Post: #1

So I'm usually someone who doesn't drink alcohol too often. I enjoy beer/wine and being drunk as much as the next man but I don't want to see it negatively impact my health.

At the same time being a grad student almost all social events revolve around drinking. It can be very socially acceptable for women to drink less, but not so much for men.. I'm also much less tense while drinking at social events.

Any other grad students here? What are their views and how they deal with this and staying fit and doing well in their work.

Post: #2

Only drink as much as you want to.

Post: #3

(06-23-2016 10:21 AM)Red_Pillage Wrote:  Only drink as much as you want to.

Maybe you should stick to breaking articles.


@BuffNerd

It's a legit concern, especially in college where it's surprisingly tough to turn down more booze, especially after you've hit you trigger-point.

I'm not sure if it's medically accurate, but a good way to think about this is you have two forces in play when you drink...

A trigger level and a tolerance.

Your trigger level is where you'll engage in stupid behaviors that make you wake up the next morning and say "I'm never drinking again". It's different for everyone.

If your tolerance allows you to drink past your trigger level (I'm sure it does, you're in grad school) then you'll tend to black out, run through the commons naked, generally be less healthy with booze.

It's cool to get fucked up once in a while but it sounds like you have a good reason for trying to drink smarter.

Here's some things I've tried:

Carry around a beer bottle with water in it. Drink sprite with a lime on the glass. If people are shotgunning beers or doing shots, avoid that section of the room. Also, you can say "nah, dude i'm good" more easily than you think. People are more concerned about themselves so if you just play it off like it's no big deal they'll usually leave you alone.

Ultimately, you're going to have to cut back on the wild parties. You're going to get fucked up there most of the time and if you're sober it's less fun.

There's a time and a place for everything and it's called college. Have fun, bro.

Post: #4

I just finished up an MA. So I know about the grad lyfe well.. I actually developed a kind of abusive relationship to alchohol, tabacco, and drugs because of grad school. During undergrad I would drink socially but it wasn't a problem like it was during grad school.

I think some of this depends on your department and social circle. I could have made friends who don't drink. In my experience, also, other grad students will totally understand if you tell them that you don't want to drink a lot. All of my grad student friends tended to be kinda boring. You can also play the 'i'm looking after myself' card. That's not frowned upon amongst grad students in my experience.

Post: #5

delete

Post: #6

The medical establishment is pretty risk averse, I must add. For years I would basically binge drink on the regular but since I was pretty active (lifting weights, long walks) and would fast a bit here and there to give my liver a break, my bloodwork comes back great every time. Smoking cigarettes, on the other hand, does cause immediate and detrimental health impacts. It's a vice I enjoy to seek out the sluttier women.

As for women/men being socially acceptable to drink less, just invent a breezy story explaining why you are only having 3 beers and then lemonades for the rest of the night. Say you got arrested and sent to detox. Or your parents were alcoholics and you don't want to go down that path. Nobody really gives a shit about your problems as they're too wrapped up in their own, and it makes for interesting and (sometimes) thought-provokingly honest conversation.

Post: #7

Im not a grad student, but in the military and if we're not on duty most of us are drinking. Despite a major social engineering campaign to deglamorize alcohol use in the service it is still very "glamorous" to most of my peers. Little wonder then that they are 35 looking like they are 45 or 55 while I look 25. Your concerns for your health and work are quite valid. It definitely fucks with my mental state, motivation, and physical performance so I do try and minimize it. I feel as little as one drink the next day, with the plus side that one drink will usually hold me for a couple hours.

-Volunteer to be DD, this is an easy way to either not drink or cut yourself off hard after 1 drink.
-Drink less but more expensive drinks, easy to sip on a $20 pour of scotch rather than chug piss.
-Recently I've started to get tasting flights where you get a number of smaller samples to spread out consumption.
-Have something going on the next day. I always have a climb or range day or gym sesh planned, this can DHV if you play right.
-It may seem like being a party pooper but saying "Im good" signals you have control, this is more attractive than many realize.

Post: #8

(06-23-2016 01:27 PM)Hades Wrote:  The medical establishment is pretty risk averse, I must add. For years I would basically binge drink on the regular but since I was pretty active (lifting weights, long walks) and would fast a bit here and there to give my liver a break, my bloodwork comes back great every time. Smoking cigarettes, on the other hand, does cause immediate and detrimental health impacts. It's a vice I enjoy to seek out the sluttier women.

As for women/men being socially acceptable to drink less, just invent a breezy story explaining why you are only having 3 beers and then lemonades for the rest of the night. Say you got arrested and sent to detox. Or your parents were alcoholics and you don't want to go down that path. Nobody really gives a shit about your problems as they're too wrapped up in their own, and it makes for interesting and (sometimes) thought-provokingly honest conversation.

Or "I'm on standby for work and can't be legally intoxicated if I get an emergency call"

If the reply is "oh what are you a cop or something?" your reply is:

"contract killer"
or
"hand model"
or
"tuba player"
or
"extreme landscaper"
or
"pubic hair stylist"
etc.

You can use "pubic hair stylist" as a hilarious made up job for anything. y'all are welcome.