Posted by 3 Beer Effect on June 4, 2002, at 1:14:07
In reply to Re: alcohol- in the end it's alcohol that works 4 me, posted by omega man on June 1, 2002, at 23:52:28
I haven't drank since september 11th since weekend binge drinking seems to make me depressed over the long term but all the psychiatric meds i've tried aren't even close to matching the socialbilizing/disinhibiting anxiolytic effects of alcohol.
Klonopin is supposed to be the best medication for social phobia but its anti-anxiety/anxiolytic effects are a joke compared to good old (& much cheaper) alcohol.
As far as health effects, they are often exaggerated to 'scare' social drinkers, especially here in the U.S. Only a small (I think 15%) of chronic/severe alcoholics develop cirrohsis, & those that do average ATLEAST 7 drinks a day for 17 YEARS straight. In many of these patients, cirrhosis develops mainly because of malnutrition. Since alcohol has so many (empty) carbohydrates & calories, these alcoholics stop eating, & become malnourished & vitamin-depleted.
Also, most researchers think that if not too fargone, alcohol's negative effects on cognition are largely reversible over time by abstinence from drinking.
Of course, liver damage is mostly irreversible & the prognosis for cirrhosis is usually either liver transplant or death, but long term abstinence before the onset of cirrohsis can improve the outlook of the patient- the body & the liver have a remarkable ability to regenerate.
I would be more concerned with the exploding Hepatitis C epidemic. Many more people have Hepatitis C in the United States than HIV/Aids. Hepatitis is insidious in that it lies dormant for something like 30 years before symptoms become apparent, & then often its too late & there is no cure. Most at risk for Hepatitis C are IV drug users, but
GETTING A TATOO is a high risk activity for Hepatitis C! Apparently, Tattoo parlors have not figured out how to sterilize their instruments properly & many people are unknowingly contracting Hepatitis C through this route. A person with a Tatoo is 9 times as likely to have Hepatitis C as one who doesn't!So if you have one, or have used IV drugs, get tested for Hepatitis C.
3 Beers...........
poster:3 Beer Effect
thread:106819
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020602/msgs/108606.html