Excellence

When I think of the pros and cons of drinking alcohol and being drunk, it astounds me why society considers it normal.

Here's what I thought of so far. Feel free to add your own items. I'll make an updated list after everyone has shared their ideas.

Pros
- A temporary feeling of intoxication
- An activity to do with others

Cons
- Expensive compared to water
- Painful hangovers
- Disrupts healthy habits
- Gain unwanted weight
- Reduces overall health (e.g. skin quality, prone to sickness)
- More likely to engage in risky behavior (e.g unprotected sex with strangers)
- Increased risk of personal injury or death
- Increased risk of harming others (e.g. driving while under influence)
- Increased risk of incarceration
- Likely to develop addiction and dependence
- Long-term damage on body (e.g liver disease), and the associated health care costs of time, money, and well-being

Keto

Its a great social lubricant (for normies).

least

I no longer like the feeling of intoxication I got from drinking, so for me, alcohol has no positives. I do so much better without it anyway.

BDTL

What I thought were positives (while drinking) are now obviously negatives because it affected my life in such a negative way. For me, there are zero positives.

Atlast9999

Great list, Excellence.

Drama is a huge “con” for me. So many stupid misunderstandings, fights, etc. And over what? Typically nothing.

I don’t have any pros....

Dee74

Honestly no pros for me, and a million cons.

D

esinger

Well, I guess it's a great excuse for years of bad behavior... In the end it's all on you.

Briansy

Impulse control goes out the window - and that opens the door to any number of negative consequences. Speaking from personal experience in the last 6 months!

BullDog777

pros- there are none

cons-everything gets destroyed eventually. that's the cons list in a nutshell.

for us, there's almost never any in between.

FBL

-That temporary feeling of intoxication comes with a VERY HEAVY PRICE. Not worth it at all.

-There's plenty of sober activities to do with others. Besides, many of us did our heaviest drinking whilst alone.

So much for the "pros"!

Broddeb

You missed out all the mental problems than can arise from years of abuse. Good list though.

August252015

Exactly.

ScottFromWI

No pros for me. I didn't even get a feeling of intoxication anymore when I drank, I simply needed to to stave off withdrawals. I also didn't view drinking as something "to do".

steve-in-kville

Pro's: I could fade-away from reality.

Con's: I would fade-away from reality.

MindfulMan

Pros: Social lubricant, reduces sexual inhibition (a mixed blessing), access more story ideas for writing (there's a reason for the alcoholic writer), enjoyment of wine and beer pairings with food, beermaking fun.

Counter-Pro: I'm already pretty extroverted and don't really need the lubricant, sex is better sober from ANYTHING and I have a pretty good imagination, I can have non-alcoholic beer with food and oddly don't miss the wine as much (also can tell a lot about a wine just from the bouquet so I can still make recommendations), I can still make beer just not taste it.

The cons are HUGE and we all know what they are.

NYCDoglvr

Most people -- 93% -- can have a glass or two and stop with no problem. As an alcoholic once I pick up a drink I can't stop, have no control over what happens.

Forward12

Pros: "Pss, hey sucker, I mean great person, try this out"
Me: "Wow!"
Alcohol: "Gotcha! lol!"

Talkinandwalkin

The easy answer is to say that alcohol was all cons with no pros. In actuality it served the intended effect on some level or the majority of us would not have chased it to that end. Sometimes it is far more cathartic to see things how they actually are. In the long run it can actually set you free. It will not matter as much if something is a trigger. If through your discovery you are able to determine why you started and what purpose it served you will be taking some of the fangs out of your antagonist. Bless those who are keeping up the good fight!

Briansy

I find this an immensely encouraging statement.

Briansy

Were you able to drink N/A beer right away and remove yourself from any positive associations with the real thing? Or is this something you were only able to do with a lot of sobriety behind you?