To think life is actually better with an occasional drink?

[Boxthemup]

I appreciate some people can't have an occasional drink and I absolutely support their efforts to stay away from it altogether. I wouldn't dream of trying to persuade someone who doesn't want a drink to have one.

However, for the rest of us there is something lovely about being mildly tipsy. It's not that I can't enjoy myself without a drink, I can and do on a daily basis, but having a drink makes everything that bit more relaxed.

My perfect world is maybe 3-4 pints of beer and a putting the world to rights session with intelligent friends in a lovely beer garden or 2/3 bottle of wine and dancing.

I do one or other of these perhaps once or twice a month and thoroughly enjoy it/look forward to it.

I think this is a good thing?

if you find yourself waking in the night (which I’ll wager after 3-4 pints, you do)

I wouldn't tbh.

It's great until it turns you into a massive nobhead

Yep and that there is now evidence that long term use isn't great.

I am NOT suggesting that people who really need antidepressants just have a drink. But I do wonder if that need to change one's chemistry is just innate and people do it different ways/different ways become socially acceptable at different times. See also binge eating or extreme exercise.

They say it because we often get pressured to drink it! “Oh come on, don’t be so boring”, “surely you can just have one?” Etc It’s staggering how pressuring those who drink can be to those who don’t so judgement goes both ways I’m afraid. No one pressures people to smoke so why do it about alcohol? It baffles me.

No-one has ever really said that to me; they just accept that I most likely won't be having a drink at their party or whatever.

I'm old now, well older than most of you here I reckon, and I keep saying I'm going to try a cannabis cake or a gummy thing one day. What do y'all reckon? I'll wear purple and a big yellow hat too.

Dh and I do sometimes and have a lovely, chilled evening together, laughing and chatting.

I think YABU for suggesting people who don’t drink would be better off if they did - I refer to your ‘sanctimonious friend’ post. What’s right for you isn’t right for everyone. Enjoy your wine and let others be!

I'd be absolutely hammered on four pints. I don't think I've drunk that since uni days. Even more so if I was only doing it once a month.

An occasional drink, sure. I wouldn't mind literally an occasional drink ie one, possibly two. Four pints would not leave me tipsy, it would just make me puke.

Three pints for a woman is the UK nhs definition of binge drinking.

People who find it stress relieving wouldn’t find it increases their anxiety though, or they wouldn’t do it.

The OP is taking about drinking that much occasionally on a night out, not regularly.

You sound tense. Have a glass of wine!

Obviously I’m joking but your reply seemed to insinuate op uses it as a crutch just because she enjoys a drink, does not mean she uses it as a crutch.

@silverfullmoon Agree. Some people have a real problem with others not drinking. Experienced this several times usually work dos but also some friends.

What's much nicer, imo, is a nice mellow spliff with friends

Nobody acts intelligent after 3/4 pints yabu.

I agree op. We love a drink to unwind on a Friday night after working hard all week. Nothing ‘lairy’ - just a 2 or 3 drinks to relax and chill. It’s something to look forward to. We enjoy being in the company of people who feel the same and who are sociable, calm and civilised. No dysfunctional drinkers here. Chin chin!

Bit it’s fun for those inbeteeen your 2 extremes & this is what this thread is about. This isn’t a ‘have I got an alcoholic problem’ one.

3/4 pints over the course of an afternoon and evening in a beer garden?

Need to find a dealer/supplier first! Can you imagine? Might ask the bloke next door who smokes it in his "hut" down the back of his garden, but he might think I fancy him or something. Lady Chatterly on tour....

I wonder if I sat by the smoke would I get any benefit? Might have a job getting back up the path in one piece though.

Menopause didn't affect me like that.

I can't go on the sort of benders I enjoyed in my 20s and 30s any more, but 3-4 pints or the best part of a bottle of wine is fine.

Totally agree. Why are you even asking?!

definitely not worth having a knee trembler up against a tree with the next door neighbour for the sake of a joint. Unless he is a bit of hot Mellors-alike stuff.

Alcohol is a depressant though.. It's not going to do her any good if she's prone to depression.

Totally agree - I love to spend Saturday afternoon cooking, and my favourite part of the week is opening a drink at about 4pm to accompany some music and cooking. My world would fall apart a little bit without that!

And I wouldn't dream of telling her what she should do re her drugs, but she feels very comfortable telling me how awful my occasional drink is.

Alcohol is a drug, let's be completely clear on that

what’s the problem with that? Are drugs always a bad thing? Is it bad to use something that makes you feel good?

YANBU if that's how you feel, but people who don't drink ANBU either. I very rarely drink as I don't particularly enjoy it and even 1 or 2 drinks totally ruins my quality of sleep.

That gave me a laugh!

Sorry everyone for dragging things away from alcohol. It's all going to pot isn't it.

Be careful with the cannabis cake. I baked some hash cookies one Christmas and took a few to a party on NYE.

Got about 20 people totally off their tits.