Why do so many people romanticise drinking alcohol during quarantine?

[tallandsweet]

I don't understand why people would drink more during quarantine and then act like that's normal, socially acceptable behaviour.
I don't drink alcohol because I don't like the taste, and since the health risks associated with regularly drinking alcohol are so well documented, I wonder why so many people I used to follow on social media are endorsing drinking during quarantine.

I unfollowed everyone who posted something about "snuggling your bottle of wine into a Zoom call" and whatnot.

Have you noticed the same and if so, why do you think people romanticise drinking during quarantine?

[Jersey2]

Alcohol is basically poison. It is the excrement of microorganisms who have feasted on sugar. That excrement is not processed well by our liver and it causes difficulty in thinking which affects everything in our body from movement to speech to impulse control.

Alcohol has been successfully advertised and sold to us that even intelligent people will pay a lot of money for this waste product which we are told is wonderful and sophisticated when it’s just crap…

[tallandsweet]

This certainly holds a lot of truth.

[exitseven]

The liquor stores are all doing a good business and people have Zoom parties and lots of people use it as an excuse to drink. This is just one more thing that has people screwed up over the last year.

[tallandsweet]

Good point mentioning the Zoom parties, it's such a strange concept to me tbh.

[exitseven]

Me too, but people are just looking for an excuse to drink.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO

[tallandsweet]

You're welcome.

[ChrisMaster69]

A lot of it was bravado and likely a lot referred to doing but never did.

also, quarantine or lockdown, here we had full blown lockdown where you were limited on leaving you house.

everyone was pretty much working from home or furloughed.

running a team that usually works together in person, is harder when split up and at home.

keeping moral going is hard.

we have regular (monthly ish) pizza nights where we all have pizza etc and chat n chill out, yes some have alcohol, it’s not a you must but we do.

it’s all about moderation and looking for anyone putting too much reliance on it.

[Soremain]

Because most people need social contacts and fresh air and when they can't get that it makes them depressed and alcohol numbs that pain. That's completely expected behavior in this circumstance so I don't understand why you think people should act like they are ashamed of it?

[tallandsweet]

This is your opinion, I don't think it's okay to use substance abuse as a coping mechanism though.

[Soremain]

It's not just my opinion, it's very obvious and studied fact. Isolation increases depression, depressed people are more prone to using substances. Very very logical. But to say it's okay or not, is a subjective opinion added on top of an objective fact, which is actually very irrelevant.

And what do you even mean "it's not okay". It's not morally wrong, it's not even illegal (alcohol). Sure it's not healthy, but not wrong. Everyone can decide for themselves how they deal with their depression as long as they don't do anything wrong.

[jennifer_bloom]

I’m thinking they buy into the false beliefs and do not know the facts, I read that 1 in 4 Americans are raise by an alcoholic family member or relative but people do not know that getting drunk is bizarre and unnatural, they think it’s a normal part of life because nobody was around to warm them about the risks.

[tallandsweet]

That makes sense.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont drink nor smoke. A lot of the people doing it in quarantine, did it before quarantine but use the quarantine as an excuse to do it more. Theyre just bored or depressed and what theyre doing is whack. But it they wanna drown their sorrows in a bottle or float as high as the cloud nine theyre on, i’ll leave them be

[tallandsweet]

That's true...

[FriendlyDrugDealer]

Dunno and someone who did drink a lot in my 20s, im kind of looking at my future and decided not to continue similar things throughout the rest of my life such as drinking so heavily.


However drinking in a time where our mental health as a society is about to receive one of its biggest challenges ever? That’s probably not a good idea but who am I to judge.


I actually drank the least of my life in the past year than previous years. I knew that my mind like everyone else’s was going to be put to a big test and I knew I wanted to survive both physically and mentally.


Harmless drinking is fine in moderation but being drunk a lot and getting attached to it is a bit of a bad idea

[tallandsweet]

I agree that it's a bad idea to start drinking/to drink even more than before right now LOL.

[MysticDevice]

Alcohol is whats called a depressant. Which means in moderation helps you to relax. This is the opposite of a stimulant like caffine. Again in moderation, it can relieve stress.

There's also those of us who actually like the taste of beer. It can be refreshing on a hot day after hard work. It can compliment the flavors of other foods.

As with all mind-altering substances you have to exercise caution otherwise it will lead to substance abuse. Which is why the advertisements say something like "Please enjoy responsibly"

[hellacray]

I personally have never heard of this and don't know anyone that's drinking more than usual.

But I'm guessing the people that are doing it might just be bored and depressed. You know what they say in a bar a depressed customer is the best customer.

With that said depression and alcoholism goes hand in hand.

[0112358]

I was definitely drinking more at the start but cut it back because... I'm vain and care about weight.

your question though is why people drank more. For me it was simply easier than normal - I wasn't driving around as much or taking kids to activities and I didn't have to get up as early due to my 3 hours a day of commuting being gone.

[tallandsweet]

The point you make about driving less makes perfect sense.

[AmeerX]

I don't drink and I do feel sorry for people who have this dependency. I wish we could save them from these ills.
Drinking without getting drunk is great but losing your senses is extremely wrong behavior

[tallandsweet]

I agree that getting drunk is the next stage when it comes to alcohol that you should avoid altogether, but even drinking regularly can lead to alcoholism.
My great uncle recently passed away because of the consequences of drinking a glass of wine a day. That's too much for a regular liver to take.

[AmeerX]

That's why avoiding it altogether is the best

[TheSpaceGnome]

I don't drink because of the taste, smell, and the effect alcohol has on cognition, motor skills, and senses, so I dunno why people do that.

[tallandsweet]

I really hate the taste - I've always had very easy access to alcohol and since I'm from Europe, I was able to drink legally since I was 16, but I never considered it to be wise or healthy, LOL. I HATE the smell too! No idea why some people like drinking.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Yeah beer especially, it smells like old urinal pee. e_e

[tallandsweet]

I like beer on occasion, but I can't bring myself to take more than 5 sips. I hate having to drink an entire bottle because nobody wants to share with me. I love Radler though (beer mixed with lemonade) and that's basically all I drink, only in the summer, only with friends or family. Drinking on your own is depressing.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Only liquid drug I like is caffiene, and I don't drink nearly as much as most, and only when I'm tired during the day and have no other energy sources.

[TheSpaceGnome]

granted, I like being hyper.

[Anonymous]

People are self-medicating so they don't bother the doctor amid the pandemic who is focused on dealing with the virus not to mention not going anywhere so there is no worry about still having alcohol in your system before you drive to work because it's all over Zoom

[Lynx122]

I haven't noticed this at all the only people who I see drinking a lot were the ones who were already drinking a lot before.

[Hxxmx]

Only a handful of people drnk alcohol regularly when we were 19

[tallandsweet]

I'm European though and drinking beer and wine is legal from the age of 16 onwards, while hard liquor is allowed for anyone above 18!

[Jjpayne]

I guess it's a way to pass the time but whats even more disturbing is a myth or rumor that alcohol can actually kill covid 😳 that's a little bit crazy

[K-I-S-S]

Addiction or nothing better to do with their time. In general people think it's cool.

[tallandsweet]

I never got why people considered drinking to be cool.

[Ironic_Method]

I dont think quarantine has anything to do with it, drinking has always been romanticized.

[tallandsweet]

I agree with that, but I feel like particularly during the pandemic, it's been romanticised to a degree I hadn't seen before.

[Ironic_Method]

Ha. My guess is that people might be drinking more as a form of escapism since covid kind of fucked a lot of things up.

[tallandsweet]

That makes sense.

[Gertrude_Awonk]

You shouldn’t be drinking cause you’re under 21 anyway. I wouldn’t say drinking is romanticized it’s just a way for people to distress especially from a stressful situation like COVID. But it’s not healthy I agree.

[tallandsweet]

I'm European and live in Germany - I've been able to buy wine and beer since I was 16 and hard liquor since I was 18!
I wonder whether alcohol actually destresses people though.

[Gertrude_Awonk]

It does if they’re tired from a day of hard work and want to relax usually

[Anonymous]

It's their drug of choice, and as with any drug, those who like it, praise it.

[NamerOfStars]

People were scared. Then lonely. Then angry about being lied to, powerless to do anything about it, and lonely. What do you expect them to do?

[Exterminatore]

They’re endorsing drinking to ease anxiety, angst and depression associated with the lockdowns.