Disdain for alcohol and drugs = sign of Austism

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The sale of natural sassafras has been outlawed since the 1930's in the U.S. by the FDA on account that it causes cancers (humans actually don't process the carcinogen and so we are immune to the carcinogenic effect as modern studies have shown, but the ban has not been lifted. Thank you FDA!) Sassafras is one of the major flavors of root beers.That is a major problem in me making the root beer. If I'm going to make in such a traditional fashion, I want the original ingredients. I can get my hands on some of the more obscure roots like spikenard, burdock, yellow dock, and black cherry.
My family also has a cauldron we use at family reunions every year and we just picked up a second one from a neighbor who passed away. Both cauldrons are 20 gallons, so I'm lucky with that, it won't be too hard to scale down the recipe and make it in the traditional method. It is very hard to find a cauldron of 20 gallons, 50 gallons is incredibly rare and expensive. It should take about 4 hours to properly mix and cook the ingredients, several more hours for cooling and then probably about 48 hours for proper fermentation procedures.
I only have the ingredients list in the recipe, I don't know the brewing procedures, so this has been a project of mine for a while.
Brewing is an interest of mine, and I'm experimenting at the moment with old recipes. Root beer is my favorite, but it is also one of the harder drinks to brew and it has the widest variety of flavors and ingredients possible for use.

And yeah, that's the reason they are called "soft" beverages in contrast to "hard" beverages. Soft beverages came into existence as a way to make nonalcoholic alternatives to alcoholic beverages. And also some of the better tasting patent medicines which also tended to have alcohol were converted into soft beverages in the late 19th century.

If I get placed on the store payroll, then I'll get a permanent 25% discount on all items. After my first year, I'll get a 30% discount. Also, they don't pay minimum wage for true employees, so it would be about $14 an hour. It comes with a stable schedule that doesn't change unless you apply for a change a week prior. In other words, it is a very good work environment. Unfortunately, that also means that people don't quit very often and some of the cashiers have worked their for 8+ years and so there aren't very many job openings. The major health food chains aren't nearly as ethical in their practices though.

I have a disdain for alcohol and drugs due to my parent's giving their lives and my childhood, to those things. However, I don't mind them in moderation (glass of wine with dinner, for example).

I'm definitely an aspie, and I'm the opposite: I feel mild disdain for people who don't drink by choice; that is, they don't have a medical issue and aren't Muslim, but still don't drink. And here's why.

I've been using alcohol to cope with problems since I was 13. Before I was 21 and couldn't speak sips from my parents' liquor cabinet, I'd use cooking wine. It somehow got sold to me, probably because the bottles had a "not for direct consumption" disclaimer on them. Whenever I bought it, I'd also buy a box of pasta and tomato sauce, so it looks like I'm preparing to cook dinner. Then after paying, I'd chuck the rest into a donation box, take the bottle home, and drink it. The cashiers were none the wiser. Good god, that cooking wine was nasty!

After I turned 21, I got access to the real deal, and man, was I happy about it! Whenever I had a bad day, I knew I had a proverbial friend I could always count on. It took the edge off long enough to fill by head with a pleasant buzz and help me fall asleep. Of course, I'd feel like crap the next morning, but it's a small price to pay for forgetting my troubles.

As for people who don't drink by choice, it comes across as snobbery to me, unless I can clearly see that it's not. It feels like they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, and therefore never have a bad day, and never need to drink to forget it. One of my friends who doesn't drink seems to always have good luck fall into his lap, while doing little or no work toward it. (While other friends who do drink have a life more similar to mine.) Some bullies who picked on me in high school not only didn't drink, but openly blasted alcohol. Many other non-drinkers I met seem to have nonstop happiness in their lives.

Wrong as my beliefs might be, I'm not abandoning them anytime soon. Now excuse me while I go fetch my beer from the fridge. <Pop><fizz> <glug-glug-glug> ahhhhh.

I think I could use some nice chardonnay at the end of a long day too.

When the red sox were in the playoffs in 2013, I slowly drank little bottles of wine during the torturous games.

Frankly, you might want to consider WHY they dont need to drink to forget it.

Me, I dont need to drink to de-focus my problems. Because I find other methods: I simply DO stuff. In my case this is typically gaming; it takes alot of concentration and focus to do this, and I *cannot* focus on my problems while doing this (unless the problem is one of my blasted headaches). By doing this, I *also* have the pleasant side effect of utterly, totally, and completely avoiding all conceivable negative effects that can come from alcohol, such as hangovers, or making myself look like an idiot to anyone around me. Among other various issues. I have enough screwball problems as it is.

In addition, I dont want a "false" sense of happiness like that which alchohol creates; I call it false because it's very temporary, and fades for the drinker when the alcohol wears off. I'd rather pursue ACTUAL happiness, which simply sticks around regardless (and the pursuing of it also gives me something positive to do, which further distracts me from problems). And doing that takes effort... and the slowdown and muddling effects from the alcohol would make that DRAMATICALLY harder to achieve. Without it, I can much easier seek out things that please me, activities I can do, or new friends, or whatever.

And aside from that, what you may percieve as "nothing bad ever happens to so and so" may not be how THEY perceive it. My friends tend to think that about me, as I've got the "silver spoon" thing happening (er, if that term means what I *think* it means, I could be using it wrong, keep that in mind when reading this), but one thing I've learned: money and such is NOT everything. That old phrase always sounded a bit cliche to me, way back when, but when my overall situation finally altered, well... yeah. It turned out to be entirely true. I have my own sets of unique problems, and money has zero effect on those. Consistent depression for example, or.... other issues, which I'd prefer not to bring up here (but I think I've mentioned a couple of them in specific other parts of the forums). And these are things I need to deal with on my own; friends percieve me as not having any troubles because they themselves do not SEE any of it; I dont let them. That they dont see it though, doesnt mean it's not there. And note, I dont mean the autistic stuff when I talk about my problems. I dont really consider the autism to be a problem; it's just sorta there. But yeah, it's not an issue of "snobbery", which... frankly doesnt make sense (no, seriously, I cant put "doesnt drink" and "is a snob" together in my mind whatsoever via any logic I can think of), but an issue of their own personal differences, and having their own way to cope with problems that may come their way, wether you see those problems or not.


Overall, for me, I typically dont actually give a flying fart wether or not someone drinks; not my problem. I may think it a bit dumb, but I dont directly interfere unless there's a very definite need to. But I *will* react if someone does it around/near me. And if anyone has an issue with THAT.... again, not my problem. They can always go drink elsewhere.

The only drugs I have ever used are medications prescribed by a doctor. It would never even be a conscious thought for me to do anything else outside of prescribed medicine.

I also don't drink. Even though I can legally purchase and consume alcohol in the United States, I choose not to do so. I hate what it can turn people into and I can't wrap my head around why anyone would 'want' to get drunk. In my eyes it causes more problems than it is worth for the person drinking and the people around the drinker.

I used video games too, to console myself after a soul-destroying therapy experience at age 13. That was before I figured out I could use cooking wine as a source of alcohol. Buying the real thing was long way off, and sneaking sips from my parents' bottles was a risky proposition. Plus, it'd look a little suspicious for a 13-year-old to be buying groceries by himself (with or without the cooking wine), but downright respectable when doing that at age 16, and very normal at college age. So I took advantage of that, and bought cooking wine and all the way until my 21st birthday.

Then a few years ago, when I had an extremely stressful job, I drank by the buckets. It helped take the edge off just enough to keep my will to live. And I didn't do anything stupid while drunk, like drive or operate heavy machinery. Although, it's interesting that alcohol is one of the biggest revenue producers for cruise lines. It seems like people wouldn't need it on a vacation. Perhaps they're looking to enhance the level of happiness they're already experiencing.

So I chuckle a little when I watch "Two and a Half Men" and see Charlie always with a beer in his hand. Let's face it, he has a nearly perfect life. (Not unlike a former friend of mine, who was a hardcore NT and was loved by all.) Drinking is totally unnecessary for Charlie. It's Alan who "should" be drinking all the time, since his life on the show is miserable.

You don't know what you don't know. You can't wrap your mind around something you've never experienced for yourself.

I drink, but not much these days. I've worked in bars for a collective 6 years or so. I've seen a lot of damage that alcohol can do, but also seen, and experienced, a lot of benefits. There were times in my life where I drank way too much, other times where I chose to drink nothing. At present I have a nice balance and have 1-2 drinks a week on average. Sometimes I don't drink for a few weeks, others 2-3 times in a week - depending on social circumstances, ie birthdays to attend etc.

Also, we've literally evolved with alcohol. I read an article a few months ago about how monkey's came down from tree branches in order to consume the ethanol of rotting fruit on the ground. Alcohol has also been a currency in our societies longer than coins.

Sure, it can do a lot of damage - including contributing to, IIRC, 63 different cancers.. but alcohol isn't inherently evil when consumed responsibly. Same goes for other recreational substances. It's all about balance. That said, no one is obligated to consume them.

What are the benefits? I must be so focused on the negative impact of alcohol that I must be missing them.

I know that moderation is key for responsible drinking, but for me personally, I don't want to risk it given how some people in my family tree seemed to get hooked to alcohol rather quickly. It is just a chance I am not willing to take.

Have you ever heard of beer being referred to as "Liquid Courage" as usually referenced when it comes to talking to girls?

Alcohol, in small doses vs. drunk/WAY too intoxicated, makes people more relaxed and "socially fluid." It enhances happiness and social interactions. It reduces inhibitions & anxiety so people are more likely to speak their minds or approach others they're interested in romantically/sexually. It makes people more open and honest. It can be a wonderful substance when used appropriately & in moderation. It can also be beneficial to get shitfaced drunk at least once in your life just to experience it lol.

Then there's the thinking aspect.. it can change your thinking, sometimes in positive ways. There's some quote about ancient Greeks thinking about a good idea when sober and then having to think about it again while drunk in order to have a different perspective on it and determine whether it's still a good idea. Same goes for other substances, as different natural drugs change your thinking in different ways - some far more profoundly than others.

I've had my time of excessive drinking ~4 years ago and am done with that for the rest of my life. Fortunately I do not have a highly addictive personality even though some others in my family tree do. It's very easy for me to set rules and limits and not overindulge. For digestive health reasons, I didn't drink at all for over a year and now keep it to a very dull roar even if others are getting drunk around me. I haven't been Drunk drunk for more than 2 years now. If you're similar, you may be able to stick to your own rigid rules and just have ONE or two drinks and never even experience getting blackout drunk or vomiting and all that. Same applies to other substances I indulge in from time to time. (mainly marijuana) I am VERY controlled when it comes to drinking, but one of the methods I use to keep it that way is paying an exorbitantly high price for each drink I consume. I'll buy a high end beer/drink at a premium price and then leave a very generous tip on top of that, especially when ordering from my closest friend at the place he works at. When you're as frugal as I am (extremely) and paying $20/drink, you won't drink very much very often! Mind you, there are much more expensive drinks than that.. by far. Hell, two of the new additions we have at the place I work at are a couple of 750mL bottles of beer that are being sold in Canada for the first time... our price (due in large part to import taxes) is $50/bottle. (plus taxes lol) I don't think I'll be trying either of them unless a coworker or two reeeeeeeeallly want to try them and we split a bottle. But as per one of our Cicerones, they're for our very premium beer customers who know what they are and want to try them and are willing to pay to do so.

I know an ASD man who is very good at job interviews and though he is socially anxious generally, has not problem with getting jobs. I asked him how he did that, and he said that part of his interview preparation is drinking some Scotch whisky (he is not a 'drinker' as such) and that this made it possible for him to function in a calm and focused way, lowering his anxiety to a normal productive level. He said that 'for some reason' only good aged Scotch whiskey has this effect and he wondered why.

Happily, I knew the answer to that. In Scotland, the words "Scotch Whiskey" can only used on labels where the whiskey has been aged for at least 3 years in Oak barrels. These are strict regulatory requirements. During the ageing process, natural chemicals in the oak wood leach into the whiskey and remain chemically active. These are not toxic. Having a glass or two of this particular whiskey raises GABA in the brain. This is only true if OAK barrels are used (as they traditionally are, in Scotland). GABA is the factor that turns down anxiety/overfiring in the brain. You can get the same effect drinking some of the high value teas like Oolong, though possibly you would have to drink a lot more in volume of the tea.

So at least in this man's case, alcohol use has been immensely helpful in his career. He works placing other ASD adults in employment and mentoring them into their new jobs.

Alcohol helps me experience emotions; not all control is wanted control.

I quite frankly don't understand how someone can NOT be curious about mind-altering substances. Leery of addiction and side-effects? Sure. My consciousness is all I have, and I want to protect it and my body. But that's also why I think it's neat to change my consciousness at the root.

The whole fake vs real is just so...so...If you're going to get into what reality actually IS, social and perceptual realities are incredibly unreal. Calling someone 'grounded' is, in my mind, calling them 'taken in by the constructs around them' which is the total opposite of what reality is. Socialness is a convoluted perception of reality.

It is snobbish because when you do not do a substance -with the reasoning of 'it's not real, you are harming yourself, my body is a temple' etc.- you also must be saying that you think a person who does is doing all those things. You, on the other hand, would never deign to participating in such things, because you -know better- than someone else. If that isn't snobbery, I don't know what is.

On the other hand, if are someone who doesn't do those things because you have no desire to because you see no purpose in it, that's fine. There is no snobbery in that. It is a problem though when you say 'it only does thing x' when you have utterly no experience with it and people who do use it report constantly that the experience is more than thing x. Why would they lie?

I don't like being around people who are using substances unless it is going to be a mutual experience myself, and it's damned annoying to be around drunk people a lot of the time, but I know that what I see on the outside isn't what's on the inside. And I would think that coming from a population of people who are known for acting weird that it would make sense that someone could see that how someone acts is really a very poor representation of their internal state of mind.

This!

The bullies who picked on me would always say these things. I'm sure they were being smug about "not needing to drink to have a good time" because their lives were a good time all the time, effectively making alcohol redundant. That, and they were probably parroting the teen-oriented educational media, that constantly drummed the message that alcohol is "oh-so-horribly bad". (Which I always knew was 100% false, and only outwardly pretended to buy into, to avoid getting in trouble with the school.)

I bet that if those non-drinking bullies had to live one day of my life (that is, as aspies), they'd empty out an entire liquor store in a matter of hours.

lol agreed, but alcohol is still a very damaging substance in many many ways... health, violence, car accidents etc - it probably does more damage than any other drug on Earth since it's use is so widespread & socially acceptable. But yeah, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be used & enjoyed, either.

Huh, those are some interesting facts. No, I never heard of it referred to as liquid courage (is my Aspie showing ). I can see where that stuff makes sense, and I do think that I may have heard at least one of them mentioned before.

The cost of alcohol is another reason I'm not too inclined to drink it. I still can't picture myself having a drink, it is just something that doesn't appeal to me.

Yeah.

I'm also largely alcohol free right now. I've used it destructively at home when my partner was around and he cannot handle my alcoholic meltdowns at all. And I should not expect him to, and I should never get them. Although a part of me feels like without it, part of me is stuck and cannot escape.
Alcohol also seems to negatively effect my nervous system, peripheral neuropathy gets worse. (omg everything makes it worse) Doubt its great for digestion, all that sugar, if done in excess seems to cause potentially permanent nervous system damage, obviously not good for functioning on a daily basis for most things as it blurs focus, memory, etc.

Someone mentioned clubbing early on in the thread. Clubbing affects me, but not always in a bad way. A slight buzz, bright lights, horrendously loud music, actually moving my body to what's going on around me in a free-for-all way? ie: dancing. Amazing experience...once in awhile. Very trance-like. For me.