What's the fun in getting smashed?

[Icimoi]

I have absolutely nothing against alcohol and social drinking, I like the odd glass of wine or G&T at home and will drink a bit more if I go out socially. I also completely understand that sometimes people will go over the top and drink too much and do things they may regret later. But I do find it difficult to understand people who talk about how they specifically plan to go out and get totally rat-arsed, and how they do it every weekend.

So could someone explain it to me? I just don't understand what is the point in planning to go out and spending a fortune on drink, getting so drunk that you throw up and can't remember anything about it the next day but have a horrendous hangover? I could understand it if you remember feeling that you were having a good time, but frequently people can't. And is it really a good time if you are totally embarrassed by what you remember about your behaviour?

Everything in moderation, my idea of moderation has changed over the years.

I did this in my student days.

Was young enough not to have hangovers. Plus if you are drunk enough to vomit your hangover tends to lessen as there's less alcohol in your system at the end of the night.

Looking back on these times as a slightly more mature person now I do think I was caught up the culture of excessive drinking as normal behaviour. Almost all the other students I knew did the same. It was so cheap (60p per drink). We didn't have early morning lectures and were only in 3/4 days a week 30 odd weeks of the year. No one had pt jobs. People socialised by having parties in halls or going out in groups to student unions or student pubs/clubs. I never made any friends at lectures or by going to (sober) extra curricular activities. (I now regret not making more effort with this side of Uni life)

Even though I had lots of blackouts what I remember of those days are fantastic memories! I loved getting dressed up and going out dancing (I was more a clubber than pubber). I would never have met or got together with any of my exes if it wasn't for for drunken flirtation!

I'll admit that a lot of the friendships were quite shallow and didn't survive life beyond Uni buti enjoyed it while it lasted and still mourn those carefree hedonistic nights.

Smoking, drinking its up to the individual. People are aware of the risks and make choices. We are all autonomous. If everyone stopped smoking and drinking tomorrow tax revenues would drastically plumet. Tax would be increased in other areas to counter balance it. People who indulge in these vices are less likely to reach a very old age, thus saving billions in pensions, care etc. It is a necessary evil

If everyone stopped smoking and drinking tomorrow tax revenues would drastically plumet.

True - but the cost to the NHS of smoking and drinking related diseases would eventually decrease, as well as the social costs involved.

Not necessarily. People who indulge live less long, so negates care costs in the future. My grandad smoked and died of heart attack at 64. Costs to tax payers, zero. Didn't even draw any pension, still working.

Tax on cigrattes is very high. The money made outweighs care costs. People with lung cancer tend to die very quickly. People who live to be very aged cost far more money.

My liver's lovely, thank you :) It gets tested every few years. The first time, my doctors were astounded and made me test again - because the health community's so convinced anybody with my drinking history & a metabolic illness must have liver disease, they couldn't believe I actually had something else. Quite worrying in its own way.

My lungs are holding up so far, too

And to see your parent die of cancer through their actions is horrible.

This is when I quit smoking. When my ex got cancer. I watched my kids watch him die and could never pick up a cigarette again knowing I was increasing my chances of making them watch me die of cancer too (his wasn't smoking related). I smoked heavily for years, but it was only when I watched my children watch their dad die it really hit home what I was doing (seeing your kids cry over their dad's dead body does that to you). Before then, none of the warnings or facts put me off. I used to say that we all had to die sometime and of course we do, but preferably not at a young age with dependant children and of a horrible long painful death.

I still have the bad habit of eating too much shit food though. So will probably die of a heart attack instead! But I do need some fun in my life and that partly comes from eating crappy food on too manyoccasions. We all have bad habits that could kill us one day I guess.

To plan to go out get smashed and off the trolley is a form of self-destruct.

Glad to hear it Gralick to your health!!

My grand father in law apparently has an amazing liver and he has drank for years and years and very heavily! He can down 6 pints of beer in a very short time.

I don't know how he has got away with it for so many years. He is in his 70's and a picture of health.

why? It's basically a form of physical and emotional catharsis, I suppose. Humans have been doing it for millenia, whether it's booze or hallucinogens.

Doing it every week, or to the point you're hurting yourself, blacking out, or needing to do it isn't good mind, but I don't think there's any need to look down on an occasional boozy night.

All things in moderation, as they say, even moderation ;)

You can buy a t-shirt that says :

ALCOHOL
because no good story started with salad

Hee hee.

Agree on the blackout stuff though. If you can't drink without doing that, you maybe shouldn't drink at all. This should be fully possible after about 25 years of age.

Interesting people talking about their student days and getting drunk.

Maybe it was me and my friends - but it was rare for women to get "smashed" on a night out or in the Union. This was back in the late 80s.

It might have just been me though

Thanks, Ratfink

I've lived in different countries and agree the British (also German and Dutch, plus some Easter European cultures) style of drunkenness is embarrassing. Far too many drinkers whose drunk characters are boorish, oafish, rude and threatening.

Not all drunk people behave like this. I maintain that those who do are self-medicating some psychological/emotional issues and I'm always compassionate before censorious. In the countries where I lived, people suffering deep-seated anger & self-dislike handle their issues in other ways. Those aren't too pleasant, either, or good for their health.

The fact that drinking's better socialised in other countries doesn't imply freedom from self-harming behaviours. It just happens that Brits & Germans traditionally turn to alcohol - where others more readily turn to addictive drugs or violence, for instance.

It was just you, Orlando!

U2, I am also a reformed smoker. I only indulge in wine once a week, if that.
I agree it is awful to see loved ones die due to cancers.
I'm getting quiet boring in my advancing years and would rather and to .
However, other people's indulgencies are their individual choices.
OH works with people with drink and drug addictions, the majority have other MH disorders, that is very true.

I've found it interesting (and sad) recently to watch a family member not drink.

He always claimed getting smashed was a huge laugh and anyone who had a problem with it was censorious, humourless etc.

His health means he cannot drink at the moment and socially, he's really struggling.

His usual crowd are uncomfortable because he's not drinking and increasingly go out without him.

At family gatherings, he struggles to relax and make conversation without a drink. He's nervous and quite shy whereas usually he dominates conversations and plans.

I think there are many more people with alcohol problems than we realise.

Orlando there was a shift among women (and in the volume of spirits drunk by everyone) somewhere in/after the late 80s. Hooch and the alcopops took off for the school age.

I used to drink heavily every weekend when I was a student but those were the days when I could cope with the hangovers. Now, personally, I don't find having more than 3/4 drinks enjoyable because of the effects the day after.

I quite often choose to drive home from a night out rather than drink and pay for a taxi. I find it amazing how my choosing not to drink makes people uncomfortable; I constantly get quizzed on the fact that I'm not drinking and get made to feel like I'm not "joining in". People seem to be worried that I'm judging them for drinking when in actual fact, I don't give a flying fuck what they do, I'd just rather save my money and feel half-decent the next day!

Reading back over thread and wanted to clarify that the stupid embarrassing thing I did wasn't wetting myself (though have seen this happen a lot). I turned into the over friendly omg I KNOW you! Drunk. I started a conversation with a friend of a friends ex (they have a ds together but her mother has custody). I have been hearing about this guy for years, what an arsehole he is, etc but have never met him. Recognised him and was talking to him as if I knew him really well (he had never heard of me). Really embarrassing. Especially as his mother came over and started bitching about the friend of a friend. (Who friend also has bitched about for being mental and a bad mother). And I blacked out for about half an hour at this point so no idea what else I said to them. Or if I may have squealed the heap and told them bad things about friends friend that friend confided in me

Another reason I don't like being really drunk. I can't keep secrets! I blurt things out that I shouldn't. Things about my relationship, sex life, family history, gossip friends have told me... Nothing is sacred

My FIL was a regular drinker and at times a binge drinker. I remember the time he came to stay with us and found and emptied our drinks cupboard and was comatose for 36 hours. He died extremely painfully in his 60s of oesophageal cancer that was directly linked to his drinking and smoking. And frankly, there was no evidence whatsoever that either his drinking or smoking made him a happy man or improved his life.

You sound like me wicked. I have a poor enough filter when sober for knowing what I "shouldn't" say. I have no hope whatsoever when I've had more than a few.

For me these days the anxiety I feel when going out and talking to people vaguely sober is now more than outweighed when I wake up the next morning and remember all the dreadful, terbil things I said the night before.

Not that it stops me all the time mind

I do like a drink and know my limits but the two day hangover is what puts me off. I much prefer to drink leisurely and enjoy others company in a nice beer garden or at a friends, or a lazy Sunday watching the football or something similar (when I get the chance this is!) but on occasion depending on the company there's sometimes cause to cut it loose and have a mad one!! Every weekend though? Couldn't, and wouldn't wanna do that any more. When I was 18? Sure, I'd be out 4 nights a week. As someone in their early 30s with children and a partner to consider? Once a month if I'm lucky, and even then I'm not always up for it.