Not sure about grabbing that beer? You’re not alone. Americans are reaching for alcohol at record lows, according to a new Gallup survey.
The survey, out Aug. 20, found the number of Americans who say they drink alcohol sits at 54% for the second consecutive year − and health concerns appear to be a major factor.
“Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults now believe drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day is bad for one’s health,” the survey results noted. “The figure is essentially unchanged from last year’s record-high 53%.”
In 2001, only 27% considered moderate drinking bad for one’s health, according to Gallup.
If alcohol came out today, it would be illegal. It kills more people than all drugs combined. It’s terrible for you and 10% of drinkers account for 90% of all alcohol sales. I just wish I could stop.
Hollywood needs to stop using it in every fucking scene. Two characters cannot have a conversation with beers to scotch, no cop comes home without cracking open a beer.
I’ve noticed that recently too. I watched “Life in Pieces” recently and it’s like every other scene this family is drinking.
Word. My Friday evening beer math:
I always try to stick to one beer. These days I manage to not exceed a couple.
Try GLP-1s or ketamine treatment
Maybe I will
I’ve met a lot of wonderful people through this organization that has helped me immensely:
https://smartrecovery.org/what-is-smart-recovery
I tried SMART meetings. I felt as if the people there had significantly worse trauma and alcoholism than me and it made me feel like since I wasn’t as bad as them that I should still be able to keep drinking. When I have stopped drinking in the past, focusing on what’s wrong with me doesn’t help me focus on the positives and moving forward. Everyone is different though.
I initially got a similar feeling at meetings that others had it significantly worse, but that just made me feel better that I was getting some help before reaching that point. Nobody ever makes me feel that I didn’t belong, though. The journey really is different for everyone.
I prefer SMART to guilt-based programs like AA since it focuses more on progress with a basis in science.
You can stop right now.
Edit: You guys are right. It’s better to resign yourself to doom and give up. I guess my case was miraculous. Self control wasn’t a factor. No one has ever quit drinking successfully.
That’s not how dependency works. Depending on how bad the addiction is, alcohol withdrawal can be deadly.
I dunno… I used to drink pretty heavily (several drinks per night) and then cut back to less than one drink per month. Never felt a single ill effect.
I understand that’s anecdotal, and I’m sure some people do have dts and withdrawal, but I doubt every person who quits drinking will suffer severe side effects, just like I don’t believe anyone has ever hallucinated pink elephants from drinking too much.
Your very first sentence is very correct. “I dunno…” Yeah. You don’t. You followed it up with a bunch of “I, me, my” and can’t understand that someone may have a different issue than you.
I don’t drink daily. I’m a binge drinker. I convince myself that it will only be a few this weekend and go on a bender every time. I can’t stop lying to myself. I keep telling myself I’ll quit next weekend and do it all over again. Cut back? I cut back every week.
I did the same thing. Cold turkey quit after 15+ years of drinking. Going on 4 years sober now.
That’s awesome. I’ll get there soon, I hope.
You’re an idiot spreading an admitted anecdote. Use your phone and look it up before you spread your ignorance to other people.
Alcohol and benzo withdrawal can be incredibly dangerous and medical professionals should be consulted whenever possible.
If people are getting medical advice from lemmy they have bigger problems. And at least I called it out as anecdotal. Go rage somewhere else.
You think if I could, that I just wouldn’t? No. I have been trying for years and can’t. I may not get withdrawal symptoms, but the societal pressures and habits drive me back to it.
Only reason I still use Reddit is because of R/stopdrinking… my virtual little AA meeting whenever I want/need it.
I was a daily drinker for 10 years, and the last few were… well if I kept it to a fifth of cheap canadian whisky a day, I was “doing well.” 🙄 , I didn’t do well most days.
Anyway, I was sittin on the couch one day, thinking about string theory. about how our decisions create little offshoots of different realities, and I thought about the string where I kept drinking, and where it
mightwould lead.Went into the kitchen, poured out the handle I had in the freezer. I remember looking into the sky… it was so blue.
From then on I only used weed and shrooms. Shrooms for figuring out big stuff, going through traumatic shit from my past. Weed sometimes did that too. Have you heard of EMDR? it’s where you just sit and follow a light bouncing from side to side. Well I’d get real high, sit on my Marcy recumbent stationary bike, and play Mariokart on my old Nintendo 64. And shit, I swear that acted as a perfect EMDR machine. I’d be on there dissociating, thinking about shit, making major breakthroughs.
Anyway, this year I finally found the courage to face the trauma from my past, confronting my past abuser, then confronting my parents that ignored it… and you know what? went from smoking weed almost everyday to… not. Like at all. I just don’t feel the need anymore. It’s crazy. My life isn’t perfect, but it’s so much better it’s nuts.
I dunno. just my own story. Hope you get there someday, brother. I promise it’s worth it.
Everyone is aware there are steps they can take to get free of whatever substance they are dependent on. If it were as simple as that, addiction wouldn’t be the scourge that it is.
The other horrible thing about alcohol compared to most other drugs is that quitting when addicted can kill you. In many cases special care is needed to ween, which is kinda a thing alcoholism doesn’t facilitate.