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They never include the mental benefits of alcohol. A night out drinking with friends or coworkers has mental health benefits that last, sometimes a lifetime.
by monero-xmr 2y ago
They never include the mental benefits of alcohol. A night out drinking with friends or coworkers has mental health benefits that last, sometimes a lifetime.
- jononor 2y agoAlcohol is not needed for that to be beneficial. Orthogonal at best.
- vehemenz 2y agoAlcohol's effects on mental health for a population does not depend on whether alcohol is necessary to achieve a certain standard of mental health.
- slyall 2y agoA night out drinking can often result in consequences that last a lifetime.
- Eddy_Viscosity2 2y agoI do think this is true, but if you include those times you'd also have to include the nights where it ruined friendships (or a host of other negative consequences). It would be an impossible study to execute, but I do wonder on-balance across long time periods and large populations what the overall net affect of alchohol is on mental health.
- _heimdall 2y agoIn your experience, is the alcohol required to enjoy the night out? I've personally had nights out with and without alcohol that were just as much fun. I'm also very much a homebody though, so I'm not a great sample to really say either way.
- parpfish 2y agoIt’s not required, but so much of socializing and the existence of various “third places” hinges on alcohol that the choice is “do something social centered on drinking” or “do nothing”. You can’t expect people to single handedly overturn the social systems that have intertwined alcohol and socialization (especially for men)
- yaur 2y agoThere really isn’t much you can’t do sober that you think you need to be drinking for. Even dancing, jamming out, hanging out at a bar with friends are all possible and TBH more enjoyable once you get past the early phase where you anticipate it feeling awkward.
- Unbefleckt 2y agoI think we are in a phase of overturning even more ingrained social systems, so not drinking a certain thing isn't a huge deal, especially with a growing Muslim population in the west, the growing interest in health and fitness culture, and in my country, the absolute state of the city on a weekend.
- brink 2y agoIf it's required you shouldn't drink. Alcohol is only good when you don't need it.
- _heimdall 2y agoI'd extend that to nearly everything in one's life beyond the absolutely necessities like food and water. Candy, entertainment, police, governments, even shelter. They're all great things as long as you want them but don't need them.
- throwuxiytayq 2y agoYou are talking about literally the single substance responsible for the most human (mental/physical) health damage out of anything we've managed to come up with so far, and not for a lack of trying. You still have some time to reflect and delete this comment (I think HN gives you about an hour).
- silverquiet 2y agoIt clearly seems beneficial and/or enjoyable for some (not me so much), and tobacco and opiates seem like they do their fair share of damage as well.
- pfdietz 2y agoTobacco is estimated to cause more deaths, at least globally: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/substances-risk-factor-vs-direct-deaths https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/substances-risk-factor-vs...
- greentxt 2y agoBut probably has greater benefits too.
- throwuxiytayq 2y agoI almost got pwned by Poe's law right there.
- pfdietz 2y agoThe mental benefits, including significant increase in suicide and interpersonal violence? /s
- kayodelycaon 2y agoIt’s possible to go out and not drink. I can’t tolerate any amount of alcohol and I’ve definitely gone out drinking. Most people have been understanding. If you’re having a good time and encouraging drinking like everyone else is, no one really cares as long as you play the part. (“I would if I could, party it up.”) It helps to know a few mocktails that look alcoholic. :)
- kccqzy 2y agoYou need to find different friends that you can enjoy being with while drinking coffee, or tea, or smoothies, or boba.
- fsloth 2y agoI have cherished memories of boozing out with friends but I would not link this to ”mental health” benefits given the documented onset mental health issues including depression and alcoholism is directly linked to alcohol consumption. Drinking occasionally can be ’fun’ and it can have social benefits but in large scale studies of populations increase in alcohol usage don’t show ”mental health benefits”. I would state ’studies have not found quantifiable benefits of alchol use’ and that can still coexist with claims that the benefits of alcohol to yourself are not quantifiable - which is sort of fair, many aspects of human life are beyond reach of clear metrics. The adverse effects, however, are quite quantitifiable by healthcare statistics. While outcomes vary in different populations, the outcomes are never positive (per current resarch). ”I find a few drinks per week with friends enjoyable” is not a claim that would be in contest with the above. It’s just not a population argument. Some people like it, some can sustain a lifetime of boozing, but there is a non-trivial amount of people who develop depression or alcoholism - and this is not a flaw of character or culture but simply a fact of interaction of alcohol with human biology and neurology.
- jbmny 2y agoI agree with you. It comes down to risks vs benefits, and I feel that for a huge number of people that aren't predisposed to addiction, that don't need to drink to the point of blacking out, etc., it may very well be worth it. I know that my "principled" refusal to drink in my younger years made socializing a lot harder and just generally put a barrier between myself and my peers. Of course, a stronger person could overcome those challenges without alcohol, but that seems like a Herculean task for someone who's already shy and lacking self-esteem. I guess I just don't see it as black and white.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]