this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2025
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What if moderate drinking keeps my stress levels lower, is it healthier then?
Healthier than what? There are many ways to reduce stress that are healthier. If you refuse to learn how to have fun without alcohol then I guess it is, but you have eliminated a lot of better options already.
I guess I'm just wondering if it's stress or alcohol that's more dangerous to my body
Of course there is sometimes people don’t have the time and money. Can’t someone have some beers while gaming with their kid?
Meditation is one way to lower stress. 5 minutes a day is better than nothing, and it costs €0.00 / second and has no negative side effects.
Some people don’t get that 5 minutes of quiet away from their kids to meditate properly. There’s no single solution that is available to everyone.
One of the things I sorely miss since becoming a parent. Literally not a moment's rest. I may have a few minutes here and there, but you never know when the next thing is coming and getting that meditation interrupted is way worse than not trying to meditate in the first place.
« Meditation » drives me crazy. To each it’s own. Every one needs to find it’s thing. Be it drugs for some of us.
Supposedly most of the benefit alcohol brings is in fact the idea that it helps people spend more time socializing, which has enormous benefits. A little poison for a lot of community can be a good trade.
The relationship between alcohol and stress is very complex, and if I'm not mistaken research shows that it can reduce resilience to stress. I didn't find dedicated studies on the issue quickly though. The ones I did find stayed that alcohol consumption for stress relief is associated with a higher risk for alcohol use disorder.
Personally, when I was still drinking, I avoided this scenario and never drank when stressed because of that issue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xU5yIH_P9I talks about the issue, I guess there are more out there and it's not a scientific source. But maybe it's a start