Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same. I quit drinking too (with the help of naltrexone, which has been incredibly helpful. More doctors should do more to help patients. No one even knows about it).

I will say that not only do I not see any benefits, my life is also less enjoyable now. After a long day with the kids, there's nothing to look forward to when they go to bed. But I do plan on sticking with it. I don't think I could get more Nal out of my doctor and I don't think I could have stopped without it. I tried many times over the years.

Really, why? What’s the point of long life if you’re not enjoying it? I’d rather have a slightly shorter life that’s fun, than a longer one with few pleasures.

The doctor told the 60 yo man that if he gave up smoking, drinking, and chasing women that he could live till he was 100.
The man said, "If I gave those up, why would I want to?"

I think the benefits increase with age. I'm almost 50, and cutting out my one glass of wine at night helped me sleep so much better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have long known that processed meat - bacon, sausage, pepperoni, as well as red meat is a carcinogen and it has been recognized as such and due to the industry you never ever hear about avoiding it on a regular basis whereas right now, huge alcohol is the devil message everywhere.

What's your gut instinct about why the focus is alcohol now vs red meat, processed food, environmental factors, etc?

DP here. It’s two things: the cannabis lobby and further testing by government to see how messaging works to change society. Will enough of society stop thinking critically and follow the herd if the right messaging is repeated over and over? For the last year, the answer was largely yes, but I think people are finally starting to wake up.

+1 I'm really starting to buy into the conspiracy theory that the cannabis lobby is behind the recent negative messaging around alcohol. Even in DCUM you had a post immediately after the surgeon general's recommendation asking for recommendations of gummies or a THC drink to replace alcohol.

You think the cannabis lobby is more powerful than the booze lobby? Come on.

OP here. You've summarized my take. Something seems off-normal and coordinated about the campaign to tell us that our skin, sleep, and spirit will improve with no alcohol. And it also seems that there's a lot of cannabis ads. But I would be surprised if cannabis is better organized than alcohol. Maybe cannabis is being bought up by powerful companies? On its face, it doesn't seem like this is the likely reason for all of this.

There is simply something going on here. In the NYT This Morning email there was a link to yet ANOTHER article about cutting back on alcohol. After just running one on Monday. One commenter on this article--because again, at least a few are starting to ask why, NYT--one person said they think it's Biden's last-ditch effort to make some kind of difference. That may be a stretch, and it's pretty pathetic. But something is up. This just doesn't make sense. Article after article, with nothing new.

Anonymous wrote:Your risk of cancer has decreased, so that’s a longer term benefit.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I never lose weight when I cut back on drinking because I end up eating more snacks and desserts, which have more calories than the drink I'm replacing. It's annoying. I'd probably be better off just having the glass of wine.

Me neither, but alcohol is an appetite suppressant for me. May be the WASP genes, but 2 martinis and food no longer exists in my world.

This snobby no alcohol trend began out West - tech hubs Seattle and Silicon Valley. But you also have Mormon hub Utah right there. “Wholesome” and aspirational Mormon content viral on social media last few years.

If there’s a conspiracy behind this, could be the Mormons.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have long known that processed meat - bacon, sausage, pepperoni, as well as red meat is a carcinogen and it has been recognized as such and due to the industry you never ever hear about avoiding it on a regular basis whereas right now, huge alcohol is the devil message everywhere.

What's your gut instinct about why the focus is alcohol now vs red meat, processed food, environmental factors, etc?

DP here. It’s two things: the cannabis lobby and further testing by government to see how messaging works to change society. Will enough of society stop thinking critically and follow the herd if the right messaging is repeated over and over? For the last year, the answer was largely yes, but I think people are finally starting to wake up.

+1 I'm really starting to buy into the conspiracy theory that the cannabis lobby is behind the recent negative messaging around alcohol. Even in DCUM you had a post immediately after the surgeon general's recommendation asking for recommendations of gummies or a THC drink to replace alcohol.

You think the cannabis lobby is more powerful than the booze lobby? Come on.

OP here. You've summarized my take. Something seems off-normal and coordinated about the campaign to tell us that our skin, sleep, and spirit will improve with no alcohol. And it also seems that there's a lot of cannabis ads. But I would be surprised if cannabis is better organized than alcohol. Maybe cannabis is being bought up by powerful companies? On its face, it doesn't seem like this is the likely reason for all of this.

Booze business controls advertising industry, TV and print, lobbying, trucking, unions, distribution, A list celebs, pro sports, music industry, super old money dynasty families and Wall Street. There is absolutely no chance the cannabis industry is pulling some coup on that machine.

I never lose weight when I cut back on drinking because I end up eating more snacks and desserts, which have more calories than the drink I'm replacing. It's annoying. I'd probably be better off just having the glass of wine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have long known that processed meat - bacon, sausage, pepperoni, as well as red meat is a carcinogen and it has been recognized as such and due to the industry you never ever hear about avoiding it on a regular basis whereas right now, huge alcohol is the devil message everywhere.

What's your gut instinct about why the focus is alcohol now vs red meat, processed food, environmental factors, etc?

DP here. It’s two things: the cannabis lobby and further testing by government to see how messaging works to change society. Will enough of society stop thinking critically and follow the herd if the right messaging is repeated over and over? For the last year, the answer was largely yes, but I think people are finally starting to wake up.

+1 I'm really starting to buy into the conspiracy theory that the cannabis lobby is behind the recent negative messaging around alcohol. Even in DCUM you had a post immediately after the surgeon general's recommendation asking for recommendations of gummies or a THC drink to replace alcohol.

You think the cannabis lobby is more powerful than the booze lobby? Come on.

OP here. You've summarized my take. Something seems off-normal and coordinated about the campaign to tell us that our skin, sleep, and spirit will improve with no alcohol. And it also seems that there's a lot of cannabis ads. But I would be surprised if cannabis is better organized than alcohol. Maybe cannabis is being bought up by powerful companies? On its face, it doesn't seem like this is the likely reason for all of this.

Anonymous wrote:Starting around 40 I noticed that even a glass of wine affected sleep pretty directly. It also made me a lot less alert that evening and the next morning.

I wish that weren’t true because I did like — I still like! — the way a glass of something signaled the transition into “my” time. It was a source of pleasure. But I did pull back my drinking, and I sleep better now.

Alas.

I'm 39 and I notice that more than one glass affects my sleep. Just one is enough to impact water retention for a day or two. A little depressing that my body doesn't bounce back as easily anymore, but I'm trying to replace the "small drink as evening ritual" multiple nights a week with herbal tea, and save the alcohol for one night on the weekend.

To be honest this is part of a larger weight loss effort so I can't trace any impact from the alcohol specifically on weight. But the tea is starting to feel ritualistic and comforting the same way splitting a beer with my husband used to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same. I quit drinking too (with the help of naltrexone, which has been incredibly helpful. More doctors should do more to help patients. No one even knows about it).

I will say that not only do I not see any benefits, my life is also less enjoyable now. After a long day with the kids, there's nothing to look forward to when they go to bed. But I do plan on sticking with it. I don't think I could get more Nal out of my doctor and I don't think I could have stopped without it. I tried many times over the years.

Really, why? What’s the point of long life if you’re not enjoying it? I’d rather have a slightly shorter life that’s fun, than a longer one with few pleasures.

You really “enjoy” and “cherish” alcohol every time you drink it? I doubt that. In hindsight I’d say most of my drinking was just a waste. It didn’t make the dinner or a trip or sitting on the couch watching a ball game or movie with my husband any better. The wines weren’t memorable. Any brief buzz didn’t create some super fun night. It was just pointless empty calories.

I have never enjoyed a ball game without alcohol

Few of our good lifelong friends are highly successful MDs. They have been boozehounds since college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same. I quit drinking too (with the help of naltrexone, which has been incredibly helpful. More doctors should do more to help patients. No one even knows about it).

I will say that not only do I not see any benefits, my life is also less enjoyable now. After a long day with the kids, there's nothing to look forward to when they go to bed. But I do plan on sticking with it. I don't think I could get more Nal out of my doctor and I don't think I could have stopped without it. I tried many times over the years.

Really, why? What’s the point of long life if you’re not enjoying it? I’d rather have a slightly shorter life that’s fun, than a longer one with few pleasures.

You really “enjoy” and “cherish” alcohol every time you drink it? I doubt that. In hindsight I’d say most of my drinking was just a waste. It didn’t make the dinner or a trip or sitting on the couch watching a ball game or movie with my husband any better. The wines weren’t memorable. Any brief buzz didn’t create some super fun night. It was just pointless empty calories.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have long known that processed meat - bacon, sausage, pepperoni, as well as red meat is a carcinogen and it has been recognized as such and due to the industry you never ever hear about avoiding it on a regular basis whereas right now, huge alcohol is the devil message everywhere.

What's your gut instinct about why the focus is alcohol now vs red meat, processed food, environmental factors, etc?

DP here. It’s two things: the cannabis lobby and further testing by government to see how messaging works to change society. Will enough of society stop thinking critically and follow the herd if the right messaging is repeated over and over? For the last year, the answer was largely yes, but I think people are finally starting to wake up.

+1 I'm really starting to buy into the conspiracy theory that the cannabis lobby is behind the recent negative messaging around alcohol. Even in DCUM you had a post immediately after the surgeon general's recommendation asking for recommendations of gummies or a THC drink to replace alcohol.

You think the cannabis lobby is more powerful than the booze lobby? Come on.