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.
That’s just because I can’t afford it, and I want other things more. I’d love an occasional wine with an anticipated good meal, or some coke and rum in the evening.
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.
Keep wanting to quit, I think that’s the most important thing, keep the desire to quit alive. Especially when you stop. I’d put money on you pulling through brother!
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.
I’ve met a lot of wonderful people through this organization that has helped me immensely:
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.
Try GLP-1s or ketamine treatment
Maybe I will
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.
I drank hard liquor pretty much daily for a few years up until I started having health problems. while at work one day I felt nauseous and delirious, and could only lay on the floor of the bathroom for a while in order to barely function the rest of the day. That day, valentines day 2024 I swore off the stuff for good.
From what I understand what i went through was just considered a long hangover or something, but it was the worst I’d felt in a long time and I didn’t want to feel that way again.
That sounds like withdrawal
Might have been that, yeah
One of the very very best decisions in my recent life was reducing alcohol to every other month, and then very little of it. I just don’t want to do it anymore, you know? I used to drink a lot and couldn’t have imagined it, but alcohol fucks you up in so many ways, and life is just that much better without it.
Honestly I love beer, but I have a chronic condition now that stops me from drinking. So technically now I get to be part of that record low.
And I also get to hate that THC drinks are going away in a few months…
Lost two family members to alcohol related causes, and a third had major health complications that were compounded by booze. I just see no need to get back into it.
Most beer tastes like garbage to me so it’s easy to not buy it.
I have like maybe one drink every six months. Maybe
How is the concussion doing? Hopefully you feel better!
Hey! It’s doing a lot better. I still have a headache but that’s to be expected. My neurologist called in some meds to help expedite recovery. I probably shouldn’t be on lemmy, but the boredom was making me anxious and I decided that I needed a lil screentime to distract myself
Glad to hear you are recovering! Being bored and wanting to go on Lemmy is so real. I do the whole “close Lemmy then re-open it in autopilot 2 minutes later” often 😭
Next, Trump will lift all restrictions on alcohol advertising.
Product placements coming to Bluey.
Looks like they already party hard.
By the time I quit alcohol, I was developing peripheral neuropathy and fatty liver from all the drinking. I ended up in urgent care after a particularly bad night. The intake staff treated me like shit because they didn’t understand why someone would drink like that; I was taking up space that someone with an “actual” problem could’ve used. I was laid up in the hospital for three days having auditory hallucinations while I detoxed.
I was lucky enough to have enough time and space to introspect about how my life had gotten so fucked up. Turned out I was coping with massive amounts of unrealized trauma. I came out as queer, I transitioned, and I ditched my unhealthy “friends” and “family”.
5+ years sober, my nerves are better and my liver is back to normal. I shed 40 pounds of alcohol weight. I finally have a healthy relationship with myself.
To anyone who’s struggling… don’t give up. You are capable of winning your fight.
Turned out I was coping with massive amounts of unrealized trauma.
Me too, sister. Me too. We freaking made it, though 🫡 🥲
Yes we did. Be proud of that. <3
I stopped drinking 3.5 years ago and it’s the worst decision I’ve ever made.
I’d be interested to see a breakdown of this trend by states where marijuana is legalized vs. where it isn’t.
I am a statistic that says weed prevents drinking in legal states. I feel better on it, I am happier, no hang over, and its 10x cheaper for the same level of effect. I can get intoxicated for less than $5. I haven’t had a drink in 2 years since starting weed.
Oh that’s why Trump is so pissy about Canada’s provinces not selling American alcohol. Americans aren’t buying enough so American producers need the extra customers.
