In defense of alcohol

The other day I read a story on Medium that I identify as intellectual gaslighting. I didn’t save it and it’d be a struggle to find it but it went something like this: the main reason why you have a problem with alcohol. You read the article and towards the end, it says this: you have a problem with alcohol because you’re reading this article.

Maybe I do have a problem, maybe I don’t (more on this below). But the story was curiosity-shaming, doubt-shaming, mental-health shaming. I read blogs about many topics: running, drinking, coffee, diets, relationships. Sex too, damn it! Many stories are along the line too much, too little.

Here’s my relationship with alcohol.

Never ever do I drink hard liquor. That includes cocktails (that have hard liquor and sugar that I try to limit).

Never ever do I drink during the day. I want my mind to stay clear. I want to avoid any fatigue, mental or physical.

In recent years, I’ve been avoiding alcohol when I socialize, especially professionally. I want to avoid any lapses in my judgment, my professionalism.

I’m a passionate runner. Never-ever would I have a drink that jeopardizes my daily running routine, which is about 70 miles a week. As in NEVER. Sometimes I run in the morning, sometimes in the evenings. If I’ve had my run — yes, I can have a drink. But only if I’ve had my run.

So in the evening, yes, I relax. After my evening runs I have a beer. Then some white wine.