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It's interesting to observe the varied attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol. If someone chooses to drink alcohol and it doesn't negatively impact other

It's interesting to observe the varied attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol. If someone chooses to drink alcohol and it doesn't negatively impact other aspects of their life, it could be viewed as a personal choice rather than a matter of societal concern. Throughout history, many cultures have incorporated alcohol into daily life, often as part of their culinary traditions. It's important to remember that life is finite, and how one chooses to experience it, as long as it doesn't harm others, can be seen as a personal decision. However, it's also crucial to acknowledge that responsible consumption and understanding its potential effects on health and well-being are key considerations.

giraffe_lady 3y ago
> If someone chooses to drink alcohol and it doesn't negatively impact other aspects of their life Almost everyone who drinks has this view of their own alcohol consumption. They aren't always wrong about this, but certainly very many of them are. Even people who are very obviously experiencing negative consequences of alcohol use will confidently assert that this isn't the case.
- ryandrake 3y ago
  > Almost everyone who drinks has this view of their own alcohol consumption. They aren't always wrong about this, but certainly very many of them are. This just seems like a trap. "Alcohol doesn't negatively impact my life." "Well, that's exactly what an alcoholic would say!" So, you can't rely on the person's own judgment. But you can't rely on others' judgment either. For any level of alcohol intake, from 1 beer a year to a liter of vodka a day, you can easily find someone who says it's too much and someone who says it's fine (or at least 'it depends').
  - hydrok9 3y ago
    rationalizing it is really dangerous. I had a friend who who used to say, "everyone has addictions."
  - u32480932048 3y ago
    They're diagnostic criteria intended for use by physicians, not for random internet people to diagnose others without even performing any kind of assessment. If someone drinks one glass of wine a year, but their significant other gets upset about it (it's now "affecting their relationship"), is it them or their significant other that has A Problem?
  - giraffe_lady 3y ago
    I'm not sure that makes it a trap, but no I would not trust anyone's view of the consequences of their own drug use. But the alternative is not to match their use against a number created by an uninvolved third party either. Probably a person's family and other close relations have the most useful perspective on their use and its effects. I'm not a moralizing teetotaler or drug abolitionist here either. Recreational drug use is often fine, people can and in some cases maybe even should do it. But it should stop when the negative consequences reach a certain point, and it's probably impossible for an individual to have the perspective allowing them to see where they are relative to that point.
    - bmacho 3y ago
      > I'm not sure that makes it a trap, but no I would not trust anyone's view of the consequences of their own drug use. And I wouldn't trust about anyone else's view. It's either a feeling (when you have to rely on the "drug user", how they feel about it) or it is hard facts. Outsiders opinions are worthless.
      - giraffe_lady 3y ago
        Right, I'm saying an outsider doesn't have an experience of the user and so no grounds for any particular insight about them and their use and its effects. Their family and friends however are not outsiders. They have hard facts about how the use affects them, which is often some of the most significant negative consequences of drug use. I don't think any single person is situated to confidently say that someone else's use isn't a problem. But in cases where it is a problem, family often have all the information necessary to know that it is.

giraffe_lady 3y ago

> If someone chooses to drink alcohol and it doesn't negatively impact other aspects of their life Almost everyone who drinks has this view of their own alcohol consumption. They aren't always wrong about this, but certainly very many of them are. Even people who are very obviously experiencing negative consequences of alcohol use will confidently assert that this isn't the case.

ryandrake 3y ago
> Almost everyone who drinks has this view of their own alcohol consumption. They aren't always wrong about this, but certainly very many of them are. This just seems like a trap. "Alcohol doesn't negatively impact my life." "Well, that's exactly what an alcoholic would say!" So, you can't rely on the person's own judgment. But you can't rely on others' judgment either. For any level of alcohol intake, from 1 beer a year to a liter of vodka a day, you can easily find someone who says it's too much and someone who says it's fine (or at least 'it depends').
- hydrok9 3y ago
  rationalizing it is really dangerous. I had a friend who who used to say, "everyone has addictions."
- u32480932048 3y ago
  They're diagnostic criteria intended for use by physicians, not for random internet people to diagnose others without even performing any kind of assessment. If someone drinks one glass of wine a year, but their significant other gets upset about it (it's now "affecting their relationship"), is it them or their significant other that has A Problem?
- giraffe_lady 3y ago
  I'm not sure that makes it a trap, but no I would not trust anyone's view of the consequences of their own drug use. But the alternative is not to match their use against a number created by an uninvolved third party either. Probably a person's family and other close relations have the most useful perspective on their use and its effects. I'm not a moralizing teetotaler or drug abolitionist here either. Recreational drug use is often fine, people can and in some cases maybe even should do it. But it should stop when the negative consequences reach a certain point, and it's probably impossible for an individual to have the perspective allowing them to see where they are relative to that point.
  - bmacho 3y ago
    > I'm not sure that makes it a trap, but no I would not trust anyone's view of the consequences of their own drug use. And I wouldn't trust about anyone else's view. It's either a feeling (when you have to rely on the "drug user", how they feel about it) or it is hard facts. Outsiders opinions are worthless.
    - giraffe_lady 3y ago
      Right, I'm saying an outsider doesn't have an experience of the user and so no grounds for any particular insight about them and their use and its effects. Their family and friends however are not outsiders. They have hard facts about how the use affects them, which is often some of the most significant negative consequences of drug use. I don't think any single person is situated to confidently say that someone else's use isn't a problem. But in cases where it is a problem, family often have all the information necessary to know that it is.