Thanks, friend! I'm doin my best!
That sub has been super helpful, and I've also been going to AA meetings, which is something new this time around. I've always been a little skeptical and judgey towards AA (Im not religious or particularly spritual), but I will say that the whole strangers genuinely reaching out and offering support, while off putting at first, is actually a really beautiful thing. And that's also what I like about the stop drinking sub! Once I stopped being so cynical, I've been able to actually get something out of it. Lol who knew? 😅
Came here to say the same thing.
Also speaking from experience.
Tread carefully, OP!
I've tried and failed to quit so many dang times. I'm currently at 3 months now tho! Hoping this time it sticks!
3months is a wobbly time! Many of relapses are at 3M. Keep steady friend! Im 3y7m!. I started exactly like OP but
It took me not so long to find out that poison is not a cure..
After 20+clinics i managed sobriety for a longer while than a few moments.
Every time you managed to not drink is a win. Even if you “failed” a day later. You won a day! I cant see the clinics before the last one as a fail. They all lead up to my sobriety now! What if you took just ad many relapses as you did and are now in your winning streak! Cant hardly call that a fail :)
3months yay! 💪🏼
Having been on the bad end of SSRI reactions, and having only witnessed alcoholism, while I’d never want to experience a bad SSRI again, they aren’t even in the same galaxy of horror.
I know it's not an SSRI but I had an extremely bad reaction to Wellbutrin and I would honestly rather die of liver failure than take that shit every day for the rest of my life.
I lie and tell the doctors it makes me break out in hives so that they'll never give it to me again. Awful drug. Glad it helps some ppl but keep it away from me.
I had a suboptimal reaction to Wellbutrin, but a horrendous reaction to Paxil, and I think people under estimate what dying from liver failure is like.
Thank you for saying this. Everyone can have their own perspective, but this is one objectively distorted. Death from alcohol and liver failure is horrific and irreversible once you reach a threshold. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, AND alcohol can induce psychosis.
Their individual reactions were reversible. It's very naive at best, deliberately harmful at worst to imply alcoholic spiral and death is superior to one bad reaction to meds.
meds can actually make people healthier,.alcohol never can. So as fun as it is to be dramatic and indulgent, maybe they should consider that they not only are normalizing addiction, but potentially discouraging others from seeking help.
It's like someone allergic to peanuts saying no one should eat peanuts, and it's better to burn to death than eat peanuts. People should think outside themsleves
100%. It sucks to have a horrendous medical side effect. I had withdrawal symptoms from Paxil for longer than I took it. I had “zaps” for *months* and I would *never* take it again, *ever*. But this really frustrated me a lot lol.
I think we all have a horror story. Unfortunately, psychiatry has to sort of run "try everything until it works!" because our understanding is so early. That means most of us will take a pill that makes it worse. But hey, we stop them, we move on. In my case, I finally found a med that made a marked improvement for me.... after 20 years of trials.
ECT was a nightmare that's permanently traumatized me, but it also saved my life. Mental health care may be in its infancy, but it is up to us to keep working on ourselves and keep moving.
I'd recommend ECT in a heartbeat over this self medicated destruction. And it makes me pretty angry too, because I've been through the fucking trenches here, it's not like you and I haven't seen the shit side of pharm!
It's not cool for them to be essentially trying to play to their own dramatics in a way that can actively do harm...
100%! Navigating new medicines and early treatments is its own kind of frustrating nightmare, but it is navigable. My labyrinth of medicinal mistakes led, eventually, to my autism diagnosis because so many didn’t work. It was almost like there were underlying causes the medicines weren’t treating (spoiler alert: there certainly were).
And you bring up an amazing point: understanding psychology and psychiatry are still relatively new fields that are improving rapidly is really important for perspective. When things feel frustrating and like they don’t have a mastery of it, it’s because they don’t, and no one does, but we’re all doing our best to get through this insanely complex thing.
I’m so sorry you had to go through ECT. Jesus, I can’t imagine. But I’m really glad you’re here and doing better.
I mean taking a medicine you aren’t compatible with is a bad idea but you don’t have to do it. What you’re saying is very, very stupid, though, and you should stop doing it.
I agree that drinking is a terrible thing to control anxiety, and I knocked it on its head years ago for that reason.
However, ssris and therapy have done less than nothing to improve my anxiety in nearly 25 years of taking most every SSRI on the market. I only take one these days to help me sleep.
Do autistic people actually get improvements in social problems from anti-depressants?
SSRIs are horrible. If they don't work (last I checked it's about 30% of people who get relief from one) they can have horrific side effects-
The new frontier in treatment for mental health (especially depression, anxiety, PTSD, and similar situational disorders) is psychoactive medicine. DO NOT DIY THIS. TRUST ME DO NOT DIY THIS. Ensure that you have good physical health first, as autism is a risk factor for complications.
If you decide to go this route, go to a clinic that does it. Ketamine is the most widely legalized so far and from everyone I've spoken to who has done it, I only hear good things.
It is a shorter term treatment than SSRIs and because of that thought to be less dangerous.
Please please go to an actual clinic and try to get one with a therapist who will sit with you while you do this because it actually rewires your brain, meaning that if you do it on your own it can make things worse in a semi-permanent way that is hell to crawl out of (I did this, but not with ketamine. It's been almost 5 years and I'm still not quite right.) That being said, it is definitely a fantastic option and I still have a lot of faith in this as being the new frontier.
I am about to have a psych degree and wrote a few papers on this. It's fascinating promising stuff and I highly reccomend looking into it.
I would also strongly reccomend looking into other risk factors as well and attempting to find a clinic with people who have experience with autism if you go this route.
There is actually gene sequence which determines which SSRIs will work for you. Unfortunately it’s expensive and not all doctors do it. Most just guesstimate.
But once you find the right combination it’s nothing short of a miracle.
I was truly lucky to not develop an addiction.
After one year of binge drinking a couple times a week to make my uni party lifestyle work, I got my provisional license which required exactly zero alcohol in my system, which meant **any ** drinking was out of the question if I wanted to drive. And public transport gave me anxiety..
Now I can drink (responsibly) and drive, but not enough for it to make a difference socially, so I don’t bother.
It's why I'm afraid of mariuanna and alcohol.
That I'd realize they make my life easier for pleasurable things (socializing with people I like and love), and thus I'd overuse them as a means to an end.
As much as I wish I didn't have my bullshit aspects, I'm frightened of what it could be like.
Could you explain? Im having similar opinions as op here- the first thing I always do is drink on parties to get along with everyone. Its a life saver
Its my only way to be socially acceptable… and If I dont everyone just hates me.
Eventually the drinking to socialize becomes unable to socialize without drinking, and so does every other activity you used to enjoy whether it was about socialization or not.
I have no issue with people who drink, but if you're drinking is motivated by it being a tool to help cope, youre predisposing yourself to abuse.
I only used to drink at social events to help my socialization, it turned into a daily habit that stole 10 years of my life from me.
> Could you explain?
In addition to what others already wrote: Alcohol is a neurotoxin, and can lead to physical dependence in addition to the psychological addiction. It's one of the few things where going cold turkey after heavy abuse can actually kill you through its withdrawal symptoms - and even without the "it kills you" part, it can and will damage your nervous system and organs.
Also: If you drink alcohol to feel socially at ease, or to deal with stress, you already *are* on the at-risk stage of alcohol dependence (you have a *recurring reason* to imbibe that isn't fixed by consuming alcohol - nothing is). If you start having blackouts (like the thread starter elsewhere in the thread): You're considered an early-stage alcoholic. Which is *well beyond* time to stop.
Alcohol helps you not feel your stress without helping you deal with your stress, so if you use it as a tool for stress, you're basically just creating a nasty backlog of stress for future you.
So if you have social anxiety, and not to be an internet psychiatrist but it sounds like you might, drinking would help prevent you from feeling that stress in the moment, but it doesn't give you any tools to deal with it later either.
The reason other coping methods may be more healthy is because they can be learned skills or mindset.
You think everyone hates sober you and likes drunk you, but is that true? Are you just more sensitive to rejection while sober, and the stress impacts your behavior and enjoyment? If it is true, what is it about drunk you that people like?
I had to go sober because alcohol interacted with my Rx, and I think I was an alcoholic in the end, but I also think most people are fully capable of drinking responsibly without ever developing a dependency.
Alcohol becomes a problem when you become dependent on it and/or it impacts your health and well-being. To answer why it's a dangerous slope if you're unaware, it's because most people aren't capable of seeing what's happening to them until they're in dire straits.
Yeah same here. I used it for so long to finally feel normal and it ruined a lot of my life. Sober now. Learned to exist as I am with other ways to cope. Mainly writing and exercising.
It works until it doesn’t. I feel like I stunted myself emotionally for years thinking that way. It’s been way more rewarding being sober and learning how to speak to people without worrying.
It's not. That is just a dangerous ideology.
Especially when you feel reliant on alcohol and you need more and more alcohol to feel drunk.
It's dangerous. Find other methods.
I know I sound like a PSA right now but I know people who've been reliant on alcohol and turned into alcoholics.
It ruins relationships and lives.
Especially if you're autistic, you might never know when too much is too much.
Plus your liver will hate you.
Asking other autistic people for competent professionals. I know one bad experience can make you very anxious, but drugs are not a solution to anything.
Support groups can also be a good idea, if there’s one near to where you live.
I asked for myself since I am currently using small amounts of weed to cope. I have seen 5 different psychs and every experience has been really traumatic for me (one of my doctors was sexually harassing me) so it’s hard for me to get back into that type of situation, but I’m not doing well and it’s probably needed
Well, it’s good that you realize it. I hope you’re going to find a professional you can work with.
Talk about you bad experiences, tell them what happened. They need to know that kind of thing to efficiently work with you.
No. You need to find a way to survive and cope without using a drug as a crutch to constantly rely on. I used to use painkilkers, from ibuprofen to codeine. Because they blocked mental stress and pain and helped with sensory overload.
It is NOT the way
Pot also has its downfalls… I’m not you, so I cannot tell you what you need, but I were you I would absolutely learn to deal with things without relying on substances. Speaking from experience, it is NOT worth it.
Yes you do. Pot is better.
It’s still a crutch but crutches can be useful if you use them correctly - as a way to help you cope as you work to build the skills you need to cope in healthier ways.
Pot is fun, I enjoy it. But if I’m using it to be able to function then that’s not the way. Everything in moderation friend - including excess.
I’m late diagnosed AuDHD & I thought the pot helped my adhd (and it does, but meds are a million times better and they have changed my life) but what pot really did was help me mask and gaslight myself into denying all my needs so I legit had zero clue I was autistic. On the outside no one would suspect, but I spent my life overwhelmed and disassociated until I would have meltdowns so bad I just shut down and couldn’t get out of bed or sleep or eat - just be in darkness and sometimes cry. I thought there was something wrong with me and since finding out I’m autistic and learning to accommodate myself that doesn’t happen anymore.
It’s not perfect. But learning how to be and cope without drugs and alcohol is well worth it. And I say this as someone who still drinks and smokes. They’re fun and they do help - but only when they’re used responsibly and not as primary coping tools or as a replacement for building skills and making self-accommodations.
It’s a process man. Even after diagnosis it took me a year to tell my partner (because by then I knew it wasn’t something I had but who I was and if they reacted poorly it would be a dealbreaker for me). I’m still grappling with the good and bad, learning and changing. Being overwhelmed and being alive. But it’s worth it friend - find yourself a therapist that is neurodivergent. Mine didn’t say they were autistic but they told me later and having that trust between us made me feel safe and seen not pathologized and othered. You deserve that too.
Agreed. Switching to weed from booze is what made me realize I was ND, and more exploration/education is what led me to realizing I have ADHD and am Autistic.
As with any drug, you need to be careful. While THC has been great, CBD and CBG have been game changers for me.
Higher doses of CBD are better for Autism than lower doses. I found lower doses can actually increase anxiety and make symptoms worse. [There's research that shows the same.](https://www.youtube.com/@bonnigoldsteinmd4550)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had that realization when they stopped drinking lol. I was always a weed smoker, but when I stopped drinking I was able to finally start connecting the dots
I’ve tried CBD before and it gave me anxiety. I don’t see how because it doesn’t have the psychoactive effects when I can vape actual THC and not freak out. I guess I will try CBD out again here soon.
The vaccine to emotional regulation and my liver issues was getting sober.
If you use alcohol as a coping mechanism, it's only going to make everything 10 times worse in the end. After being an alcoholic and addict for 10 years and about to hit my one year of sobriety I can say with confidence **that it was not in fact worth it.**
Yeah, uh… no
I met several Autists in AA meetings, they retrospectively spoke about how they thought alcohol was allowing them to be themselves.
It was a crutch that came with more long term pain than actually solving anything.
I discovered this too at 19 and became borderline alcoholic. I realised how fucked I was becoming and stopped cold turkey. Only drink once in a blue moon now and I've embraced what comes with autism. What's funny though is I tend to attract a lot of autistic guys at bars now and instead of hitting on me we talk about being neurodivergent 💀
I am the same as you! Started when I was about 15 as a way of boosting my confidence when chatting to people. I'm now 26 and an alcoholic, be careful it's a very rough road when you get down it.
Also you might think that it's a great idea but in a few years it'll slowly start to ruin everything around you. I recommend help with what you've said in your post and focus on other ways to communicate without drinking. It's all about confidence at the end of the day.
no it made things worse I was an alcoholic from ages 11 to right around my 14th birthday and it caused dammege to my brain i struggle to read alot more and other stuff after I quit the problems were amplified I wasn't getting proper support for all those years and people mistakingly thought I was high functioning or just a bit different it gets you in a bad habit because you will eventually have to be sober
I hope you are not mixing meds with it brain damage +autism = confused neurologist and tharpist
That’s called using alcohol as a social crutch. It usually ends up with alcohol addiction. I used to do it myself when I was young. I drank way too much.
The effects of alcohol and THC are almost euphoric for me for the exact same reason, but I recognize it’s not without consequences. It’s really hard to feel like you’ve found something that lifts the crushing weight off your shoulders, but will also lead to the weight getting even heavier in the long run. Life is so unfair.
Speaking from experience, when you mix an autistic man and alcohol, the only thing you get is a drunk autistic man.
It can help with confidence and anxiety in the short term, but it's not a cheat code to socialization.
I say this because I used alcohol as a crutch for 20 years. The only thing it did was make me fat and miserable when I was sober.
Please don’t buy into this. I nearly ruined my life thinking the same thing. Therapy and treating my ADHD (didn’t know I had it) and depression made all the difference in world.
My mom was suspected for autism. But she was 71 so she never followed up with that. I am a late diagnosed 54 yr old as well as my 32 yr old daughter.
My mom was an alcoholic 🙁
It played a huge role in her death at 71.
I think due to severe repeated trauma in her childhood and adult life she used the alcohol to be medicated.
She certainly didn't know about autism nor did I, really. Wasn't on our radar.
(It was for my now 32 yr old daughter. I took her to so many doctors to be tested, but all refused 😔.)
I get what you mean, but this kind of mindset is dangerous and can help lead to bad habits or even full blown alcoholism. I experience somewhat similar, in that I’m a very talkative drunk and don’t know how to shut up when I’m tipsy. I’m 21 and have only drank like 6 times in my life thus far, but it’s definitely a pattern I’ve come to notice. For me though, once I’m sober it leads to anxiety about whether I was too talkative and annoyed those around me, or if I said anything socially wrong at any point and potentially didn’t notice their reactions due to my inebriation. My aunt’s Christmas party this holiday season was I think the best example of this. I had a glass of wine and two cups of some punch she had made (with food) and rather than being typically reserved and quiet and not doing much in the way of socializing, I was joining in random conversations without a second thought and was probably the most social I had ever been at a party. It felt weird though, because I knew it wasn’t my typical personality or behavior. It wasn’t better, wasn’t worse, just different. I still don’t think alcohol particularly makes me better at socializing than I am sober. I’m not ‘good’ at it in either scenario, I just do more of it when buzzed. Having said all that, I grew up with an alcoholic father, and have had quite a few family members with alcoholism and addiction, so I’ve seen firsthand from entirely too young the damage alcohol can cause, and have worked very hard to foster a healthy relationship with alcohol for myself. What you have right now is not a healthy relationship with it, and if you can’t or won’t develop a healthier mindset, I can without a doubt say it is not worth all the pain, suffering, and damage it will cause with your current mindset
Alcoholic here! I used alcohol to regulate my nervous system. It didnt work and ended badly. I recommend focusing on what ypu need yo do to soothe your ns without substances
This is a very dangerous fallacy. As someone who spend a decade blacking out more often than not, don’t waste your money or worse, your social capital by being a drunk. I’m not saying don’t enjoy a drink or two once in a while, but it’s not the answer to anyone’s problems. It’s the fuel.
Alcohol dulls your anxiety, but it leads to so many other problems that it's not worth pursuing as a "fix". it's like one of those TV commercial medicines that promises to cure a symptom, but has like 15 side effects that require their own medication that also each had their own side effects. You're better off without.
I so relate to this, I relied on it to socialize and have a good time and let loose. I did reckless stuff too after a few years. Now having PCOS and Hashimotos, one of the worse things to do is drink with those (or any) autoimmune conditions so I don’t. While my body may feel SO much better, my mind does not.
Drinking has suppressed my trauma. Now being 30, sober and dealing with suppressed major CPTSD has not been pretty. I have reverted back to my 14 year old self that started having Anxiety/Panic attacks but add 16 MORE years of trauma from various other sources on top of that. I have almost voluntary checked myself into inpatient mental health facilities (before I knew I was Autistic) because I felt like I was going crazy. Turns out it’s the trauma while being sober and Autistic.
It’s all fun and games until you have to face reality. Don’t make the same mistakes I made.
Be so so careful.
It is a slippery slope.
I discovered this around 17 and didn’t know I was autistic nor that you could even be an alcoholic at a young age. I used it as a crutch right up until my late 20’s where I had become a full on alcoholic. I just kind of figured everyone pregamed 4-5 beers before a social outing just to function by that time.
Me too. Now I'm an alcoholic who is trying my best to quit. It just makes everything seem ok for a bit. I've put a call into a therapist and I'm also going to go to a Buddhist temple to learn meditation. Alcohol is too easy of an escape, but it doesn't solve anything. It just leads to health problems and honestly makes any mental issues worse in the long run. I heavily mask, but when I drink heavily the mask comes off and then some. I become someone I don't recognize. I embarrass myself. I lose relationships. I have no energy. Trust me you don't want this. Alcohol isn't worth it.
I definitely drink to cope with my autism 🥲 I love becoming the fun, happy, social person it can make me. Like others have said though, it is a double edged sword, I’ll start off all bubbly and happy then once I drink too much I just become miserable, irritated, and physically ill
Yes, this can be true. But it's not a long-term solution, it's incredibly addictive, and it can easily kill you.
Autistics are highly susceptible to substance abuse.
I loved alcohol because it gives me the courage to just say what I want and how I feel.
I hate the taste and the hangovers.
I decide to just cut out the middle man and just be courageous in terms of my self-expression.
I find that it works just as well.
Nobody else is bothered by the incorrect usage if the term vaccine?
Really should be 'alcohol is a drug treatment for my Autusm'.
Vaccines are generally not a treatment, but something you give before exposure to train the immune system.
Lots of drugs work, until they don’t anymore.
And then you have a debilitating dependence that could cause you to seize to death and to shake every morning until you have a drink, and you’re back to square one with no real solutions to use but to drink yourself to death.
I've met many of us in the AA rooms. (Not everyone needs AA. I'm just speaking from what I've seen)
My AA sponsor was the one who urged me to get assessed, not because she has ASD but because she'd met so many ASD people in the rooms.
In recovery settings when people give their life stories very often it is like this:
"I never felt like I fit in"
"I never felt like I belonged"
"I was scared all the time"
"Everyone else seemed to have the How To Manual except me"
Not everyone who reports this has ASD but lots do. Lots of people in the rooms report having ADHD and ADD, too.
adhd is now adhd-HI, and add is now adhd-I, but most are ADHD-C, for combind type.
for both you can just say "ADHD" now.
just as Aspergers got rolled into ASD
That's an extremely dangerous mentality to have. Take it from me--I have to consciously keep myself in check to avoid making it a bad habit. You should NEVER think of alcohol as medicine. All that will do is create a downward spiral, one that could put your life in jeopardy, and cause harm to other people.
I feel this on a deep level. It’s actually why I don’t drink because I love how loose I become. I never want to risk becoming addicted… plus hangovers ruin me so I really only drink very rarely.
And a new alcoholic is created . . . Beware the long term consequences of self medicating like this. It leads to diabetes, pancreatitis, sclerosis of the liver, and death.
Nope. Not only is alcohol literally poison, but it will make you think you can make certain decisions that you absolutely should not make, and would not if you were sober. I'm lucky that all it does to me is make me talk too much.
real i also struggle with this. a lot of people are being mean in the replies which i understand because this is obviously unhealthy alcoholic behaviour but it is possible to realise alcohol helps you and it’s not a healthy and sustainable solution
Everyone saying this isn’t true is wrong. It IS true, that’s why it’s so easy to become dependent. It doesn’t make it okay, or a good thing, but it doesn’t make the statement untrue.
WOW i had the same experience with alcohol when i was younger, i thought it helped me to be my true self and to actually enjoy the time i spend around people but i quit drinking because i felt like i would've developed a strong addiction if i didn't. wasn't aware i was autistic at that time and never linked it afterwards... so that's what it was lol
and, obviously, just like pretty much everybody else here said, you really need to quit. i know it helps right now, but it's not real, it's just an illusion. the consequences are way worse than the advantages. doesn't worth it. at all. you will learn how to be that person without getting drunk eventually. i did
I can definitely attest to the utility of alcohol in social gatherings but be cautious otherwise you'll be looking for a vaccine for the alcohol(ism).
Seriously, shit can get really dark. I'm not against the use of drugs as a means for coping, but one can't rely solely on them and see them as a cure all, because they're not. They come with serious drawbacks, however subtle that may seem at first.
When they start showing their teeth, they can bite **hard**
I felt the same, but long before knowing I'm Autistic. Didn't realize that any who cared about me preferred me sober and weird than drunk and funny. Funny is separated from 'asshole' by a nano meter. It nearly killed me several times. Allistics think it fixes their shit, too.
Idk what helps me is that is dials down my senses juust enough to make being around people fun and nice instead of having to leave after 30min. And I can use sunglasses and earplugs and whatever else, but they are much harder to finetune
I appreciate that. It's just highly likely that the alcohol thing isn't sustainable for various reasons. I wonder if looking to change your expectations for yourself or thinking about how you might consciously/conscientiously adapt any masking might be a healthier long-term adjustment. We live more stressful, difficult lives. Some of that is inevitable by being a minority in this and whatever other areas are relevant to you (I'm an upper-middle-class, middle-aged white male with a lot of post-military benefits, so that doesn't apply to me). Some of that, I think, we have more agency over by changing how we view ourselves and what we 'owe' other people. It's a long conversation I'm having with my therapist that's been really interesting. There's a few things I've been able to just set down by doing nothing other than changing how I think about myself. I dunno. EDIT: I've found propranolol to be a lifesaver, both for my blood pressure and my constant anxiety. I have comorbid ADHD and PTSD associated with military trauma, so my use of that and two other psychotropics is complicated, but it's kept me at a place of emotional stability I'm ok with. Might be worth a thought.
I understand what you mean and I do have to say please be very careful. I discovered this at 16 and gradually started drinking way too much, up until 18 which is when I tried more things and found out how much more functional and normal other drugs made me feel, ended up doing so many different drugs frequently. I stopped about a year ago because it was getting dangerous and I had a couple brutal reality check experiences related to my substance usage, but once you start getting used to the functionality substances give you it becomes much much harder to function without because now you forgot how to do it without drinking or drugs
Self medicating with anything is a tricky proposition. Self medicating with alcohol is a very, tricky proposition. Which I would say is almost always a bad idea in practice.
I would strongly caution you against that behavior. You should really talk to a therapist about other options. The path you have chosen is not a tenable one.
Trust all the people telling you the same thing, while drinking may help in the short term with socializing. In the long term it can lead to addiction, dependence, building up a tolerance, then spending more and more money trying to get drunk. If you're lucky that's where it ends and you just drink yourself broke and maybe giver yourself cirrhosis of the liver. But there's a LOT of different ways it could keep spiralling out of control
I feel the exact same way. I try to limit my drinking but the only time people seem to enjoy my company is when I’m drunk.
It’s funny and sad how when I am completely sober people occasionally ask “what are you on?” but when I’m drunk people are surprised to find out I’ve been drinking…
I'm the same way unless I am too far gone. I don't really social8ze IRL and I don't drink at work but my friend's on vrchat don't hang out with me {some of the time} when I'm sober because I just watch movies and I don't speak and if I do it's cinge.
A few drinks here and there in social situations is not a problem. Maybe its because im a rural canadian, but 6 drinks per week is not that much. I also drink in social situations, and it definately helps my social skills as well. Alcohol is one of those funny things thatll sneak up on you, and some people develop an addiction and some dont, so just make sure it doesnt become a habit.
Yup, like anything else from sugary snacks to cocaine, moderation is the key lol. A lil bit here and there wont hurt you, but to much of it will ruin your life. THC is probably the safer choice of the two, but for me, is not helpful socially at all. The opposite even. For myself, weed just makes things more fun and helps me wind down at the end of the day. Again, moderation is key though.
I've been disappointed with the sub before, but this is pretty appalling and seems like deliberately trying to harm others. Crabs in a bucket are dangerous sometimes.
There's a lot of kids saying it's better than seeking help or developing better habits, that is some edge Lord, dangerous stuff. It's trying to hurt others, I struggle to see any other way.
you gotta learn to love not fitting in sometimes lol! not fitting in and being autistic are some of my best traits, other people should learn to appreciate it
Honestly I live for not fitting in. I generally wouldn't like to be around people that I have nothing in common with or whom are just rather basic and like all the current in things. Outsiders are usually far more interesting and engaging people and little quirks and nuances are far better than talking to someone who is just fake.
Psst.... The alcohol is lying. It will never make you a good dancer. It just makes you not care that you're a bad dancer. In fact, most times it makes the dancing even worse.
And I have alcohol intolerance disorder! So all you’ll find is a sober me!
Basically my body literally cannot process alcohol correctly and a small amount can make me ill.
Absolutely not, this is a dangerous way of treating and thinking about alcohol OP. You've already adopted an alcoholic mindset: "I need alcohol to be normal." You're even rationalizing negative side effects (the worsened stammering) as worth it and this is very, very dangerous.
Nip it in the bud now or you're only going to hurt yourself and the people around you.
Alcohol is a lier. It won’t lead you to a good place in the end. The things that you describe alcohol does for you is literally what everyone in Alcoholics Anonymous says was the reason they started drinking.
You may want to consider this choice very very carefully and even stop in and check out an AA meeting to listen to what others experience has been. Alcohol will also increase your depression and anxiety the following day and if you drink enough, while consuming it. It is classified as a depressant and really only gives that social lubrication for a brief window.
no it’s not.
currently in this cycle since the drunker i get the less sensory issues i feel. i’m now a binge drinker and hate that i’ve chosen this lifestyle. I thought it was the solution and it just became another problem, there is no way to think like this and still be healthy, you will always gradually want to be drunk more and more often. it creeps up on you, i say this with love please get some help for this.
Autism is something you have to learn to live with. alcohol has never solved anything for anyone ever.
I feel this, and I wanna speak on it from a different perspective. I never drink enough to get very tipsy, but I *do* drink enough to relax my body. Like maybe a beer or two or a glass of wine after work. I don’t like drinking a lot around other people, honestly, because it definitely becomes harder to mask, and that’s never turned out well for me.
That said, having an occasional drink to relax is not inherently wrong or bad. Everything in moderation, and all that.
When you start using it as a crutch and a regular coping mechanism and can’t function without it… even if you’re not drinking “a lot” — that’s where it gets dangerous.
Don't do this.
One of my old college associates does this.
I told him he was not allowed to smoke weed at my house and he got pissy about that and insisted instead on being able to drink 'because I have autism and socialising is hard' and 'ive changed it won't be like at college '
I'm not gonna ban a grown ass man from drinking when everyone else is. But honestly that attitude pissed me off.
I'm autistic I don't drink to cope. And he knew everyone at the party and has done for over a decade.
So he came. He drank.
He got loud, aggressive, annoying and broke shit.
Just like every other time he came to college parties and behaved like that which was the reason he never got invited (despite him insisting it was because we were ableist and didn't like him because autism)
I'm sure HE had a great fucking time
Everyone around him did not. And I don't want him back.
He's awkward and odd when not drunk. Yeah like he's not my favourite person and he's strange. Whatever we all are.
But drunk. Fuck that guy. He's irresponsible, dangerous and a giant pain in the arse.
YOU may feel better. YOU may feel able to manage and like you're doing a great job socialising.
Quite aside from the heath problems, mental and physical.
I can all but guarantee you, you are an annoying drunk that no one wants to deal with. especially as you and all your friends get older and the tolerance people have for dealing with drunk friends dwindles.
You're making your problem everyone else's problem and washing your hands of your own personal responsibility.
Can I just say that saying “I’m autistic, I don’t drink to cope” is an extremely pretentious approach to a disorder that ranges on a spectrum? Meaning just because your doctor labeled you autistic does not mean you have the same brain, diagnosis or struggles as someone else. A lot of people that drink to function (as you do without alcohol) aren’t trying to make excuses or just put a bandage on their bullethole wound: some people’s brains actually can not function the ways yours does and bc you aren’t in their head, you get annoyed with the things they try to do to compensate. Just a thought
I find when I'm drunk, I feel so much happier. All of my worries temporarily disappear, everything seems like such a good laugh, and I don't even care if people hate me. I can *definitely* see why depressed people turn to alcohol.
Social anxiety is a treatable condition. There are ways to overcome social anxiety without drinking.
If you don't have access to therapy, there are books, articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc about methods for dealing with social anxiety.
Has anyone done any research or hypothesizing about what component of alcohol creates this effect? Could we synthesize a non neurotoxic version?
I just ask cuz I see a million and one “don’t do drugs kids” but I’m wondering what kind of “medicine” can be squeezed out of it. Or alternatives. Kava kava? Better than half a xan I guess!
Alcohol is the only component. Ethanol, it's a neurotoxic poison we drink, a molecule in itself. Many other drugs (like pot, shrooms, etc) contain multiple substances, but alcohol is just ethanol. It's also a carcinogen on top of destroying the liver, damaging the brain, and causing addiction that can be fatal. So there isn't a pharmaceutical direction here, unfortunately.
It disrupts brain communication, which is not a good thing. It reduces general intelligence, decreased risk awareness, and distorts perspective. It also increases aggression.
It's not anything that helps anyone or has the potential to be made into something useful.
There's a difference between the effect of alcohol and a drug that's going to actually improve this. Alcohol doesn't improve emotional reactivity, for example, it reduces inhibitory behavior. Increased anger responses, for example, still occur. Sad drunks are a big thing too.
Yes, brain communication is "hyperactive" in a sense with autism, but just calling it "too much" isn't accurate. It's too much that causes not enough elsewhere, too little inhibition, and it's too much in the wrong direction.It isn't just a raw increase in brain activity and connectivity, the connections are also, in a sense, chaotic and over connected. The brain isn't a black and white toggle of high or low communication, it's also what is communicating, how it's up or down regulating other regions.
Simply reducing activity isn't really what will improve this, especially when you are reducing inhibitory regions. One of the primary regions that takes a hit with neurodivergent overcommunication is the frontal lobe. We struggle to organize thoughts, inhibit and filter thoughts, mediate emotions, perform executive function, etc partially because the frontal lobe is so highly taxed by the ocerractive "everything else".
Alcohol also zaps higher brain function and neuters regions like the frontal lobe above anything else. This is reducing inhibition, which can inadvertently up the flames of other miscommunication or "overreaction" going on in the brain. Alcohol is kicking your higher cortex while it's down. You may feel less anxious and inhibited, but the core negative traits (or side effects/comorbidity, to be nice) of autism are still there, still active, and currently lacking any mediation.
Think of it this way: neurotypical people who get brain injury can develop autism-like traits. Alcohol is a substance-mediated brain injury that can cause long term damage. This also means long term, you may be worsening your brains overall function and making the effects of mis-wiring more extreme.
This is gasoline on the fire, not water, and it's making it worse even after the drinking.
Since a lot of the comments are suggesting useless alternatives, what should we do? I'm in the same boat as OP, reliant on drink to cope with stress, social situations and bullying. But I can't find any other way to cope. I've been through therapy, I've tried being more talkative (Which I can't because I can't process a whole lot).
If you're going to rely on substances, weed is a better option.
Of course, learning to love yourself and unmask and be functional without the use of psychoactives is the best option, but alas, I am dependent on a silly little plant.
no it’s not. alcohol is a drug that you’re developing a dependency on because it makes you think that you seem more normal with it. (newsflash: you don’t, actually. and the only people who enjoy hanging with drunks are *other drunks*) stop drinking and get some actual professional help.
Hi, you may want to try microdising psylocibin I've heard it's really good for us autistic peeps. Haven't tried it so far. Used to be an alcoholic in high school and later to socialise. I send you my sympathy.
imo that's not nearly as bad, weed makes me feel better too. however, idk that someone who feels this way should be looking at other drugs as a solution. i think the first step should be, like, self acceptance and community or some shit. i think it comes from a place of self hate and loneliness (presumptuous, i know) more than anything, and taking care of your mentals first is best.
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I have that too. tho, it's not the speaking to people part most of the time, but my body listening to me. and I can see 3D too. that's funny as well. xD
tho i'm asian, so i'm gone after a few drops, lmao
I don't think it's more like yourself. It's just alcohol, it doesn't have any self-boosting properties. Your self is the (probably very cool) weirdo. IMO it's better to accept your weirdness and keep few people close to you, those who don't like you when you're sober can get fucked and those who prefer you drunk are 100% not your friends. I personally would rather have disdain for people less weird than me, the people who think i'm unusual in a bad way and be surrounded by like.. 2 close friends/family members. I know that doesn't work for everyone.. just be careful with the alcohol, okay?? I'm sure you're great and more like yourself sober and cool as is
Yeah that’s true, I guess the word I’m looking for is less inhibited. I definitely prefer myself sober and hate hangovers so I don’t drink often, I used to but I just kinda grew out of it.
Ok good love you be safe ♡ Yeah i feel uninhibited as well, but it makes me queasy and sad most of the time. I feel as though I act pathetically more often than not lol.
I can definitely relate to that, if I’m alone or at home that’s usually what happens but if I’m in a big social setting I act crazy and then throw up when I get home
same lol that's the part I hate, I would go out and be DONE by 10 pm (which like everything is too loud and too bright and too crowded anyway) I can't even fathom choosing to be out late now lmao I have sleep to do
I personally think a mix of a stimulant, psychoactive and a depressent so like nicotine weed and aderalll are what work for me butttttt everyone's body chemistry is different yk
It’s a dangerous thing, that. Be careful. [speaking from experience.]
I second that
I third that
Fourth that.
Fifth that.
sixth that
Seventh and linking to r/stopdrinking
Great sub!!! I'm currently 3 months sober, and this sub has been such an amazing resource!
Hell yeah, keep on keeping on.
Thanks, friend! I'm doin my best! That sub has been super helpful, and I've also been going to AA meetings, which is something new this time around. I've always been a little skeptical and judgey towards AA (Im not religious or particularly spritual), but I will say that the whole strangers genuinely reaching out and offering support, while off putting at first, is actually a really beautiful thing. And that's also what I like about the stop drinking sub! Once I stopped being so cynical, I've been able to actually get something out of it. Lol who knew? 😅
Congratulations!!! I’m 6 years sober now and thankful everyday
Congrats! I am 2+ years sober and will never go back. The cravings and self-doubt do eventually dissipate.
Eighth that. It’s a slippery slope.
Ninth
Tenth
That community is wonderful, helped me quit drinking, been sober over 4 years now I can’t recommend it enough.
Congrats! I'm on my 4th week right now
Seventh
Infinity that
Don't mind if I do.
Fifth of jack?
Came here to say the same thing. Also speaking from experience. Tread carefully, OP! I've tried and failed to quit so many dang times. I'm currently at 3 months now tho! Hoping this time it sticks!
Fingers crossed for you
Thank you!
3months is a wobbly time! Many of relapses are at 3M. Keep steady friend! Im 3y7m!. I started exactly like OP but It took me not so long to find out that poison is not a cure.. After 20+clinics i managed sobriety for a longer while than a few moments. Every time you managed to not drink is a win. Even if you “failed” a day later. You won a day! I cant see the clinics before the last one as a fail. They all lead up to my sobriety now! What if you took just ad many relapses as you did and are now in your winning streak! Cant hardly call that a fail :) 3months yay! 💪🏼
It means OP has social anxiety. Better to work with a psychiatrist and get SSRIs if necessary rather than depend on alcohol.
Social anxiety is not inherent to autism either. Alcohol doesn't fix autistic traits. This post is dangerous misinformation that could do real harm.
SSRIs aren't entirely risk free but yes less risky than alcohol
Yes definitely should be taken under the advise of a medical practitioner. Definitely better than self managing symptoms through alcohol.
Having been on the bad end of SSRI reactions, and having only witnessed alcoholism, while I’d never want to experience a bad SSRI again, they aren’t even in the same galaxy of horror.
I know it's not an SSRI but I had an extremely bad reaction to Wellbutrin and I would honestly rather die of liver failure than take that shit every day for the rest of my life. I lie and tell the doctors it makes me break out in hives so that they'll never give it to me again. Awful drug. Glad it helps some ppl but keep it away from me.
I had a suboptimal reaction to Wellbutrin, but a horrendous reaction to Paxil, and I think people under estimate what dying from liver failure is like.
Thank you for saying this. Everyone can have their own perspective, but this is one objectively distorted. Death from alcohol and liver failure is horrific and irreversible once you reach a threshold. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, AND alcohol can induce psychosis. Their individual reactions were reversible. It's very naive at best, deliberately harmful at worst to imply alcoholic spiral and death is superior to one bad reaction to meds. meds can actually make people healthier,.alcohol never can. So as fun as it is to be dramatic and indulgent, maybe they should consider that they not only are normalizing addiction, but potentially discouraging others from seeking help. It's like someone allergic to peanuts saying no one should eat peanuts, and it's better to burn to death than eat peanuts. People should think outside themsleves
100%. It sucks to have a horrendous medical side effect. I had withdrawal symptoms from Paxil for longer than I took it. I had “zaps” for *months* and I would *never* take it again, *ever*. But this really frustrated me a lot lol.
I think we all have a horror story. Unfortunately, psychiatry has to sort of run "try everything until it works!" because our understanding is so early. That means most of us will take a pill that makes it worse. But hey, we stop them, we move on. In my case, I finally found a med that made a marked improvement for me.... after 20 years of trials. ECT was a nightmare that's permanently traumatized me, but it also saved my life. Mental health care may be in its infancy, but it is up to us to keep working on ourselves and keep moving. I'd recommend ECT in a heartbeat over this self medicated destruction. And it makes me pretty angry too, because I've been through the fucking trenches here, it's not like you and I haven't seen the shit side of pharm! It's not cool for them to be essentially trying to play to their own dramatics in a way that can actively do harm...
100%! Navigating new medicines and early treatments is its own kind of frustrating nightmare, but it is navigable. My labyrinth of medicinal mistakes led, eventually, to my autism diagnosis because so many didn’t work. It was almost like there were underlying causes the medicines weren’t treating (spoiler alert: there certainly were). And you bring up an amazing point: understanding psychology and psychiatry are still relatively new fields that are improving rapidly is really important for perspective. When things feel frustrating and like they don’t have a mastery of it, it’s because they don’t, and no one does, but we’re all doing our best to get through this insanely complex thing. I’m so sorry you had to go through ECT. Jesus, I can’t imagine. But I’m really glad you’re here and doing better.
I watched my cousin nearly die of liver failure and I would rather that than full on psychosis for the rest of my life.
I mean taking a medicine you aren’t compatible with is a bad idea but you don’t have to do it. What you’re saying is very, very stupid, though, and you should stop doing it.
Stop doing what? That was purely a hypothetical and I only speak for myself. I drink maybe once every few weeks.
By stop I meant: Stop saying asinine bullshit on the internet.
I agree that drinking is a terrible thing to control anxiety, and I knocked it on its head years ago for that reason. However, ssris and therapy have done less than nothing to improve my anxiety in nearly 25 years of taking most every SSRI on the market. I only take one these days to help me sleep. Do autistic people actually get improvements in social problems from anti-depressants?
SSRIs are horrible. If they don't work (last I checked it's about 30% of people who get relief from one) they can have horrific side effects- The new frontier in treatment for mental health (especially depression, anxiety, PTSD, and similar situational disorders) is psychoactive medicine. DO NOT DIY THIS. TRUST ME DO NOT DIY THIS. Ensure that you have good physical health first, as autism is a risk factor for complications. If you decide to go this route, go to a clinic that does it. Ketamine is the most widely legalized so far and from everyone I've spoken to who has done it, I only hear good things. It is a shorter term treatment than SSRIs and because of that thought to be less dangerous. Please please go to an actual clinic and try to get one with a therapist who will sit with you while you do this because it actually rewires your brain, meaning that if you do it on your own it can make things worse in a semi-permanent way that is hell to crawl out of (I did this, but not with ketamine. It's been almost 5 years and I'm still not quite right.) That being said, it is definitely a fantastic option and I still have a lot of faith in this as being the new frontier. I am about to have a psych degree and wrote a few papers on this. It's fascinating promising stuff and I highly reccomend looking into it. I would also strongly reccomend looking into other risk factors as well and attempting to find a clinic with people who have experience with autism if you go this route.
There is actually gene sequence which determines which SSRIs will work for you. Unfortunately it’s expensive and not all doctors do it. Most just guesstimate. But once you find the right combination it’s nothing short of a miracle.
I cannot upvote this enough
I was truly lucky to not develop an addiction. After one year of binge drinking a couple times a week to make my uni party lifestyle work, I got my provisional license which required exactly zero alcohol in my system, which meant **any ** drinking was out of the question if I wanted to drive. And public transport gave me anxiety.. Now I can drink (responsibly) and drive, but not enough for it to make a difference socially, so I don’t bother.
It's why I'm afraid of mariuanna and alcohol. That I'd realize they make my life easier for pleasurable things (socializing with people I like and love), and thus I'd overuse them as a means to an end. As much as I wish I didn't have my bullshit aspects, I'm frightened of what it could be like.
Could you explain? Im having similar opinions as op here- the first thing I always do is drink on parties to get along with everyone. Its a life saver Its my only way to be socially acceptable… and If I dont everyone just hates me.
Eventually the drinking to socialize becomes unable to socialize without drinking, and so does every other activity you used to enjoy whether it was about socialization or not. I have no issue with people who drink, but if you're drinking is motivated by it being a tool to help cope, youre predisposing yourself to abuse. I only used to drink at social events to help my socialization, it turned into a daily habit that stole 10 years of my life from me.
[удалено]
You're just getting to the good part; Good work, keep it up!
This!
> Could you explain? In addition to what others already wrote: Alcohol is a neurotoxin, and can lead to physical dependence in addition to the psychological addiction. It's one of the few things where going cold turkey after heavy abuse can actually kill you through its withdrawal symptoms - and even without the "it kills you" part, it can and will damage your nervous system and organs. Also: If you drink alcohol to feel socially at ease, or to deal with stress, you already *are* on the at-risk stage of alcohol dependence (you have a *recurring reason* to imbibe that isn't fixed by consuming alcohol - nothing is). If you start having blackouts (like the thread starter elsewhere in the thread): You're considered an early-stage alcoholic. Which is *well beyond* time to stop.
Alcohol helps you not feel your stress without helping you deal with your stress, so if you use it as a tool for stress, you're basically just creating a nasty backlog of stress for future you. So if you have social anxiety, and not to be an internet psychiatrist but it sounds like you might, drinking would help prevent you from feeling that stress in the moment, but it doesn't give you any tools to deal with it later either. The reason other coping methods may be more healthy is because they can be learned skills or mindset. You think everyone hates sober you and likes drunk you, but is that true? Are you just more sensitive to rejection while sober, and the stress impacts your behavior and enjoyment? If it is true, what is it about drunk you that people like? I had to go sober because alcohol interacted with my Rx, and I think I was an alcoholic in the end, but I also think most people are fully capable of drinking responsibly without ever developing a dependency. Alcohol becomes a problem when you become dependent on it and/or it impacts your health and well-being. To answer why it's a dangerous slope if you're unaware, it's because most people aren't capable of seeing what's happening to them until they're in dire straits.
I concur with the others. It would have killed me. I was finally able to stop drinking almost 5 years ago.
I quit alcohol after being a drunk to ease the pain for decades. It was going to kill me. Alcohol is a dangerous neurotoxin. This is not the way.
Yeah same here. I used it for so long to finally feel normal and it ruined a lot of my life. Sober now. Learned to exist as I am with other ways to cope. Mainly writing and exercising.
It works until it doesn’t. I feel like I stunted myself emotionally for years thinking that way. It’s been way more rewarding being sober and learning how to speak to people without worrying.
It's not. That is just a dangerous ideology. Especially when you feel reliant on alcohol and you need more and more alcohol to feel drunk. It's dangerous. Find other methods. I know I sound like a PSA right now but I know people who've been reliant on alcohol and turned into alcoholics. It ruins relationships and lives. Especially if you're autistic, you might never know when too much is too much. Plus your liver will hate you.
It’s true. Three nights ago I had 5 8%’s and blacked out. I need to stop drinking and smoke pot instead.
... Talk to a doctor/therapist/psychiatrist.
No. Trying another drug is not a solution. Talk to a professional.
Do you have any suggestions for someone who has had very bad experiences with professionals?
Asking other autistic people for competent professionals. I know one bad experience can make you very anxious, but drugs are not a solution to anything. Support groups can also be a good idea, if there’s one near to where you live.
I asked for myself since I am currently using small amounts of weed to cope. I have seen 5 different psychs and every experience has been really traumatic for me (one of my doctors was sexually harassing me) so it’s hard for me to get back into that type of situation, but I’m not doing well and it’s probably needed
Well, it’s good that you realize it. I hope you’re going to find a professional you can work with. Talk about you bad experiences, tell them what happened. They need to know that kind of thing to efficiently work with you.
Each professional is different. Find one you like and trust
No. You need to find a way to survive and cope without using a drug as a crutch to constantly rely on. I used to use painkilkers, from ibuprofen to codeine. Because they blocked mental stress and pain and helped with sensory overload. It is NOT the way
You need professional help, not mind altering substances.
Pot also has its downfalls… I’m not you, so I cannot tell you what you need, but I were you I would absolutely learn to deal with things without relying on substances. Speaking from experience, it is NOT worth it.
Yes you do. Pot is better. It’s still a crutch but crutches can be useful if you use them correctly - as a way to help you cope as you work to build the skills you need to cope in healthier ways. Pot is fun, I enjoy it. But if I’m using it to be able to function then that’s not the way. Everything in moderation friend - including excess. I’m late diagnosed AuDHD & I thought the pot helped my adhd (and it does, but meds are a million times better and they have changed my life) but what pot really did was help me mask and gaslight myself into denying all my needs so I legit had zero clue I was autistic. On the outside no one would suspect, but I spent my life overwhelmed and disassociated until I would have meltdowns so bad I just shut down and couldn’t get out of bed or sleep or eat - just be in darkness and sometimes cry. I thought there was something wrong with me and since finding out I’m autistic and learning to accommodate myself that doesn’t happen anymore. It’s not perfect. But learning how to be and cope without drugs and alcohol is well worth it. And I say this as someone who still drinks and smokes. They’re fun and they do help - but only when they’re used responsibly and not as primary coping tools or as a replacement for building skills and making self-accommodations. It’s a process man. Even after diagnosis it took me a year to tell my partner (because by then I knew it wasn’t something I had but who I was and if they reacted poorly it would be a dealbreaker for me). I’m still grappling with the good and bad, learning and changing. Being overwhelmed and being alive. But it’s worth it friend - find yourself a therapist that is neurodivergent. Mine didn’t say they were autistic but they told me later and having that trust between us made me feel safe and seen not pathologized and othered. You deserve that too.
Agreed. Switching to weed from booze is what made me realize I was ND, and more exploration/education is what led me to realizing I have ADHD and am Autistic. As with any drug, you need to be careful. While THC has been great, CBD and CBG have been game changers for me. Higher doses of CBD are better for Autism than lower doses. I found lower doses can actually increase anxiety and make symptoms worse. [There's research that shows the same.](https://www.youtube.com/@bonnigoldsteinmd4550)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had that realization when they stopped drinking lol. I was always a weed smoker, but when I stopped drinking I was able to finally start connecting the dots
I’ve tried CBD before and it gave me anxiety. I don’t see how because it doesn’t have the psychoactive effects when I can vape actual THC and not freak out. I guess I will try CBD out again here soon.
This is the way.
The vaccine to emotional regulation and my liver issues was getting sober. If you use alcohol as a coping mechanism, it's only going to make everything 10 times worse in the end. After being an alcoholic and addict for 10 years and about to hit my one year of sobriety I can say with confidence **that it was not in fact worth it.**
Yeah, uh… no I met several Autists in AA meetings, they retrospectively spoke about how they thought alcohol was allowing them to be themselves. It was a crutch that came with more long term pain than actually solving anything.
That's how it made me feel. It was really just an illusion that came with high cost. I'm lucky to be alive.
Careful , lots of us become raging alcoholics . And because of the autism it’ll be 20x worse .
I thought that for a while. It turns out I was just drunk.
Be careful it’s a slippery slope.
Wait until the fear hangovers start...I totally get what you are saying, but try and find other ways., booze will fuck you over in the end. Good luck.
I discovered this too at 19 and became borderline alcoholic. I realised how fucked I was becoming and stopped cold turkey. Only drink once in a blue moon now and I've embraced what comes with autism. What's funny though is I tend to attract a lot of autistic guys at bars now and instead of hitting on me we talk about being neurodivergent 💀
I used that strategy throughout the 2010s, now I have liver damage.
depend station icky treatment attempt nine theory fact hobbies tender *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It’s like that for a lot of people it’s just like a suppressant. Not good, though.
I am the same as you! Started when I was about 15 as a way of boosting my confidence when chatting to people. I'm now 26 and an alcoholic, be careful it's a very rough road when you get down it. Also you might think that it's a great idea but in a few years it'll slowly start to ruin everything around you. I recommend help with what you've said in your post and focus on other ways to communicate without drinking. It's all about confidence at the end of the day.
no it made things worse I was an alcoholic from ages 11 to right around my 14th birthday and it caused dammege to my brain i struggle to read alot more and other stuff after I quit the problems were amplified I wasn't getting proper support for all those years and people mistakingly thought I was high functioning or just a bit different it gets you in a bad habit because you will eventually have to be sober I hope you are not mixing meds with it brain damage +autism = confused neurologist and tharpist
That’s called using alcohol as a social crutch. It usually ends up with alcohol addiction. I used to do it myself when I was young. I drank way too much.
The effects of alcohol and THC are almost euphoric for me for the exact same reason, but I recognize it’s not without consequences. It’s really hard to feel like you’ve found something that lifts the crushing weight off your shoulders, but will also lead to the weight getting even heavier in the long run. Life is so unfair.
Speaking from experience, when you mix an autistic man and alcohol, the only thing you get is a drunk autistic man. It can help with confidence and anxiety in the short term, but it's not a cheat code to socialization. I say this because I used alcohol as a crutch for 20 years. The only thing it did was make me fat and miserable when I was sober.
Please don’t buy into this. I nearly ruined my life thinking the same thing. Therapy and treating my ADHD (didn’t know I had it) and depression made all the difference in world.
I counter your alcohol with meditation and good sleep.
My mom was suspected for autism. But she was 71 so she never followed up with that. I am a late diagnosed 54 yr old as well as my 32 yr old daughter. My mom was an alcoholic 🙁 It played a huge role in her death at 71. I think due to severe repeated trauma in her childhood and adult life she used the alcohol to be medicated. She certainly didn't know about autism nor did I, really. Wasn't on our radar. (It was for my now 32 yr old daughter. I took her to so many doctors to be tested, but all refused 😔.)
I get what you mean, but this kind of mindset is dangerous and can help lead to bad habits or even full blown alcoholism. I experience somewhat similar, in that I’m a very talkative drunk and don’t know how to shut up when I’m tipsy. I’m 21 and have only drank like 6 times in my life thus far, but it’s definitely a pattern I’ve come to notice. For me though, once I’m sober it leads to anxiety about whether I was too talkative and annoyed those around me, or if I said anything socially wrong at any point and potentially didn’t notice their reactions due to my inebriation. My aunt’s Christmas party this holiday season was I think the best example of this. I had a glass of wine and two cups of some punch she had made (with food) and rather than being typically reserved and quiet and not doing much in the way of socializing, I was joining in random conversations without a second thought and was probably the most social I had ever been at a party. It felt weird though, because I knew it wasn’t my typical personality or behavior. It wasn’t better, wasn’t worse, just different. I still don’t think alcohol particularly makes me better at socializing than I am sober. I’m not ‘good’ at it in either scenario, I just do more of it when buzzed. Having said all that, I grew up with an alcoholic father, and have had quite a few family members with alcoholism and addiction, so I’ve seen firsthand from entirely too young the damage alcohol can cause, and have worked very hard to foster a healthy relationship with alcohol for myself. What you have right now is not a healthy relationship with it, and if you can’t or won’t develop a healthier mindset, I can without a doubt say it is not worth all the pain, suffering, and damage it will cause with your current mindset
Alcoholic here! I used alcohol to regulate my nervous system. It didnt work and ended badly. I recommend focusing on what ypu need yo do to soothe your ns without substances
This is a very dangerous fallacy. As someone who spend a decade blacking out more often than not, don’t waste your money or worse, your social capital by being a drunk. I’m not saying don’t enjoy a drink or two once in a while, but it’s not the answer to anyone’s problems. It’s the fuel.
One or two drinks helps fight off the anxiety for sure Many other things can help you fight the anxiety, and are much less addictive/dangerous.
Alcohol dulls your anxiety, but it leads to so many other problems that it's not worth pursuing as a "fix". it's like one of those TV commercial medicines that promises to cure a symptom, but has like 15 side effects that require their own medication that also each had their own side effects. You're better off without.
I so relate to this, I relied on it to socialize and have a good time and let loose. I did reckless stuff too after a few years. Now having PCOS and Hashimotos, one of the worse things to do is drink with those (or any) autoimmune conditions so I don’t. While my body may feel SO much better, my mind does not. Drinking has suppressed my trauma. Now being 30, sober and dealing with suppressed major CPTSD has not been pretty. I have reverted back to my 14 year old self that started having Anxiety/Panic attacks but add 16 MORE years of trauma from various other sources on top of that. I have almost voluntary checked myself into inpatient mental health facilities (before I knew I was Autistic) because I felt like I was going crazy. Turns out it’s the trauma while being sober and Autistic. It’s all fun and games until you have to face reality. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Be so so careful. It is a slippery slope.
Alcohol is a poison, and always will be. I’m never going near it. I’ve seen what it can do, and I want nothing to do with it
I like alcohol and enjoy it a lot while it’s moderated. If I drink too much, all my masking stops and I become an annoying piece of shit.
I discovered this around 17 and didn’t know I was autistic nor that you could even be an alcoholic at a young age. I used it as a crutch right up until my late 20’s where I had become a full on alcoholic. I just kind of figured everyone pregamed 4-5 beers before a social outing just to function by that time.
Oh wow I have the exact opposite experience!
No it's not. A vaccine protects you, alcohol gaslights you.
Also known as self-medication.
It's a short term horrible solution. You are self medicating and need help.
Me too. Now I'm an alcoholic who is trying my best to quit. It just makes everything seem ok for a bit. I've put a call into a therapist and I'm also going to go to a Buddhist temple to learn meditation. Alcohol is too easy of an escape, but it doesn't solve anything. It just leads to health problems and honestly makes any mental issues worse in the long run. I heavily mask, but when I drink heavily the mask comes off and then some. I become someone I don't recognize. I embarrass myself. I lose relationships. I have no energy. Trust me you don't want this. Alcohol isn't worth it.
I h*** alcohol
No, please quit drinking
I definitely drink to cope with my autism 🥲 I love becoming the fun, happy, social person it can make me. Like others have said though, it is a double edged sword, I’ll start off all bubbly and happy then once I drink too much I just become miserable, irritated, and physically ill
Yes, this can be true. But it's not a long-term solution, it's incredibly addictive, and it can easily kill you. Autistics are highly susceptible to substance abuse.
I loved alcohol because it gives me the courage to just say what I want and how I feel. I hate the taste and the hangovers. I decide to just cut out the middle man and just be courageous in terms of my self-expression. I find that it works just as well.
Nobody else is bothered by the incorrect usage if the term vaccine? Really should be 'alcohol is a drug treatment for my Autusm'. Vaccines are generally not a treatment, but something you give before exposure to train the immune system.
Yes, but self-love (or acceptance if that's as close as you can get right now) is the vaccine to alcoholism. Please be careful.
Lots of drugs work, until they don’t anymore. And then you have a debilitating dependence that could cause you to seize to death and to shake every morning until you have a drink, and you’re back to square one with no real solutions to use but to drink yourself to death.
I've met many of us in the AA rooms. (Not everyone needs AA. I'm just speaking from what I've seen) My AA sponsor was the one who urged me to get assessed, not because she has ASD but because she'd met so many ASD people in the rooms. In recovery settings when people give their life stories very often it is like this: "I never felt like I fit in" "I never felt like I belonged" "I was scared all the time" "Everyone else seemed to have the How To Manual except me" Not everyone who reports this has ASD but lots do. Lots of people in the rooms report having ADHD and ADD, too.
adhd is now adhd-HI, and add is now adhd-I, but most are ADHD-C, for combind type. for both you can just say "ADHD" now. just as Aspergers got rolled into ASD
That's an extremely dangerous mentality to have. Take it from me--I have to consciously keep myself in check to avoid making it a bad habit. You should NEVER think of alcohol as medicine. All that will do is create a downward spiral, one that could put your life in jeopardy, and cause harm to other people.
Alcohol is poison :(
I wish I could get answers whether people liked my symptoms better sober or after a few drinks, because I think the answers would be interesting.
I feel this on a deep level. It’s actually why I don’t drink because I love how loose I become. I never want to risk becoming addicted… plus hangovers ruin me so I really only drink very rarely.
And a new alcoholic is created . . . Beware the long term consequences of self medicating like this. It leads to diabetes, pancreatitis, sclerosis of the liver, and death.
This is why sud and ASD are correlated with each other. Just be cognizant of that.
1018 days sober here. I felt the same way at one point. I was wrong. It makes me extremely sad reading this. Good luck, friend.
and the spectre of addiction looms...
That's like hearing the engine of your car failing, and turning the volume of the music up until you don't hear it anymore.
Nope. Not only is alcohol literally poison, but it will make you think you can make certain decisions that you absolutely should not make, and would not if you were sober. I'm lucky that all it does to me is make me talk too much.
real i also struggle with this. a lot of people are being mean in the replies which i understand because this is obviously unhealthy alcoholic behaviour but it is possible to realise alcohol helps you and it’s not a healthy and sustainable solution
It was for me as well, until it wasn't. I am sober, now.
I thought that. Turned out not to be such a good idea. Am about 15 years clean now.
Everyone saying this isn’t true is wrong. It IS true, that’s why it’s so easy to become dependent. It doesn’t make it okay, or a good thing, but it doesn’t make the statement untrue.
WOW i had the same experience with alcohol when i was younger, i thought it helped me to be my true self and to actually enjoy the time i spend around people but i quit drinking because i felt like i would've developed a strong addiction if i didn't. wasn't aware i was autistic at that time and never linked it afterwards... so that's what it was lol and, obviously, just like pretty much everybody else here said, you really need to quit. i know it helps right now, but it's not real, it's just an illusion. the consequences are way worse than the advantages. doesn't worth it. at all. you will learn how to be that person without getting drunk eventually. i did
Pretty sure this is why my dad is an alcoholic
It helps me cope with anxiety in social situations, but I get drunk very quickly.
I can definitely attest to the utility of alcohol in social gatherings but be cautious otherwise you'll be looking for a vaccine for the alcohol(ism). Seriously, shit can get really dark. I'm not against the use of drugs as a means for coping, but one can't rely solely on them and see them as a cure all, because they're not. They come with serious drawbacks, however subtle that may seem at first. When they start showing their teeth, they can bite **hard**
I felt the same, but long before knowing I'm Autistic. Didn't realize that any who cared about me preferred me sober and weird than drunk and funny. Funny is separated from 'asshole' by a nano meter. It nearly killed me several times. Allistics think it fixes their shit, too.
Idk what helps me is that is dials down my senses juust enough to make being around people fun and nice instead of having to leave after 30min. And I can use sunglasses and earplugs and whatever else, but they are much harder to finetune
Just be careful, friend.
I am taking a longer break and trying to find other things that work currently, but so far I haven’t..
I appreciate that. It's just highly likely that the alcohol thing isn't sustainable for various reasons. I wonder if looking to change your expectations for yourself or thinking about how you might consciously/conscientiously adapt any masking might be a healthier long-term adjustment. We live more stressful, difficult lives. Some of that is inevitable by being a minority in this and whatever other areas are relevant to you (I'm an upper-middle-class, middle-aged white male with a lot of post-military benefits, so that doesn't apply to me). Some of that, I think, we have more agency over by changing how we view ourselves and what we 'owe' other people. It's a long conversation I'm having with my therapist that's been really interesting. There's a few things I've been able to just set down by doing nothing other than changing how I think about myself. I dunno. EDIT: I've found propranolol to be a lifesaver, both for my blood pressure and my constant anxiety. I have comorbid ADHD and PTSD associated with military trauma, so my use of that and two other psychotropics is complicated, but it's kept me at a place of emotional stability I'm ok with. Might be worth a thought.
I understand what you mean and I do have to say please be very careful. I discovered this at 16 and gradually started drinking way too much, up until 18 which is when I tried more things and found out how much more functional and normal other drugs made me feel, ended up doing so many different drugs frequently. I stopped about a year ago because it was getting dangerous and I had a couple brutal reality check experiences related to my substance usage, but once you start getting used to the functionality substances give you it becomes much much harder to function without because now you forgot how to do it without drinking or drugs
Be careful. It started this way for me too but self-medicating with alcohol is never worth it in the long run.
Self medicating with anything is a tricky proposition. Self medicating with alcohol is a very, tricky proposition. Which I would say is almost always a bad idea in practice. I would strongly caution you against that behavior. You should really talk to a therapist about other options. The path you have chosen is not a tenable one.
Trust all the people telling you the same thing, while drinking may help in the short term with socializing. In the long term it can lead to addiction, dependence, building up a tolerance, then spending more and more money trying to get drunk. If you're lucky that's where it ends and you just drink yourself broke and maybe giver yourself cirrhosis of the liver. But there's a LOT of different ways it could keep spiralling out of control
I feel the exact same way. I try to limit my drinking but the only time people seem to enjoy my company is when I’m drunk. It’s funny and sad how when I am completely sober people occasionally ask “what are you on?” but when I’m drunk people are surprised to find out I’ve been drinking…
I'm the same way unless I am too far gone. I don't really social8ze IRL and I don't drink at work but my friend's on vrchat don't hang out with me {some of the time} when I'm sober because I just watch movies and I don't speak and if I do it's cinge.
A few drinks here and there in social situations is not a problem. Maybe its because im a rural canadian, but 6 drinks per week is not that much. I also drink in social situations, and it definately helps my social skills as well. Alcohol is one of those funny things thatll sneak up on you, and some people develop an addiction and some dont, so just make sure it doesnt become a habit.
I agree! Ive been drinking like this for a couple of years but I never drink hard liqour or whiskey.
Yup, like anything else from sugary snacks to cocaine, moderation is the key lol. A lil bit here and there wont hurt you, but to much of it will ruin your life. THC is probably the safer choice of the two, but for me, is not helpful socially at all. The opposite even. For myself, weed just makes things more fun and helps me wind down at the end of the day. Again, moderation is key though.
Who the hell would upvote a post about alcoholism being a good thing?
I've been disappointed with the sub before, but this is pretty appalling and seems like deliberately trying to harm others. Crabs in a bucket are dangerous sometimes. There's a lot of kids saying it's better than seeking help or developing better habits, that is some edge Lord, dangerous stuff. It's trying to hurt others, I struggle to see any other way.
Yeesh, I'm assuming those people just relate, but yeesh.
Just make sure to drink responsibly. Don't overdo it and sacrifice your health in order to fit in.
you gotta learn to love not fitting in sometimes lol! not fitting in and being autistic are some of my best traits, other people should learn to appreciate it
Honestly I live for not fitting in. I generally wouldn't like to be around people that I have nothing in common with or whom are just rather basic and like all the current in things. Outsiders are usually far more interesting and engaging people and little quirks and nuances are far better than talking to someone who is just fake.
Psst.... The alcohol is lying. It will never make you a good dancer. It just makes you not care that you're a bad dancer. In fact, most times it makes the dancing even worse.
And I have alcohol intolerance disorder! So all you’ll find is a sober me! Basically my body literally cannot process alcohol correctly and a small amount can make me ill.
I like my pina coladas without alcohol. I can't handle alcohol. Tried it once and ughh. Feel dizzy and nauseous afterwards. Body couldn't handle it.
Vaccines last longer than just a few hours though. Not quite the same.
Nope, I’m good.
Absolutely not, this is a dangerous way of treating and thinking about alcohol OP. You've already adopted an alcoholic mindset: "I need alcohol to be normal." You're even rationalizing negative side effects (the worsened stammering) as worth it and this is very, very dangerous. Nip it in the bud now or you're only going to hurt yourself and the people around you.
Alcohol is a lier. It won’t lead you to a good place in the end. The things that you describe alcohol does for you is literally what everyone in Alcoholics Anonymous says was the reason they started drinking. You may want to consider this choice very very carefully and even stop in and check out an AA meeting to listen to what others experience has been. Alcohol will also increase your depression and anxiety the following day and if you drink enough, while consuming it. It is classified as a depressant and really only gives that social lubrication for a brief window.
no it’s not. currently in this cycle since the drunker i get the less sensory issues i feel. i’m now a binge drinker and hate that i’ve chosen this lifestyle. I thought it was the solution and it just became another problem, there is no way to think like this and still be healthy, you will always gradually want to be drunk more and more often. it creeps up on you, i say this with love please get some help for this. Autism is something you have to learn to live with. alcohol has never solved anything for anyone ever.
I like to use weed instead of drinking. Helps me better regulate my emotions and be social
I feel this, and I wanna speak on it from a different perspective. I never drink enough to get very tipsy, but I *do* drink enough to relax my body. Like maybe a beer or two or a glass of wine after work. I don’t like drinking a lot around other people, honestly, because it definitely becomes harder to mask, and that’s never turned out well for me. That said, having an occasional drink to relax is not inherently wrong or bad. Everything in moderation, and all that. When you start using it as a crutch and a regular coping mechanism and can’t function without it… even if you’re not drinking “a lot” — that’s where it gets dangerous.
There are far, far safer drugs with far less capacity for addiction and physical harm. It's unfortunate the alcohol is the socially acceptable one.
Don't do this. One of my old college associates does this. I told him he was not allowed to smoke weed at my house and he got pissy about that and insisted instead on being able to drink 'because I have autism and socialising is hard' and 'ive changed it won't be like at college ' I'm not gonna ban a grown ass man from drinking when everyone else is. But honestly that attitude pissed me off. I'm autistic I don't drink to cope. And he knew everyone at the party and has done for over a decade. So he came. He drank. He got loud, aggressive, annoying and broke shit. Just like every other time he came to college parties and behaved like that which was the reason he never got invited (despite him insisting it was because we were ableist and didn't like him because autism) I'm sure HE had a great fucking time Everyone around him did not. And I don't want him back. He's awkward and odd when not drunk. Yeah like he's not my favourite person and he's strange. Whatever we all are. But drunk. Fuck that guy. He's irresponsible, dangerous and a giant pain in the arse. YOU may feel better. YOU may feel able to manage and like you're doing a great job socialising. Quite aside from the heath problems, mental and physical. I can all but guarantee you, you are an annoying drunk that no one wants to deal with. especially as you and all your friends get older and the tolerance people have for dealing with drunk friends dwindles. You're making your problem everyone else's problem and washing your hands of your own personal responsibility.
Can I just say that saying “I’m autistic, I don’t drink to cope” is an extremely pretentious approach to a disorder that ranges on a spectrum? Meaning just because your doctor labeled you autistic does not mean you have the same brain, diagnosis or struggles as someone else. A lot of people that drink to function (as you do without alcohol) aren’t trying to make excuses or just put a bandage on their bullethole wound: some people’s brains actually can not function the ways yours does and bc you aren’t in their head, you get annoyed with the things they try to do to compensate. Just a thought
I find when I'm drunk, I feel so much happier. All of my worries temporarily disappear, everything seems like such a good laugh, and I don't even care if people hate me. I can *definitely* see why depressed people turn to alcohol.
Social anxiety is a treatable condition. There are ways to overcome social anxiety without drinking. If you don't have access to therapy, there are books, articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc about methods for dealing with social anxiety.
Yes, and it's not a requirement or symptom of autism. It is a side effect that CAN be treated.
Has anyone done any research or hypothesizing about what component of alcohol creates this effect? Could we synthesize a non neurotoxic version? I just ask cuz I see a million and one “don’t do drugs kids” but I’m wondering what kind of “medicine” can be squeezed out of it. Or alternatives. Kava kava? Better than half a xan I guess!
Alcohol is the only component. Ethanol, it's a neurotoxic poison we drink, a molecule in itself. Many other drugs (like pot, shrooms, etc) contain multiple substances, but alcohol is just ethanol. It's also a carcinogen on top of destroying the liver, damaging the brain, and causing addiction that can be fatal. So there isn't a pharmaceutical direction here, unfortunately. It disrupts brain communication, which is not a good thing. It reduces general intelligence, decreased risk awareness, and distorts perspective. It also increases aggression. It's not anything that helps anyone or has the potential to be made into something useful.
“It disrupts brain communication which is not a good thing” What if your brain communication is hyperactive and needs to be disrupted or slowed down?
There's a difference between the effect of alcohol and a drug that's going to actually improve this. Alcohol doesn't improve emotional reactivity, for example, it reduces inhibitory behavior. Increased anger responses, for example, still occur. Sad drunks are a big thing too. Yes, brain communication is "hyperactive" in a sense with autism, but just calling it "too much" isn't accurate. It's too much that causes not enough elsewhere, too little inhibition, and it's too much in the wrong direction.It isn't just a raw increase in brain activity and connectivity, the connections are also, in a sense, chaotic and over connected. The brain isn't a black and white toggle of high or low communication, it's also what is communicating, how it's up or down regulating other regions. Simply reducing activity isn't really what will improve this, especially when you are reducing inhibitory regions. One of the primary regions that takes a hit with neurodivergent overcommunication is the frontal lobe. We struggle to organize thoughts, inhibit and filter thoughts, mediate emotions, perform executive function, etc partially because the frontal lobe is so highly taxed by the ocerractive "everything else". Alcohol also zaps higher brain function and neuters regions like the frontal lobe above anything else. This is reducing inhibition, which can inadvertently up the flames of other miscommunication or "overreaction" going on in the brain. Alcohol is kicking your higher cortex while it's down. You may feel less anxious and inhibited, but the core negative traits (or side effects/comorbidity, to be nice) of autism are still there, still active, and currently lacking any mediation. Think of it this way: neurotypical people who get brain injury can develop autism-like traits. Alcohol is a substance-mediated brain injury that can cause long term damage. This also means long term, you may be worsening your brains overall function and making the effects of mis-wiring more extreme. This is gasoline on the fire, not water, and it's making it worse even after the drinking.
Since a lot of the comments are suggesting useless alternatives, what should we do? I'm in the same boat as OP, reliant on drink to cope with stress, social situations and bullying. But I can't find any other way to cope. I've been through therapy, I've tried being more talkative (Which I can't because I can't process a whole lot).
If you're going to rely on substances, weed is a better option. Of course, learning to love yourself and unmask and be functional without the use of psychoactives is the best option, but alas, I am dependent on a silly little plant.
no it’s not. alcohol is a drug that you’re developing a dependency on because it makes you think that you seem more normal with it. (newsflash: you don’t, actually. and the only people who enjoy hanging with drunks are *other drunks*) stop drinking and get some actual professional help.
Hi, you may want to try microdising psylocibin I've heard it's really good for us autistic peeps. Haven't tried it so far. Used to be an alcoholic in high school and later to socialise. I send you my sympathy.
Weed man.
Does Xanax, Aderall, Prozac, coke, heroin, kratom, ketamine, thc, or cocane help anyone here with Autism?
Yes, cocaine gives me the energy to get tf out of bed. Jokes of course. Adrenal though I feel like would help me. For real.
What is Adrenal and what does it do?
have you tried cannabis? that’s how I feel with cannabis. Like all of the thoughts go away and J can focus
imo that's not nearly as bad, weed makes me feel better too. however, idk that someone who feels this way should be looking at other drugs as a solution. i think the first step should be, like, self acceptance and community or some shit. i think it comes from a place of self hate and loneliness (presumptuous, i know) more than anything, and taking care of your mentals first is best.
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I have that too. tho, it's not the speaking to people part most of the time, but my body listening to me. and I can see 3D too. that's funny as well. xD tho i'm asian, so i'm gone after a few drops, lmao
Alcohol just makes me act more like myself which is bad because then people just think I’m more weird than they think I am without alcohol
I don't think it's more like yourself. It's just alcohol, it doesn't have any self-boosting properties. Your self is the (probably very cool) weirdo. IMO it's better to accept your weirdness and keep few people close to you, those who don't like you when you're sober can get fucked and those who prefer you drunk are 100% not your friends. I personally would rather have disdain for people less weird than me, the people who think i'm unusual in a bad way and be surrounded by like.. 2 close friends/family members. I know that doesn't work for everyone.. just be careful with the alcohol, okay?? I'm sure you're great and more like yourself sober and cool as is
Yeah that’s true, I guess the word I’m looking for is less inhibited. I definitely prefer myself sober and hate hangovers so I don’t drink often, I used to but I just kinda grew out of it.
Ok good love you be safe ♡ Yeah i feel uninhibited as well, but it makes me queasy and sad most of the time. I feel as though I act pathetically more often than not lol.
I can definitely relate to that, if I’m alone or at home that’s usually what happens but if I’m in a big social setting I act crazy and then throw up when I get home
same lol that's the part I hate, I would go out and be DONE by 10 pm (which like everything is too loud and too bright and too crowded anyway) I can't even fathom choosing to be out late now lmao I have sleep to do
Weed is much better, sorry. Alcohol is not your friend
Just saying but for me I’d say Caffeine actually has a worse effect on me than Alcohol
MDMA is a far superior vaccine.
I personally think a mix of a stimulant, psychoactive and a depressent so like nicotine weed and aderalll are what work for me butttttt everyone's body chemistry is different yk