I wouldn’t necessarily say it fixes problems and if it does it certainly isn’t free of cost in more than one way. I do think it can temporarily lessen some anxieties that one might view as obstacles to happiness because they impede one’s ability to engage in meaningful social interaction. I also think that making friends and finding romantic partners are learned behaviors that you need practice to get good at. If alcohol can help you be social enough to make friends in a new place or find a partner then I can see why someone would say it fixed a problem for them. It’s certainly more expedient and cost effective than therapy to get past your hangups would be.
That said, that sort of “responsible” use of alcohol isn’t without its drawbacks and risks. I don’t know how common it is either. Perhaps that’s just what people who like to drink tell themselves to avoid feeling shame about their behavior.
some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Anyone who thinks alcohol “fixes problems” is probably not a serious person. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who truly believes that.
Alcohol is, however, an inextricable part of the human experience throughout the world.
LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 2 days ago
People who drink do indeed report that in the height of inebriation, everything in their lives feels quite good & well. Then they report the hell of the hangover the next day, and the craving for more alcohol so they can feel good again. A perpetual cycle of drunkenness that eventually affects career & family & finances & domicile stability.
I’ve never had alcohol in my life. Poisoning oneself does not need to be normalized.
timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
It’s pretty clear you have no real concept of what you’re talking about all throughout this thread.
Best quit while you’re behind. Not everyone out drinking is getting lit or subscribing to all the other social ills you’re describing from your “observations.”
These takes are as lame as prejudging someone based on music tastes, hobbies, dress, etc.
LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I will state some facts. Alcohol is literally poison. Alcohol has calories but no nutrients. Alcohol is not necessary for human consumption. Alcohol is harmful to humans. No benefits aside from being a mind-altering substance that helps people relax or whatever.
My drug of choice is intense physical exercise. All the side effects of physical exercise are good & positive: mentally, physically, & spiritually. Energetic & alert & clear-thinking during the day, and sleep well at night. The effects & benefits of intense physical exercise are real & long-lasting. Not temporary or superficial.
Soggy@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Many Native American cultures did not know about alcohol before it was introduced by Europeans, same in Australia and New Zealand. The many deleterious effects of colonization are certainly “a significant element in their cultural development” but maybe not in the way you intended.
Darkenfolk@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Sources on that? I’m quite sure they had at least corn beers and other fermented drinks.
They maybe didn’t use them for everyday consumption in the beginning, but they definitively had them.