Listening

Listening "dry", the dopamine released from music alone is never going to be quite what it once was

I can relate, @mulveling .  For a few years I used to enjoy sipping brandy or bourbon or rye or scotch or sour mash or drinking (not sipping) wine while I listened and as the night grew later and later the music sounded better and better.  Back a few years ago, '21 I think it was, the lab results from my annual VA physical came back showing liver enzymes slightly elevated. I took that as a message and modified until my LFTs  were  showing normal parameters, and I must say that besides the normal lab results, I was feeling better. I might drink a couple of bottles of extra light beer when I listen, but that stuff is seriously so light I don't even classify it as drinking. 

 BUT a few years dry now, my natural dopamine has recovered a LOT and it's a pretty easily enjoyable thing again to just sit and listen,

But I just cannot get to where you are with the brain chemicals yet.  At least not most of the time.  It can be good, but it's never been as much fun.

Truthfully, if I was in a better place, both mood wise and actual location, I'd take up THC products again as that used to truly make my listening experience magical.

@immatthewj
Very wise to peel back on that stern warning sign! Good on you. Some guys never get a warning through decades of abuse (including seemingly perfect liver/enzyme numbers), then wake up all yellow one day and it’s game over. We’re both lucky.

But I just cannot get to where you are with the brain chemicals yet. At least not most of the time. It can be good, but it’s never been as much fun.

Truthfully, if I was in a better place, both mood wise and actual location, I’d take up THC products again as that used to truly make my listening experience magical.

It was a slooow recovery process for sure, but every year the ice breaks a bit more and life gets better. But also yeah - expectation mangement - it’s never gonna be as WOW as when all the stars and substances aligned lol. Always fleeting on the latter, though. THC never did it for me, personally - usually leads to either anxiety or sleepiness and the few times it actually felt good lasted about 5 seconds lol. Edibles in particular were wildly unpredictable for me. Usually they did NOTHING but there was one time that lead to a 5 hour anxiety/panic attack after a 2 hour delay, haha never again.

What do I do while I listen?

My best guess would be:

1. Sit and listen.     60%

2. Cooking.            30%

3. Miscellaneous.  10%