What's your drug?

[Howyoudoin]

What is the thing that most gets your heart racing?

Is it shopping? Is it gardening? Hobbies?

For me, it's gambling. I can't beat the rush of betting on something. If I was to count up all of the bets that I've lost in my life, i'm sure that it would come to over £100k.

Do I care? Nope. I can afford it. And I've loved every minute of it. Not the losing of course. But the betting. I wouldn't change a thing.

So . . . what's your drug? And how much have you spent on it over your lifetime?


HYD

[UncleEbenezer]

Dopamine.

How much have I spent on it? Hard to account for. Perhaps it's actually a negative cost over my lifetime: for example, many times in my life the fix due to cycling to work was cheaper than the cost of any means of dopamine-free commuting. And in winter it's an ingredient of the healthy lifestyle that helps save vast amounts in heating costs compared to - apparently - everyone else.

For a mildly addictive drug, a nice cuppa tea. If I lose my caffeine fix, I get lethargic: general tiredness and a mild cocktail of aches and pains akin to having a cold. But after 24 hours of that I'm clean and feeling better. I'd be much more worried if a day without booze caused symptoms!

[bungeejumper]

Early morning caffeine, for me. Half a pint of really strong coffee is what it takes to get my brain moving. And after that I probably won't have another hot drink all day - I much prefer water or soft drinks, and I don't really like the taste of milk anyway.

Okay, it's hair shirt time. I don't ever gamble (although I do invest quite successfully in a sometimes contrarian way), and I really struggle to understand why anybody does it, unless their lives are in disarray and they're simply desperate for a way to improve their situations, I suppose. But I realise that not wanting to gamble puts me in a minority of one, and that it does mean that my inability to enjoy (for example) horse racing makes me look a bit odd sometimes. My aversion to betting - dammit, I don't even understand the lingo of bookmakers' odds! - has sometimes put me at a social and professional disadvantage, actually. But hey, at least I haven't lost a hundred grand along the way.

My chosen drugs? Fifties bebop jazz, baroque chamber music, sunny weather, and yes, the first glass of red wine in the evenings. Going fast on a motorbike used to do it as well, particularly the old British ones that shook your entire body, they vibrated so much.

Another confession. These days, I seem to get a peculiar satisfaction from turning on the news to find out what insane things Donald Trump has been up to. There's something alarmingly addictive about the whole thing. I shall quite miss the buzz when he's finally wearing an orange jumpsuit. I can wait.

BJ

[AleisterCrowley]

Sadly i'm (mildly?) caffeine sensitive, so the morning coffee hit is a thing of the past. I can handle a couple of teas, then I'm on the water/decaff/whatever all day. I know two mugs of tea is probably similar to coffee in caffeine content , but i love tea so if i'm limited i'll go for tea...
Cutting out coffee also seemed to improve my IBS significantly, so I may be sensitive to something other than the caffeine

Drug of choice?
1. Real ale - Je suis CAMRAman
closely followed by-
2. Music (Rock, Indie, Electronica, post Punk, Goth, ABBA...) But not jazz
3. Books, modern first editions (collecting) and reading Iain Banks, Conan Doyle, Aickman, Chatwin, MR James, PD James, golden age crime fiction, popular science/maths, biographies, train timetables...
4. Walking, countryside, steam trains - particularly if pubs involved (see item 1)

[vrdiver]

Dropping through the water column. Nothing beats that mix of feelings as the bubbles clear from your mask, light and sound alter and weightlessness kicks in. Then the underwater topography starts to appear: doesn't matter what it is, it just does it for me every time.

Caffeine, chocolate, red wine are good, but come with penalties (doesn't stop me from overindulging )

Gambling? not for me. I've tried. Spent a year doing "matched betting" but found the whole thing incredibly tedious and decided it wasn't worth my time (despite being a steady earner in some "dead time" whilst I was working away from home). Went to a works do to the races; still didn't "get" it, despite being very close to the horses and large amounts of money changing hands. Also been to a few casinos; too conscious of the probabilities to enjoy placing a stake.

Cigarettes? Again, tried them but never got into them; too much effort, all that remembering to carry them around, actually smoke them (as opposed to lighting it and then forgetting to take a puff until it had turned to ash of its own accord anyway).

Adrenaline? Used to go on fairground rides with a gf of the time: she loved roller coasters. I figured it was either going to kill me (cue fear and terror) or else it was perfectly safe and there was nothing to worry about, so what was all the fuss? I couldn't get into the "it's terrifying that we're absolutely safe" mindset.

Oh, and bulletin boards. Specifically, when I have a long list of things I'm required to do and can avoid doing by sitting at the computer typing.
Need to check for replies. Nip back to check, feel remorse at wasting too much time, then do it all again....

VRD

[sg31]

My drug?

Certainly not gambling, my dad was a gambler, not excessively so and quite successful overall I think. I tried it as a teenager with a Yankee on 4 horses on the Saturday afternoon races on TV but it never really bothered me. To make it worthwhile I would have to win a life changing amount and that would involve betting a substantial amount of money which I'm not prepared to do.

I used to work with a few gamblers and was surprised at the amount of research they did. They would spend breaks at work, dinnertime and most of their leisure time reading, discussing or thinking about horse racing. They would then bet a small amount and maybe win enough for a few pints if they were lucky. Certainly not enough to make a difference to anything. They did get a lot of enjoyment from it so it was money well spent.

I used to enjoy sailing. Expensive but the joy of being on the water on a sunny day with the right amount of wind and the boat trimmed perfectly is a joy beyond price. It happens maybe 4 or 5 times a season. A friend filmed my boat on a day like that and the copy I have is one of my most treasured possessions.

I enjoy a really good pint of beer and a good glass of red wine. Good food is a pleasure, a really strong quality cheese is lovely as is sourdough toast with butter. Simple food but absolutely wonderful.

I got a lot of pleasure out of building. To rewire a house and turn it on and find it all worked always gave me a thrill. To re-plaster a room and then stand back and look at what I'd achieved was a delight. All of the constructive rather than destructive side of building was like that for me. I'm not saying all of it was fun while actually doing it but the satisfaction of looking what had been achieved at the end of each day certainly was.

These days I get a lot of satisfaction from fishing. Not just catching the fish but being in the countryside and close to nature. Having a wren land on my knee totally unaware I wasn't just part of the scenery. Having a kingfisher land within a couple of yards of me and sit preening, up close and personal with a grass snake. Those memories will last for as long as I do.

[stewamax]

Perhaps sg31 and I were twins in a previous life – or perhaps his preferences are universal. Because they are mostly mine also.

sailing: ahh… the sheer exhilaration of tacking into a Force 5 or above lying out just as far as I could with the mainsail sheet (rope) in one hand, tiller in the other and ‘fighting’ the wind with the rope to keep the yacht in balance and with the latter cutting through the waves and the wash going over my head….

a day’s hunting; clearing a high hedge on a clear winter’s day as the light is fading and the frost is returning to crisp the grass; coming home covered in mud but glowing inside

decent beer (Oakham Ales Citra; Innis & Gunn Original; …), old-style oaky Rioja (gifts of Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial readily accepted) – usual disclaimers

toast made from good very fresh wholemeal toast with slightly-salted butter eaten with a pot of Gillards Guv'nors Blend Assam/Darjeeling mix loose-leaf tea made in an infuser pot (my normal breakfast). Usual disclaimers again

coffee – I like it but it doesn’t like me. So no coffee

fishing – not for me

plastering? I’m envious. I can plaster small areas but never a room and never never a ceiling.

gambling? Never, not even raffle tickets.

[kiloran]

What is the thing that most gets your heart racing?

Is it shopping?
HYD

WHAT???!!! Be serious

I'm a volunteer driver for our local hospice and take patients to hospital for treatment. All the patients are great, but every now and again I get a Thank You card with some really nice words about how the service has helped.
Nothing can beat the heartfelt thanks from a patient who is going through some tough times, and knowing that I've helped to make a difference.

--kiloran

[nmdhqbc]

junk food, junk tv

so many wholesome/healthy "drugs" here. thought i'd try balance it out.

[tjh290633]

For me it used to be driving our Community Bus, a 16-seater with which we operated four routes, did excursions and private hires. Sadly I could no longer be insured beyond 75, so I have had to retreat to the management side, as a trustee of the bigger Community Transport CIO which absorbed us.

A nice run out on Tuesdays and Fridays, to villages to the north of the South Downs, picking up our regular passengers and collecting casual ones at times. Our terminus was just beyond the Shepherd and Dog at Fulking. No chance for a pint unfortunately.

TJH

[UncleEbenezer]

Sadly i'm (mildly?) caffeine sensitive, so the morning coffee hit is a thing of the past.

Does that apply even in small quantities?

I find these days a big mug of strong coffee gets a bit powerful (big change since pints in my student days, or when I bemused my Italian companions by filling a breakfast cappuccino-sized cup with neat espresso). But a small shot - a regular espresso (or even a double espresso after a good meal) or its derivatives are most welcome.

An espresso is to a good English coffee as whisky is to beer. All good drinks, serving entirely different purposes.

[Pipsmum]

Coffee by the mugful. Black with half a sugar please. Can't function until about four of them. I actually like supermarket dry roast and not real coffee that much. Has to be pretty special for me to like it more than my pleb grains.

Then aside from family caring, which always come first.

I like to learn things from scratch and master them... do them well... then I'm off to the next thing. Shares is a nice medium to explore and learn to lucrative effect if possible.

Restoring things. Love making new from an old wreck. Doesn't matter what it is.

Making things.... Cooking, painting... anything creative.

Gambling is once a year on the grand national with a pin. Not interested in chance. I like definite much better. So even the grand national is a home sweep and not with a bookie.

All this with a nice steak and a glass of vintage red will do very nicely, thank you.

[dionaeamuscipula]

What is the thing that most gets your heart racing?

So . . . what's your drug? And how much have you spent on it over your lifetime?

HYD

Nothing. Genuinely. Maybe if pushed the successful end of a significant endeavour by a family member. If I bet (rarely these days) it is because I think I know better than the market, not for a thrill.

DM

[YeeWo]

- Occasionally Swimming (Free on a Friday in my locality)
- Hop House Lager in my local Weatherspoons
- Travel regularly to SE Asia (VFR) and short-haul mini breaks
- Walking, I commute on foot (9 miles per day).
- Blogging........

[AleisterCrowley]

Sadly i'm (mildly?) caffeine sensitive, so the morning coffee hit is a thing of the past.

Does that apply even in small quantities? ....

Not very small quantities - tea contains caffeine and I'm 'ok' with two mugs in the morning. If I have more I start to notice it though..

I used to make a cafetiere of strong coffee on a Saturday morning, and by mid afternoon I'd have a tight chest, palpitations, panic attacks etc
At work we have an' in-house' Starbucks and a couple of those would make me feel a bit 'off' and seemed to trigger IBS attacks
I finally worked out it was probably the coffee
Not very scientific, but quitting coffee seems to have made me feel 'better' (and saves money, as I've no reason to go in a Starbucks/Costa etc..)

[Rhyd6]

Clay pigeon shooting, love it when I still manage to hold my own against my grandsons and I still smile at the look of horror and astonishment when my now SIL and daughter took me up to his parents farm to show me how to shoot Daughter never cracked on that I'd been shooting all my life.
Taking the dog for long rambling walks especially when friends come along with their dogs and we all end up at a local pub that does excellent proper pub grub and serves real ale.

R6

[swill453]

The first big mouthful of decent cold strong beer (probaby Proper Job) at 6pm on a Friday on an empty stomach. Can feel it going all the way down...

Those rare occasions when you can be over 1000m up on top of a Scottish mountain, lying in the sunshine without a breath of wind and able to see 100 miles all around.

Scott.

[redsturgeon]

Beer, curry and poker...not necessarily in that order but all at the same time is good.

John

[UncleEbenezer]

Those rare occasions when you can be over 1000m up on top of a Scottish mountain, lying in the sunshine without a breath of wind and able to see 100 miles all around.

An experience that's only really complete when you've done it in your birthday suit.

Safest on a peak where the sound of anyone approaching reaches you before you see each other.

[bionichamster]

Hard to say really

The word buzz makes me immediately think of chemical or adrenaline highs but as I understand it, it’s the dopamine that keeps you coming back for that next one.

I’ve never been much interested in chemical buzzes, nor have I ever warmed to gambling (never placed a bet in my life). I guess adrenaline can be a buzz, but I agree with vr driver in that generally I don’t get many of the experiences that work on the principle of : “it's terrifying that we're absolutely safe” , and I’ve too strong a sense of self preservation to get much pleasure from genuinely dangerous situations, and I’ve been in a few.

But if buzz is just something that gives you a warm sense of satisfaction and pleasure then it’s easier to pinpoint a few things.

I got a lot of pleasure out of building. To rewire a house and turn it on and find it all worked always gave me a thrill. To re-plaster a room and then stand back and look at what I'd achieved was a delight. All of the constructive rather than destructive side of building was like that for me. I'm not saying all of it was fun while actually doing it but the satisfaction of looking what had been achieved at the end of each day certainly was.

Now I totally get this, perhaps the deepest satisfaction I get is from making things or fixing stuff. I like DIY whether it’s in the house or on the car, plastering, kitchen fitting, flooring, roofing, plumbing etc, it’s great to stand back and review a job well done. But it’s fixing things I really love furniture, tools, ornaments, mechanical stuff, electrical things, almost anything really; Mrs BH often wonders why I don’t “throw it away and buy a new one” but she fails to realise that it’s the pleasure of returning something to useful service, getting one over on our consumer throw-away society and the additional buzz of avoiding the high cost of trade labour rates for stuff that needs fixing that it’s really about.

Recently her sister was visiting and apparently pointed out the registration plate on my daily driver (i.e. the old banger that does the bulk of my daily 90 mile commute rather than load a decent car up with the wear and tear) and said “do you realise how old that is? Why does he not buy something newer? I’ll loan him the money if he needs it). What she fails to realise is that:

A: I enjoy keeping it going, that's the fun bit.
B: It has long stopped depreciating and the cost of my maintenance and repairs are probably less than the servicing and parts on her own two year old Golf (certainly at the places she takes it….)
C: It still does 60+ mpg so it makes sense for a dull commute
D: I could afford to buy a very nice car thanks but choose to leave my money invested in shares for now
E: If I did buy a non-banger there is a good chance it would be at least as old as the current car, given I get pleasure from fixing/maintaining things.

I will happily spend half a day taking some nearly useless rusty bit of equipment to bits and restoring it to some kind of usable condition, much more satisfying than a trip to a casino, or a bottle of single malt. If I can't fix something I'll take it to bits and store various parts and fixings for use in other projects, which is also satisfying.....

BH