So about an hour ago I started the 40 I meant to drink last night. I had a productive day, including a good walk, I make my own hours so "starting early" is my privilege in return for the many insecurities.
It's done and I'm swaying to "retrowave" I got recommended, only clicked it because the thumbnail is Joshua Ingram, the Policenauts guy. And the stream's video is him... chilling in his office, foot-tapping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6AJdYtxHCYI'm still feeling the giddy but I'm starting to feel the sentimentality, as I type this. Melancholy on the horizon.
I like the *idea* of staying giddy-drunk while, say, visiting family. But it just doesn't work that way in practice. I just can't stay buzzed that long, it wears off after a few hours, leaving only the temptation of drinking into a comfortable melancholy or hyper madness.
I think- heh, this is probably the sentimentality speaking - I like the melancholy more than the giddy. It's one thing to feel that everything's fun. It's another to be resigned; to, for a moment, be okay that everything is falling apart, and I'm not doing enough to stop it.
The reprieve is addictive, and it's selfish, but I am at this moment feeling very okay with that.
And that's what is addictive to me about alcohol.
Edit: Like, last session, my character was partying with the two vampire goth feminist wiccans, and they asked what he wanted to feel. They listed a few things, but the first two options were "happy" or "sad".
And I sorta wanted to joke "Why would anyone choose sad?"
But I felt like I would get called on it.
I know why, and my friends know I know.
Fortunately the GM switched to another character before I could speak, and when it came back to me my character was simply offered a very complicated water bong, which we did discuss at length
Edit2: "But why would someone choose sad, if they're desperate to be resigned to sad?"
Because once you punch through melancholy, it's a sadistic masochistic revel where sadness is wisdom, pain is maturity. Every negative emotion isn't just numbed, it feels good, including continuing to drink past the pre-determined limit you set for yourself.
Not that I'm there... fully. I'm just trying to catalogue, relatively lucidly.
Oddly, it suddenly feels like I'm not "there" at all. I feel sober. I think this is a trick by subconscious to make me drink more. Fascinating.