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There is emotional pain and then there is physiological pain. Drugs and alcohol alleviate emotional pain and have physilogical "pleasure" effects in some cases

There is emotional pain and then there is physiological pain. Drugs and alcohol alleviate emotional pain and have physilogical "pleasure" effects in some cases. But most of the negative effects that are frequently talked about are physiological. Apples shouldn't be compared to oranges. A good comparison would for example be to compare the pleasures of drugs against the emotional toll caused by the negative sociological effects (can't get jobs,stigma,less friends in some cases,unintended harm to loved ones,etc...) People take medical drugs like anti-depressants all the time knowing full well long term use can have side effects and even in the short term there can be severe side effects.

Elof 8y ago
I think, because of how society views alcohol, it's possible for not drinking to have a negative sociological and emotional effect. For example, someone gets passed up for a promotion because they don't go out to happy hour.
- Ancalagon 8y ago
  This. This is huge for me as well. There is definitely a societal expectation to drink in certain situations, and if you don't, you're viewed as one of the un-cool guys. Probably another thing that will require change at the leadership level to be really corrected over time.
  - beatgammit 8y ago
    And it's really dangerous for people predisposed to alcoholism. In the past, smoking was similar, and it has serious long term negative physiological effects. I don't drink, and fortunately I've never worked in an office where that mattered, but my personal choices in consuming drugs should have no professional repercussions unless it negatively impacts my job performance.
- mactrey 8y ago
  Not drinking can have a negative sociological and emotional effect regardless of how society views alcohol. I've had numerous interesting/strange life experiences that probably wouldn't have been possible without alcohol. I'll gladly pay the price of having a few bad hangovers and worse factual recall to (hopefully) continue to have those kinds of experiences.
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Elof 8y ago

I think, because of how society views alcohol, it's possible for not drinking to have a negative sociological and emotional effect. For example, someone gets passed up for a promotion because they don't go out to happy hour.

Ancalagon 8y ago
This. This is huge for me as well. There is definitely a societal expectation to drink in certain situations, and if you don't, you're viewed as one of the un-cool guys. Probably another thing that will require change at the leadership level to be really corrected over time.
- beatgammit 8y ago
  And it's really dangerous for people predisposed to alcoholism. In the past, smoking was similar, and it has serious long term negative physiological effects. I don't drink, and fortunately I've never worked in an office where that mattered, but my personal choices in consuming drugs should have no professional repercussions unless it negatively impacts my job performance.
mactrey 8y ago
Not drinking can have a negative sociological and emotional effect regardless of how society views alcohol. I've had numerous interesting/strange life experiences that probably wouldn't have been possible without alcohol. I'll gladly pay the price of having a few bad hangovers and worse factual recall to (hopefully) continue to have those kinds of experiences.

deleted 8y ago

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