What's the appeal of alcohol?

[Deleted]

euphoriaPronunciation: /juːˈfɔːrɪə/
Translate euphoria | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
noun
[mass noun]a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness:
in his euphoria, he had become convinced he could defeat them

[midjd]

I'm a drinker, but DH could have written the OP. I think our bodies must process alcohol differently, since he doesn't seem to get the enjoyment from it (others have summarized it well) I do.

What mystifies me is how, at parties, people who see that he isn't drinking are absolutely insistent that he "just try one of these." Feels like an after-school special

[Deleted]

The only time alcohol tasted good to me was when I was doing a french language study abroad in Quebec, in January.  It was -40 on the day we were supposed to go ice climbing, and it was canceled because our picks would've bounced off.

We did do a wide variety of other things to help get a cultural background though; cross country skiing, alpine skiing, skating, dog sledding, snow shoeing, touring an ice palace, visiting a reindeer farm, going to a hockey game, etc.  Lots of "bundle up" activities mixed into the classes and less physical activities.   

Alcohol tasted surprisingly good and was very warming after running around in snow for hours and hours.  Definitely warming.  I was 18, so could legally drink. 

Once I got back to the states though, alcohol went back to tasting like bad medicine or funky water/juice.  I'll drink whatever out of politeness, but I don't seek out alcohol.  Dad drinks it for the buzz, but he's the only one out of us 5 who does voluntarily purchase and consume it.

[justme]

I'm a drinker, but DH could have written the OP. I think our bodies must process alcohol differently, since he doesn't seem to get the enjoyment from it (others have summarized it well) I do.

That's how I was the few times I let my friends convince me to try weed. I just sat there asking what the point of pot was since I didn't feel any different while everyone else was having a fantastic time. That was well after I first started drinking, so I kept looking around for a drink since pot didn't work.

[Phoenix84]

Hmmm, I can never recall being so stressed I was paralyzed.  I guess I just handle stress better than some people, or otherwise have different coping mechanisms other than alcohol.  Because it doesn't do anything for me there.

[Deleted]

Jan 6, 2014 13:28:06 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I think most people go through the following alcohol drinking lifecycle:

1. Start drinking because other people are or because of curiosity. It tastes like shit, but is fun.
2. Become used to the taste. It is still fun.
3. Start to like the taste. It is still fun.
4. Really like the taste and seek out new products. It is not fun to get drunk anymore, but have gotten used to the feeling and like a few drinks.

That would be me.  I particularly like wine and scotch (not together).  There are a few mixed drinks I like (margarita, G&T, bloody mary) but I don't drink them very often- many are packed with additional calories from the sweet mixers.

I like a glass of wine at the end of the day.  It relaxes me.  I exercise moderation because otherwise I end up with a migraine or it interferes with my sleep (I go to sleep and then wake up in 2 hours and can't get back to sleep).  I never really liked the feeling of being really drunk.


I'm on a discussion board of people who go on cruises and the discussions on whether to pay an all-inclusive price for drinks are pretty interesting.  Well, if you have a bloody mary or a mimosa with breakfast, and a couple of drinks with lunch, and a few at poolside, then dinner, then at the casino or the shows...
 yeah, then it's a good idea to buy the drinks package. 

[quince]

I like the taste of dark beer and sugary mixed drinks.  I don't drink more than one at a time, though, because I am only OK with alcohol taking the edge off- not interested in getting drunk or even extra tipsy.  I don't see the appeal of excessive consumption, but as long as people are responsible about it, eh.

[Phoenix84]

Jan 6, 2014 13:28:12 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

Phoenix84, you are not alone.  I don't get it either.  

I don't really care for the taste of alcohol, and it certainly doesn't make me more sociable, it just makes me sleepy.

I always thought that the yumminess of drinks was the other things in them, not the alcohol itself.

Yeah.  The very few times I was drinking in a social situation in college, I ended up just vegging out on the couch and not talking to anyone.  It did me no favors socially.

[Phoenix84]

Jan 6, 2014 13:38:53 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

::I mean, some people drink every day, and some people go on vacations just to drink cheap booze. What's the point? Is there something wrong with me?::

No, they go on vacations to drink cheap booze in a place where they can drink LOTS of booze (which is why they want it cheap) around people they either don't know, or they know also want to drink a lot, so they can do things they would never do around most others. 

It sounds a lot more pragmatic to say you're going on vacation and it's a bunch of cheap cocktails and you're going to relax and unwind than it does to say you're going on vacation to get wasted and flash your genitals to a bunch of drunk idiots who you'll never see again.

My parents do a lot of cruises, and they say people will basically spend the whole time with a drink in their hand.  They say some people almost never leave the bar on the ship.  Others will go to all inclusive resorts in places like Cancun and spend the whole time getting wasted.  That sounds like the worst vacation ever to me. 

I mean, if you're going to do that, why not buy a bunch of booze and drink it at home?  It'd be a hell of a lot cheaper.

[Deleted]

I used to drink a lot, and loved it.  I loved beer when mowing the lawn or grilling, wine with dinner, or long islands when out with my girlfriends.  Then I had my first son at 33 and something happened to me biochemically.  I still liked to drink, but I would get hung over a lot easier...a lot...and it was way worse when I was.  But I still liked to drink and would chance it or figure it was worth it.  Then I had son number 2 and whatever happened to me with son #1 was magnified.  Now I seriously can be laid up for two days puking after just a few drinks.  It's gotten to the point where it's lost it's appeal completely.  There is something like 8 beers in my fridge that someone brought to a Christmas Eve party at my house and I haven't touched a one of them.  This would have been unheard of 10 years ago!  They would have been gone within a couple days. 

I think if someone offered me a white russian I'd probably take it, and I did put Kahlua in my coffee at Christmas, but other than that, I avoid it now.

It's kind of a shame because it did relax me quite a bit, but on the other hand, I think I probably would have been drunk all summer with the year I had, so maybe it's for the best. 

[muttleynfelix]

Jan 6, 2014 14:03:52 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Hmmm, I can never recall being so stressed I was paralyzed.  I guess I just handle stress better than some people, or otherwise have different coping mechanisms other than alcohol.  Because it doesn't do anything for me there.

Yeah, well you don't have 2 little kids, working full time job at a place that is understaffed (so doing the work of 3 people) and have a spouse with health problems. There are times I can handle everything fine. There are times when something puts me over the edge and I feel like there is so much to do that I can't figure out what to do first. I would certainly prefer to handle stress by taking 30 minutes to go running, but there are days I don't have 30 minutes. Grabbing a malt beverage from the fridge and tackling the first thing on the list usually works to get me moving forward. If I'm doing the mundane part of my job, having a drink while I work from home makes me more productive.  My goal this year is to get back to working out, but since I'm still struggling with the after effects of having the flu, I'm not working out right now.

Anyway, life was a lot more stress free before I got married (well before my DH started having health problems) and had kids.  Then I just drank because I wanted to.

[lexxy703]

It takes the sharp edges off life & makes things a little softer.  I like vodka.  Bloody Marys or V&T.

[Iggy aka IG]

I also like vodka.  The "joke" at our house is I drink enough for both DH and me.    When I've had a stressful day, it's easier to have a cocktail vs "throwing on a pair of running shoes and go for a jog."

[Phoenix84]

Jan 6, 2014 13:58:40 GMT -5 midjd said:

I'm a drinker, but DH could have written the OP. I think our bodies must process alcohol differently, since he doesn't seem to get the enjoyment from it (others have summarized it well) I do.

What mystifies me is how, at parties, people who see that he isn't drinking are absolutely insistent that he "just try one of these." Feels like an after-school special

LOL, been there, done that.  Drinkers can't stand to have someone around them not drinking.  If you tell them you just don't care for it, then they can get really pushy about you "just trying this one particular drink."

[Spellbound454]

I have a little tipple now an then but don't really enjoy being drunk.....especially in public.
I'd probably declare undying love for someone I'd just met.... or end up flat on the pavement with my underwear on show.

Still I can go out and have a great time and still be under the limit to drive home....

[Tennesseer]

Jan 6, 2014 13:10:48 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

Jan 6, 2014 13:09:17 GMT -5 zibazinski said:
Taste yummy, especially the frozen ones.

I like the taste of beer. 

I have not had an alcoholic beverage in 25 years (I liked it tooooo much), but I sure would not mind an occasional beer with pizza. Those two seem to be a perfect match for each other.   Best not to tempt the fates though.

[Pants]

Let's see...
1) Like others, having a drink during periods of stress helps relax me. Alcohol is classed as a depressant, so if you are anxious or upset it will calm you down.

2) Drinking is often refered to as "social lubricant" - it makes you laugh at other people's jokes, even if they normally aren't funny, helps decrease shyness/fear of judgement/fear of rejection which will often allow you to approach new people/say things you normally wouldn't/do kareoke. It makes you bolder, and this can help you meet people, make friends, get laid.

3) Drinking (to many people) feels good after 1-2 drinks. You feel happy, the other people around you feel happy, you're all in a happy place! Happy people make more happiness... until they don't anymore. Which is the downside of drinking.

4) Alcohol is also a neat way to dull any really severe negative feelings you have. Your partner of 10 years just broke up with you for someone younger and hotter? You got fired? If you have a lot of drinks, you will either temporarily forget (usually at the point where you've had enough that you can't remember much more than where the bottle is), or the alcohol will (again) wear down those boundaries and walls that people have and they can have a sobbing/screaming fit for a while. Either one is temporarily helpful, though doesn't do much in the long run.

I'm surprised at the number of people on the board who don't "get" anything from alcohol. But then again, I'm mostly Irish, so...

[Pants]

Also, Phoenix, if I remember correctly you are somewhere on the spectrum? So you probably DO have different ways of coping with stress, or may not feel as stressed as others might in the same situation as a result of that. Just a thought.

[souldoubt]

I don't know who you hang out with but when we went out drinking we really didn't care if someone opted not to drink.  We gave each other crap for anything and everything and I'm sure we did it when someone wasn't drinking but it wasn't ruining anyone's night or the topic of conversation.  In my younger days we went out and had drinks to get buzzed (okay drunk), party with friends and meet the opposite sex.  Nowadays I drink occasionally to unwind but having multiple drinks happens less and less.  Alcohol isn't a necessity to relax but sometimes a few beers go great with a steak, burger, pizza, etc or even just a beer while watching tv.   

[Jaguar]

I love White Zinfandel wine paired with really good cheese, crackers and red seedless grapes.

[swamp]

Jan 6, 2014 14:13:33 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Jan 6, 2014 13:38:53 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

::I mean, some people drink every day, and some people go on vacations just to drink cheap booze. What's the point? Is there something wrong with me?::

No, they go on vacations to drink cheap booze in a place where they can drink LOTS of booze (which is why they want it cheap) around people they either don't know, or they know also want to drink a lot, so they can do things they would never do around most others. 

It sounds a lot more pragmatic to say you're going on vacation and it's a bunch of cheap cocktails and you're going to relax and unwind than it does to say you're going on vacation to get wasted and flash your genitals to a bunch of drunk idiots who you'll never see again.

My parents do a lot of cruises, and they say people will basically spend the whole time with a drink in their hand.  They say some people almost never leave the bar on the ship.  Others will go to all inclusive resorts in places like Cancun and spend the whole time getting wasted.  That sounds like the worst vacation ever to me. 

I mean, if you're going to do that, why not buy a bunch of booze and drink it at home?  It'd be a hell of a lot cheaper.

because I can't swim up to the bar at home. 

[Phoenix84]

Jan 6, 2014 14:16:49 GMT -5 lexxy703 said:

It takes the sharp edges off life & makes things a little softer.  I like vodka.  Bloody Marys or V&T.

What does "taking the edge off" mean?  Relaxing?

[swamp]

Jan 6, 2014 14:20:15 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Jan 6, 2014 13:58:40 GMT -5 midjd said:

I'm a drinker, but DH could have written the OP. I think our bodies must process alcohol differently, since he doesn't seem to get the enjoyment from it (others have summarized it well) I do.

What mystifies me is how, at parties, people who see that he isn't drinking are absolutely insistent that he "just try one of these." Feels like an after-school special

LOL, been there, done that.  Drinkers can't stand to have someone around them not drinking.  If you tell them you just don't care for it, then they can get really pushy about you "just trying this one particular drink."

This drinker doesn't give  a shit.

[wvugurl26]

My cardiologist told me a glass or two of wine helped take the edge off us Type A control freaks. Then again I can go a long time without drinking anything if I'm busy and running around like crazy.

A friend was at my house and asked if I had any of those fancy wine stoppers. My brother and I both looked at him like he had two heads. We never opened a bottle of wine we didn't intend to finish.

[Phoenix84]

Jan 6, 2014 14:28:02 GMT -5 Pants said:

Also, Phoenix, if I remember correctly you are somewhere on the spectrum? So you probably DO have different ways of coping with stress, or may not feel as stressed as others might in the same situation as a result of that. Just a thought.

Yes, that may have something to do with it.  An effect of my Asperger's is that I have a "detachment" of sorts from life.  It's hard to explain. 

Anyways, I can understand the idea of "escaping."  That's a big reason why I play video games, to escape and "forget" for a little while. 

[wvugurl26]

Jan 6, 2014 14:35:48 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jan 6, 2014 14:13:33 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

My parents do a lot of cruises, and they say people will basically spend the whole time with a drink in their hand.  They say some people almost never leave the bar on the ship.  Others will go to all inclusive resorts in places like Cancun and spend the whole time getting wasted.  That sounds like the worst vacation ever to me. 

I mean, if you're going to do that, why not buy a bunch of booze and drink it at home?  It'd be a hell of a lot cheaper.

because I can't swim up to the bar at home. 

I miss the swim up bar in Jamaica. We did tons of activities at and outside the resort. We did not spend the whole time with a cocktail in hand getting black out drunk. It was very nice to pay one price and know that covered it.

[bookkeeper]

Jan 6, 2014 14:00:42 GMT -5 @copperpouches said:

The only time alcohol tasted good to me was when I was doing a french language study abroad in Quebec, in January.  It was -40 on the day we were supposed to go ice climbing, and it was canceled because our picks would've bounced off.

We did do a wide variety of other things to help get a cultural background though; cross country skiing, alpine skiing, skating, dog sledding, snow shoeing, touring an ice palace, visiting a reindeer farm, going to a hockey game, etc.  Lots of "bundle up" activities mixed into the classes and less physical activities.   

Alcohol tasted surprisingly good and was very warming after running around in snow for hours and hours.  Definitely warming.  I was 18, so could legally drink. 

Once I got back to the states though, alcohol went back to tasting like bad medicine or funky water/juice.  I'll drink whatever out of politeness, but I don't seek out alcohol.  Dad drinks it for the buzz, but he's the only one out of us 5 who does voluntarily purchase and consume it.

We were in church yesterday and after we all went up for communion, the 7th grader sitting in front of us commented how he liked the light colored communion cups because they taste much better.  The light colored ones are white grape juice.  He said the dark colored ones taste like Robitussin cough syrup.  So much for Mogen David being an acquired taste!  We do have a church member who makes wine, but there isn't a supply of that available right now.

Personally I think a nice merlot may bring a few more people into church.

[lexxy703]

Jan 6, 2014 14:36:40 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Jan 6, 2014 14:16:49 GMT -5 lexxy703 said:

It takes the sharp edges off life & makes things a little softer.  I like vodka.  Bloody Marys or V&T.

What does "taking the edge off" mean?  Relaxing?

It makes me quit obsessing about things that don't really matter or I can't control.  If I have a bad day it calms me down.

[Iggy aka IG]

Jan 6, 2014 14:51:34 GMT -5 lexxy703 said:

Jan 6, 2014 14:36:40 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

What does "taking the edge off" mean?  Relaxing?

It makes me quit obsessing about things that don't really matter or I can't control.  If I have a bad day it calms me down.

POTD!!! 

[justme]

Jan 6, 2014 14:13:33 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Jan 6, 2014 13:38:53 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

::I mean, some people drink every day, and some people go on vacations just to drink cheap booze. What's the point? Is there something wrong with me?::

No, they go on vacations to drink cheap booze in a place where they can drink LOTS of booze (which is why they want it cheap) around people they either don't know, or they know also want to drink a lot, so they can do things they would never do around most others. 

It sounds a lot more pragmatic to say you're going on vacation and it's a bunch of cheap cocktails and you're going to relax and unwind than it does to say you're going on vacation to get wasted and flash your genitals to a bunch of drunk idiots who you'll never see again.

My parents do a lot of cruises, and they say people will basically spend the whole time with a drink in their hand.  They say some people almost never leave the bar on the ship.  Others will go to all inclusive resorts in places like Cancun and spend the whole time getting wasted.  That sounds like the worst vacation ever to me. 

I mean, if you're going to do that, why not buy a bunch of booze and drink it at home?  It'd be a hell of a lot cheaper.

I could go on a cruise and often have a drink without being drunk. This spurred me to go check the price of the drink packages. One was $55/day and included most things. If I had two glasses of wine at dinner ($24 according to their pricing, wow!), a drink at lunch ($10), and a couple drinks while at the pool or playing trivia/whatever ($30) it could easily make that package worth it and based on that drinking I wouldn't be drunk.

As for drinking at home instead - it would kind of work for me since I live in Florida, but there's something that's way more fun about drinking a pina colada on the water than on your living room couch..