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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Alcohol Why is Alcohol more popular as a drug as opposed to benzos like Xanax?

Plenty of alcoholics in my family, so I might have the genetics. But also, it seems that when you drink daily for a while that you develop a tolerance to alcohol's negative effects (whether that be physical or mental) and alcohol starts to feel more like a "drug" to you. @jasperkent , when I finally had to quit drinking I was putting down a fifth on a normal day. More if I was wanting to get wasted.
 
brokedownpalace10 said:
But also, it seems that when you drink daily for a while that you develop a tolerance to alcohol's negative effects (whether that be physical or mental) and alcohol starts to feel more like a "drug" to you. @jasperkent ,
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100% true for me.

I had both a psychological addiction and a physical dependence for several decades. If I was awake I was drinking. Always. During that time I rarely got visibly drunk or impaired, but I stayed "legally drunk." If not, I'd start shaking and vicious withdrawal (including DTs) would follow soon.

For me, alcohol was very definitely a hard drug.
 
jasperkent said:
Why alcohol?
All the reasons previously mentioned, plus it comes in an infinite variety of flavors. No matter what your tastes may be, there's something with alcohol in it that you will like.

Oh, and if you're like me you will be genetically predisposed to enjoy that feeling (and the taste) a bit too much. Remember that humans have been consuming alcohol for tens of thousands of years-- maybe longer That's a long time for genes to adapt (or maladapt) to a substance that has remained the same. With some other drugs, I had to develop a liking over time. With alcohol, I absolutely loved it immediately. Something deep inside me craved that shit.
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Absence of better alternatives ?

That s the main reason, would GHB/ Ketamine, fresh Khat or a euphoric downer like Temazepam, be legal. All can easy replace Booze.
Weed not, but goes great with, the substances i feel are perfect replacements.
For Ethanol. Hate that lack of choice for better/ less harmful alternatives.

i see no place for Alcohol besides for extractions, cleaning my vape and sterilising.

Its ime the hardest drug on Earth, ranks over GHB, Kratom and MXE.
 
Quasimoto said:
Unlike other drugs, it effects almost every single neurotransmitter in the brain,
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It does, but the positive (sought) effects of alcohol (ethanol) are primarily the a1 and a5 subunits of the GABA receptor.

Drugs that closely mimic ethanol are known and molecular probes were able to pinpoint the activity of said drugs.

Why hasn't it become huge? Because it would still be a synthetic psychoactive compound. Not a food, not alcohol (ethanol) but also unsuited to being classed as a medicine since it isn't curing or treating a recognized illness.

There is no precedent for how such a drug could be marketed. What licencing laws would be appropriate? Who would be responsible for taxation? Who for control of distribution and of production? Then, if a user IS harmed, who is responsible?

If you intend to entirely supplant the most popular drug on the planet, you need it to be a global product. That would take immense resources.

The 'under the radar' route would be to get the drug introduced as an investigational treatment for alcoholism. That way, a large body of case studied using people who have conveniently signed-away the right to sue would then provide a body of work comparing how much safer the alcohol alternative is. Then pay the politician of your choosing to ask why alcohol is legal, the alternative illegal? That's the LONG game but by far the cheaper (but not cheap).
 
dudefoods.com

How To Make Your Own Prison Wine - DudeFoods.com - Food Recipes & Videos

A tutorial on how to make your own prison wine or "pruno" as it's often called.
dudefoods.com dudefoods.com

This is actually more elaborate than other recipes I've seen.

I worked minimum wage for 8 months before I was able to retire. Pure survival mode. Every week I bought a two half gallons of Aldi apple juice for around $1.50 each. Also got a pound of sugar every few weeks. Some cider yeast, purchased every now and then since I took a little out of one batch to start the next. Got 12% to 18% alcohol for less than $1 a quart. The stuff I aged was even pretty tasty.
 
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emkee_reinvented said:
Its ime the hardest drug on Earth, ranks over GHB, Kratom and MXE.
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Hardest drug? It depends on your definition of "hard."

It's certainly one of the most physically toxic-- especially in large amounts. And recent studies indicate that no amount is entirely safe. Even the "one glass of wine with dinner" can be detrimental over time.

For alcoholics like me, it's most definitely a hard drug. It caused me more problems (physical, emotional, social, financial, legal, etc) than all of my other addictions combined-- including IV cocaine, meth, and opioids.

But most people can drink moderately for their entire lives and suffer little to no negative consequences. So I'm not sure if I'd call alcohol a hard drug in general.  Alcoholism (or Alcohol Dependence Disorder or whatever you wanna call it) is one of the worst addictions, for sure. But I'm not gonna say that someone who drinks an occasional beer is using a "hard drug."
 
jasperkent said:
Hardest drug? It depends on your definition of "hard."

It's certainly one of the most physically toxic-- especially in large amounts. And recent studies indicate that no amount is entirely safe. Even the "one glass of wine with dinner" can be detrimental over time.

For alcoholics like me, it's most definitely a hard drug. It caused me more problems (physical, emotional, social, financial, legal, etc) than all of my other addictions combined-- including IV cocaine, meth, and opioids.

But most people can drink moderately for their entire lives and suffer little to no negative consequences. So I'm not sure if I'd call alcohol a hard drug in general.  Alcoholism (or Alcohol Dependence Disorder or whatever you wanna call it) is one of the worst addictions, for sure. But I'm not gonna say that someone who drinks an occasional beer is using a "hard drug."
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I couldn't take even one drink when I quit in my late 20's, or I would have been right down that dirt road again. After 30 years, I did find I could drink on occasion, although I did have to set rules on how often. Once I retired, I was very happy to (nearly) stop alcohol and get back to being addicted to pot. A much kinder, gentler, addiction.

I think my alcoholism may have been shorter than yours. Maybe a decade.
 
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jasperkent said:
Hardest drug? It depends on your definition of "hard."

It's certainly one of the most physically toxic-- especially in large amounts. And recent studies indicate that no amount is entirely safe. Even the "one glass of wine with dinner" can be detrimental over time.

For alcoholics like me, it's most definitely a hard drug. It caused me more problems (physical, emotional, social, financial, legal, etc) than all of my other addictions combined-- including IV cocaine, meth, and opioids.

But most people can drink moderately for their entire lives and suffer little to no negative consequences. So I'm not sure if I'd call alcohol a hard drug in general.  Alcoholism (or Alcohol Dependence Disorder or whatever you wanna call it) is one of the worst addictions, for sure. But I'm not gonna say that someone who drinks an occasional beer is using a "hard drug."
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After GHB/ GBL addiction, Kratom and MXE which had no WD-s.

Alcohol addiction hit me by surprise at 46 or so.
Two times physically addicted. Totally took over/ 24/7.
Horrible WD-s 3 weeks long. One DIY, one DETOX.

I am no harddrug user so GHB/ GBL & Kratom was what i knew.
With their 3/ 5 day pussycat WD-s, was not a 24/ 7 dosing type !
But that had not prepared me for this torture. Shocking.
 
drfeelgood1 said:
A lot of people in the world have an addiction to alcohol but why is alcohol so much popular than benzos? Aren't they pretty much have the same effect on the body?

Or is alcohol more considered euphoric, or a party drug as opposed the benzos like Xanax?
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There isn’t really a good reason IMO. And in fact, benzos are a hell of a lot kinder to the body than etoh. It has never made sense to me why alcoholics aren’t given a chance at maintenance prescription of a long acting benzo as harm reduction in the same way that opioid users have the option to be on Methadone.
 
Benzos are way less euphoric - not even real escapism, just numbness. Alcohol does have great drug effects along with its toxicity. Apparently it has NMDA antagonist activity meaning it's slightly dissociative which may contribute greatly to euphoria. It brings some elation and fun while benzos will only dull things down which will only be a net gain if you have debilitating anxiety. But debilitating anxiety often has complicated relationships to party life and social circles...
 
emkee_reinvented said:
After GHB/ GBL addiction, Kratom and MXE which had no WD-s.

Alcohol addiction hit me by surprise at 46 or so.
Two times physically addicted. Totally took over/ 24/7.
Horrible WD-s 3 weeks long. One DIY, one DETOX.

I am no harddrug user so GHB/ GBL & Kratom was what i knew.
With their 3/ 5 day pussycat WD-s, was not a 24/ 7 dosing type !
But that had not prepared me for this torture. Shocking.
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It's one of the worst addictions to kick.

25 years ago I was drinking two bottles of spirits (1.5l) a day and did so for over a year.

I would argue that for people on that level, in-patient detoxification is the best alternative. But failing that, I was able to procure a box of Heminevrin (clomethiazole) and was also able to use as indicated i.e. only use the medicine for a maximum of 12 days and only at the doses and schedules given by the BNF.

It totally WORKED. In essence you sleep for the first two or three days and gradually, combined with eating properly and exercise, the acute symptoms were avoided.

A great medicine if you are physically dependent but aren't psychologically addicted. Because more than one person has taken their medication, been tempted to drink a moderate amount only for it to kill them.
 
3DQSAR said:
It's one of the worst addictions to kick.

25 years ago I was drinking two bottles of spirits (1.5l) a day and did so for over a year.

I would argue that for people on that level, in-patient detoxification is the best alternative. But failing that, I was able to procure a box of Heminevrin (clomethiazole) and was also able to use as indicated i.e. only use the medicine for a maximum of 12 days and only at the doses and schedules given by the BNF.

It totally WORKED. In essence you sleep for the first two or three days and gradually, combined with eating properly and exercise, the acute symptoms were avoided.

A great medicine if you are physically dependent but aren't psychologically addicted. Because more than one person has taken their medication, been tempted to drink a moderate amount only for it to kill them.
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Me too, Alcoholic can t handle one glass after that i want a lot.
Reached 0.7 L Spirit dusk/ dawn a few months and then it went wrong.
Physical addiction, psychologically wanting to cease but couldn t.

GHB was a good Candidate for WD aid too,
used to be used for Alcohol DETOX.
Clomethiazole i imagine would be great, in patient. But discontinued.
Was a anti-Epileptic co-med anyhow over here.

Benzo s do nothing but two things preventing a seizure and sedate you.
Alcohol WD it never touched, did work for my forced stop of Cannabis use.
Dr s are to dumb to have a serious talk with so DETOX once in a life exp.

DIY all the way, if you can get Benzo s.
 
Thumbs up indeed, but time running short, and that Devils Claws.
Of Ethanol do they let you go, without substituting a other downer.
Or Painkiller, as the pain the source/ trigger remains.

Changed brain chemistry didn t help, can t handle stress at all.
Since a year of 5, so staying alive without numbing my spirit.
Not that easy. LSD analogues help, but are no daily/ weekly solution.

Weed helps, our non functioning healthcare system not.
 
Pickledlemons said:
Yup.

Alcohol totally lost its appeal once I was hooked on benzos. Which by the way took a very long time. I took xanax, only when I was having a panic attack for years before experiencing a... traumatic event. And that was when I also picked up vaping. After being off cigarettes and all nicotine products for 10 years. At 30 god damn years old. And yet they both happened so naturally and casually.

Anyway, to the point of the the thread, I often ask myself the same question. I just like the feeling of benzos more. Though I have to admit, when it becomes habitual, it loses the social aspect, at least for me, and I prefer to stay home and play video games or get into some anime or something.

As for drinking, did it for years, but it was never an addiction. I guess you could say binge drinker.. but thats not quite right either. More like the purpose of drinking was a social ritual that eased the way into other drugs like stimulants and opioids....
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Somewhat similar situation. Benzos are a solitary way of getting by for me. An escape. No party. Much like drinking alone.
 
jasperkent said:
Hardest drug? It depends on your definition of "hard."

It's certainly one of the most physically toxic-- especially in large amounts. And recent studies indicate that no amount is entirely safe. Even the "one glass of wine with dinner" can be detrimental over time.

For alcoholics like me, it's most definitely a hard drug. It caused me more problems (physical, emotional, social, financial, legal, etc) than all of my other addictions combined-- including IV cocaine, meth, and opioids.

But most people can drink moderately for their entire lives and suffer little to no negative consequences. So I'm not sure if I'd call alcohol a hard drug in general.  Alcoholism (or Alcohol Dependence Disorder or whatever you wanna call it) is one of the worst addictions, for sure. But I'm not gonna say that someone who drinks an occasional beer is using a "hard drug."
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it depends how hard you go
 
It’s largely because of the cultural prevalence of alcohol which is why it is also readily accessible and legal. It is one of the most important substances in human history. It was very important in making dirty water drinkable and with time, humans refined the process of producing alcoholic beverages for the purpose of intoxication and/or flavor. Due to this, cultural frameworks exist which outline normal and acceptable use, and its so prevalent that everyone is exposed to it. This prevalence and also the ease of production, made it impossible to prohibit and difficult to regulate. Other depressants have a much briefer history with humans, cannot readily be made by anyone, and do not have the same cultural integration as alcohol. With this, alcohol use is seen normal whereas other depressants carry more of a stigma as they are either associated with psychiatric/neurological conditions or as illegal drugs of abuse. Either way, if you take depressants other than alcohol, you will often be seen as abnormal or deviant in some way by at least some portion of the general population. This has a powerful influence not just on whether people use these substances or not, but also on how much people who do use them hide such usage from others.

There are other factors too. Alcohol is unique as a drug in that it is a common culinary ingredient, and many unique flavors are achieved through alcohol. This leads many people to drink without seeking much intoxication at all, and it makes it more attractive to people of various tastes and backgrounds. This further normalizes alcohol consumption.

Then there is it’s effect profile. Yes it has a ton of uncomfortable side effects, is super toxic, and leads to severe behavioral problems quite frequently, but it also is enjoyable in a way that isn’t really replicated in full by other depressants. They may have less side effects and be less toxic, but there is something about booze that makes it useful both as a relaxing drug and as something to amp yourself up with. GHB is the closest and i prefer it, but I still think it isn’t a complete replacement for alcohol (it also has a bad reputation that is mostly overblown).
 
AddictedtoChloroform said:
It’s largely because of the cultural prevalence of alcohol which is why it is also readily accessible and legal. It is one of the most important substances in human history. It was very important in making dirty water drinkable and with time, humans refined the process of producing alcoholic beverages for the purpose of intoxication and/or flavor. Due to this, cultural frameworks exist which outline normal and acceptable use, and its so prevalent that everyone is exposed to it. This prevalence and also the ease of production, made it impossible to prohibit and difficult to regulate. Other depressants have a much briefer history with humans, cannot readily be made by anyone, and do not have the same cultural integration as alcohol. With this, alcohol use is seen normal whereas other depressants carry more of a stigma as they are either associated with psychiatric/neurological conditions or as illegal drugs of abuse. Either way, if you take depressants other than alcohol, you will often be seen as abnormal or deviant in some way by at least some portion of the general population. This has a powerful influence not just on whether people use these substances or not, but also on how much people who do use them hide such usage from others.

There are other factors too. Alcohol is unique as a drug in that it is a common culinary ingredient, and many unique flavors are achieved through alcohol. This leads many people to drink without seeking much intoxication at all, and it makes it more attractive to people of various tastes and backgrounds. This further normalizes alcohol consumption.

Then there is it’s effect profile. Yes it has a ton of uncomfortable side effects, is super toxic, and leads to severe behavioral problems quite frequently, but it also is enjoyable in a way that isn’t really replicated in full by other depressants. They may have less side effects and be less toxic, but there is something about booze that makes it useful both as a relaxing drug and as something to amp yourself up with. GHB is the closest and i prefer it, but I still think it isn’t a complete replacement for alcohol (it also has a bad reputation that is mostly overblown).
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I definitely know what you mean in the way that alcohol can amp you up. I remember having to explain to somebody who thought because of this alcohol wasn't a depressant, that it was infact a depressant. Sigh..

Anyway, also seems like this kinda mentally stimulating effect isn't guaranteed and can backfire sometimes. Just my experience. The only thing I can rely on alcohol to do, is make me want cocaine, that happens pretty much without fail.
 
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