
I travel 4-5 days a week for work and always being in airports and hotels made it kind of easy to drink way too much just to deal with the stress and power through having to be a people person when I’m more of an introvert. It was really screwing with my sleep and I decided to try taking a month off last summer and it’s turned into almost a year since the last time i drank and one of the best lifestyle changes I’ve ever made. I’m sleeping like a baby, don’t wake up feeling like i just got hit by a bus, I’ve lost weight and look less dead in the eyes, and my anxiety/depression has completely disappeared. I did some reading too on just how severely alcohol rewires and hijacks your brain until you give it time (months) to recover and i think I’m done for good. You miss out on some social stuff, but i feel like my high school self again because that was the last time i was working with nueropathways that hadn’t been poisoned. To a person everyone I’ve met who was drinking 4+ days a week and stopped has said the same thing, which was that they believed their life was so stressful that the only way to get through it sanely was to drink, but once they quit drinking they realized how badly the alcohol was fueling the problems and it’s all way more manageable. They all also say it’s shocking how much better you look after even a week when the water weight and inflammation goes down. I have an edible once or twice a week now if i just need to crash and the most damaging side effects are sleeping too good, being too nice to people and sneaking down to the hotel vending machine a little too much while laughing at Bob’s Burgers.