The random thoughts thread!

[Videodrome]

I used to hang around a friend that was really interesting to talk to but was a heavy drinker a smoker. I'd start randomly drinking to much to and get bad hangovers. Just to say that the social aspect is hard to sort out.

Kind of like my brother who played in bands in bars while trying to quit smoking while being around smokers.

 

[starseeker]

I've successfully quit for 2 or 3 months late last year, but i started again this year. it doesn't help that most of my friends are heavy drinkers. I never got to the point where I became addicted to the alcohol itself, but I became addicted to the feeling of drinking. It cost me a lot last year. I tried controlling how often I drink, like once a week, but it always sneaks back up. I spent half of last year hungover dealing with the death of my father, trying to handle the estate on my own, and just not being able to handle the stress.

I just think I have too much underlying stress to handle drinking anymore. I think I should just quit and be done with it. I can't control it enough to keep it under control.

I am not sure it's common, but I always drink alcohol-free beer when I drink with others. They taste close enough to beer, without the side effect of alcohol.

YOu get more value drink beer in Germany than soft drink. For the same price, you get 0.2l of soft drink for 0.3l of beer.

 

[Godsmack]

I lost a taste for most beers. There are only a few that I can enjoy anymore. I'm more of a liquor guy. I can put down half a bottle of whiskey.

I'm going to dump out my liquor and casually drink the beer in my fridge to let myself off slowly. Then, I'm done. No more.

 

[Swede]

I lost a taste for most beers. There are only a few that I can enjoy anymore. I'm more of a liquor guy. I can put down half a bottle of whiskey.

I'm going to dump out my liquor and casually drink the beer in my fridge to let myself off slowly. Then, I'm done. No more.

Even if you quit the drinking, you really should talk to someone, you're prob going to have more s***ty things happen to you (everyone will) and if you get the right tools to handle it other way than alcohol you at least have an option. Also knowing you're not alone in addiction and sorrow is something that helps hugely, seek out friend or professional and let it all out.

 

[Videodrome]

Wow I'm just addicted to coffee, but I've considered quitting and know if I did it to fast I'd feel like sh;t with vicious headaches. Take it easy coming off this

 

[Godsmack]

It's probably for the best that I quit anyway. It's caused me to fall behind on my work, isn't doing my health any favors, and keeps causing me to regain weight as soon as i lose it. Not to mention hundreds of dollars a year that it costs me (drinks and snacks to go with it).

 

[Swede]

Wow I'm just addicted to coffee, but I've considered quitting and know if I did it to fast I'd feel like sh;t with vicious headaches. Take it easy coming off this

Coffee is life

 

[lowdru2k]

Godsmack I’m right there with you. I’ve been battling it for years. A few years ago I quit drinking for almost a year I was proud of myself I even attended meetings for awhile and felt great health wise, but then I slowly fell back into it thinking I can control it. Probably doesn’t help I’ve dealt with depression most of my life and think the drinking helps instead of medication. I’ve been trying to cut back lately myself but it’s tough. Wish you the best.

 

[Godsmack]

Godsmack I’m right there with you. I’ve been battling it for years. A few years ago I quit drinking for almost a year I was proud of myself I even attended meetings for awhile and felt great health wise, but then I slowly fell back into it thinking I can control it. Probably doesn’t help I’ve dealt with depression most of my life and think the drinking helps instead of medication. I’ve been trying to cut back lately myself but it’s tough. Wish you the best.

Yeah, at first this year I was only going to drink once a month or every two months, but I started getting anxious waiting for my time to drink again. It's a long time to go when you are used to regular drinking. So, I moved to once a week. Then, the last couple weeks it's moved to twice a week. I can see where this is going.

Last year it got to the point where I was drinking heavy every day. I woke up with a hangover, and when evening came around, time to drink again. I'm not going down that road again. I'm just sick of being worthless half the week due to hangovers or whatnot. I'm sick of spending money on it, I'm sick of gaining weight, I'm sick of not being in control.

 

[lowdru2k]

Yeah, at first this year I was only going to drink once a month or every two months, but I started getting anxious waiting for my time to drink again. It's a long time to go when you are used to regular drinking. So, I moved to once a week. Then, the last couple weeks it's moved to twice a week. I can see where this is going.

Last year it got to the point where I was drinking heavy every day. I woke up with a hangover, and when evening came around, time to drink again. I'm not going down that road again. I'm just sick of being worthless half the week due to hangovers or whatnot. I'm sick of spending money on it, I'm sick of gaining weight, I'm sick of not being in control.

When I do go awhile without drinking you do start feeling good and it’s nice not waking up without a hangover. My thing is even when I’m not drinking heavily or often I still enjoy just sipping an ice cold beer or mixed drink relaxing watching a show or movie or gaming with friends on XB Live. Or if we are away from the house with friends or family they all like to drink. My wife’s family are big drinkers. It’s tough for me to not want to for a long period of time.

 

[Godsmack]

Yeah, I've got one friend that's been so stressed lately from working through covid with longer hours and getting a divorce, that he actually shows up with a pint of vodka that he'll finish before he leaves. Hell, half the beer in my fridge isn't even mine. My friends leave it here.

I'm probably going to have to go all or nothing. If I let myself enjoy a beer here or there, all it'll take is getting that feeling of a buzz to get me back in the mood to drink.

 

[tumorman]

Yeah, at first this year I was only going to drink once a month or every two months, but I started getting anxious waiting for my time to drink again. It's a long time to go when you are used to regular drinking. So, I moved to once a week. Then, the last couple weeks it's moved to twice a week. I can see where this is going.

Last year it got to the point where I was drinking heavy every day. I woke up with a hangover, and when evening came around, time to drink again. I'm not going down that road again. I'm just sick of being worthless half the week due to hangovers or whatnot. I'm sick of spending money on it, I'm sick of gaining weight, I'm sick of not being in control.

At the very least it sounds like you need to put down the liquor. That's some bad s*** that can lead down some really dark paths. One of my best friends is literally a manager of an ABC store here in VA and is now 8 months sober thankfully, but before that he was crushing whiskey and bourbon nightly and ruining his home life terribly. He's okay now, but this is after a long time working with AA and actually following the steps.

 

[Godsmack]

At the very least it sounds like you need to put down the liquor. That's some bad s*** that can lead down some really dark paths. One of my best friends is literally a manager of an ABC store here in VA and is now 8 months sober thankfully, but before that he was crushing whiskey and bourbon nightly and ruining his home life terribly. He's okay now, but this is after a long time working with AA and actually following the steps.

I started drinking liquor for a few reasons. One is that beer makes me go to the bathroom every 10 minutes. But it is also expensive to drink something I like, probably 8 to 10 dollars for a six pack. The whiskey I buy is about 20 bucks for a 1.75l which will last me a month or two. Hangovers haven't been as bad with it either.

In any case though, once I start drinking it's hard to stop. That and since I drink while watching movies, I pretty much need a good snack like a bag of popcorn or something. Never could drink without getting hungry.

 

[Swede]

Godsmack your (and your friends) age?

 

[Godsmack]

I'm 37, my best friend is 37, but I have friends several years younger that come over occasionally.

 

[Larry]

I'm getting my name legally changed to "Demon Sperm" next month.

 

[Larry]

Yeah, I've got one friend that's been so stressed lately from working through covid with longer hours and getting a divorce, that he actually shows up with a pint of vodka that he'll finish before he leaves. Hell, half the beer in my fridge isn't even mine. My friends leave it here.

I'm probably going to have to go all or nothing. If I let myself enjoy a beer here or there, all it'll take is getting that feeling of a buzz to get me back in the mood to drink.

You really need to align yourself with others who don't drink and won't encourage you to drink anymore. I gave up a lot of what I thought were friends at the time that were leading me down a really bad path. I got myself out of it. I haven't drank or smoked bad stuff in over 10 years now. It's hard making new friends and changing your lifestyle, but you can do it with the right people in your life.

 

[Godsmack]

You really need to align yourself with others who don't drink and won't encourage you to drink anymore. I gave up a lot of what I thought were friends at the time that were leading me down a really bad path. I got myself out of it. I haven't drank or smoked bad stuff in over 10 years now. It's hard making new friends and changing your lifestyle, but you can do it with the right people in your life.

These are about the only friends I've got though. Most of my old friends either went their separate ways, or are so busy with a job and family that they just cancel if I try to hangout. Getting older sucks for hanging out.

I'm sure my current friends will support my decisions though. And if not, well, I guess I can sit here alone and play video games all evening. Not like I feel like going out with this stupid mask situation. Hell, I didn't even enjoy going out to meet people before this started. I may get along with about anybody, but there are few I really want to hang out with.

 

[tumorman]

These are about the only friends I've got though. Most of my old friends either went their separate ways, or are so busy with a job and family that they just cancel if I try to hangout. Getting older sucks for hanging out.

I'm sure my current friends will support my decisions though. And if not, well, I guess I can sit here alone and play video games all evening. Not like I feel like going out with this stupid mask situation. Hell, I didn't even enjoy going out to meet people before this started. I may get along with about anybody, but there are few I really want to hang out with.

If you're serious about quitting, you should really look into Meetup.com or check your local subreddit's community page. I don't go to them much, but we organize a lot of activities on ours, and it's usually pretty fun. It's about half and half what revolves around drinking, but generally it's like a big bike ride, a team sport, or something similar that ends with a couple brews, but you could always skip out on that part of it.

Of course after corona I mean

 

[Videodrome]

I set up with VR at home to be social at a distance during this Corona Pandemic. Still checking out different options like VR Chat worlds. That is, when I'm not so busy working.

Maybe you could apply game design skills to something like that such as making custom avatars.

 

[tumorman]

I set up with VR at home to be social at a distance during this Corona Pandemic. Still checking out different options like VR Chat worlds. That is, when I'm not so busy working.

Maybe you could apply game design skills to something like that such as making custom avatars.

"VR Chat Worlds"

AKA VR Sex you pervert. I've already called the cops

 

[Swede]

These are about the only friends I've got though. Most of my old friends either went their separate ways, or are so busy with a job and family that they just cancel if I try to hangout. Getting older sucks for hanging out.

I'm sure my current friends will support my decisions though. And if not, well, I guess I can sit here alone and play video games all evening. Not like I feel like going out with this stupid mask situation. Hell, I didn't even enjoy going out to meet people before this started. I may get along with about anybody, but there are few I really want to hang out with.

Tinder?

 

[Larry]

These are about the only friends I've got though. Most of my old friends either went their separate ways, or are so busy with a job and family that they just cancel if I try to hangout. Getting older sucks for hanging out.

I'm sure my current friends will support my decisions though. And if not, well, I guess I can sit here alone and play video games all evening. Not like I feel like going out with this stupid mask situation. Hell, I didn't even enjoy going out to meet people before this started. I may get along with about anybody, but there are few I really want to hang out with.

I had to give up basically all of my friends to succeed, but I did it anyway. It was either continue going on the way I was and end up dead, homeless, in jail, etc. or become a lonely hermit with no pals. I get the part of it being hard to make new friends getting older. Everyone I knew either died, went to prison, or settled down with kids and became a prisoner in a way. You just gotta do what's right for your well being before anything else.

 

[Plainview]

I had to give up basically all of my friends to succeed, but I did it anyway. It was either continue going on the way I was and end up dead, homeless, in jail, etc. or become a lonely hermit with no pals. I get the part of it being hard to make new friends getting older. Everyone I knew either died, went to prison, or settled down with kids and became a prisoner in a way. You just gotta do what's right for your well being before anything else.

 

[Plainview]

These are about the only friends I've got though. Most of my old friends either went their separate ways, or are so busy with a job and family that they just cancel if I try to hangout. Getting older sucks for hanging out.

I'm sure my current friends will support my decisions though. And if not, well, I guess I can sit here alone and play video games all evening. Not like I feel like going out with this stupid mask situation. Hell, I didn't even enjoy going out to meet people before this started. I may get along with about anybody, but there are few I really want to hang out with.

I only have a small group of friends that I hang out with. All of them, there's like six, I trust them with my life. The rest are ancillary and I don't really hang out with them at all. I never understand people on social media that have thousands, even hundreds, of "friends." Not me.

 

[Swede]

I only have a small group of friends that I hang out with. All of them, there's like six, I trust them with my life. The rest are ancillary and I don't really hang out with them at all. I never understand people on social media that have thousands, even hundreds, of "friends." Not me.

I'd go out on a limb and say people with over 500 "friends" either are using social media as company means or have a disorder/self esteem problem.

 

[Plainview]

I'd go out on a limb and say people with over 500 "friends" either are using social media as company means or have a disorder/self esteem problem.

The latter by far. Love the attention and can't function without it. I have like under 50 on IG and on FB a little over 200. Picked up a lot on FB when my sister passed away. That 200 I have nearly everyone hidden except for a couple family members, my close friends, and some chicks I want to, or have, banged.

 

[Swede]

The latter by far. Love the attention and can't function without it. I have like under 50 on IG and on FB a little over 200. Picked up a lot on FB when my sister passed away. That 200 I have nearly everyone hidden except for a couple family members, my close friends, and some chicks I want to, or have, banged.

Yeah, I think about same, maybe a bit more on IG since I did some kind of migration thing from FB.
Must be hard on the psyche no doubt.

 

[tumorman]

I'm 31 so I grew up with Facebook (and instagram later) in late high school and all throughout college. Social media was more of a way to keep in touch with people at school, but now I could delete over half the people on my friend's list and have no care in the world. I will say that it is nice to see these people in person and have a nice chat and then go on my way. Doesn't happen often, but when I see them around the city I live in (only an hour from where I grew up) or back home it's a nice reminder as to why I don't remove people from social media. Unless I hate them, then of course I've already removed them.

I think in my real world life, I've got about 25ish people I'd consider my real good friends, and I'm thankful to be in at least semi-regular contact with these people.

Also, all things considered, the vast majority of those 25ish people are successful and living great lives. I think we've all pushed each other to success, and it's been a great ride to get to this point.

Don't love saying this phrase, but sometimes it's nice to reflect on how blessed I actually am lol

 

[starseeker]

Social media especially Twitter & Reddit is cancer, generates undue outrage & mass hysteria.

As for Facebook, just look at what friends & family posts should be fine I think. But sometimes people like to post the BS from Twitter or other sites.

Thankfully most people in Germany do not worship Twitter & don't take media seriously, & know they are mostly chilled for Queen Merkel.

Anyway, this is what I bought at the USA store., To be honest, the price are well too high, easily 2x piece of German brand food.