Others have already pointed out how line-drawing in any given place is arbitrary, because all of our thinking/feeling/motivation is chemically driven in many ways, so I’ll come at this from another angle. No idea if it will help you, but I certainly found it helpful when I first encountered it.
Basically, this is an ancient problem despite the modern framing. Have you read Euripedes’ The Bacchantes? Dionysus isn’t just the god of wine and partying, he’s also a god of balance and renewal, and the proper, mature use of all forms of intoxication. Intoxication can destroy, but with his initiation rites and rituals (translation: social context, training, self-discipline) it can intensify experiences, promote social cohesion, and enhance exploration of the full range of ways of being human.
These days, our culture rejects letting others decide for us what the proper use of sex and drugs and so on are, and so refuses to provide much useful guidance or a reliable social context. But it’s at least a way of thinking about the problem. If you find yourself in a setting/culture where use of intoxicating substances or practices seems to cause problems, avoid them. If you find yourself in a setting/culture where they seem not to cause problems, or even seem to make things better, then take the time to learn why and how that setting/culture uses them, and then decide if and when you want to follow along. Throughout, strive to monitor yourself and know your limits, and to have people you trust watching your back (and listen to them if they suggest you cut back on something).
Others have already pointed out how line-drawing in any given place is arbitrary, because all of our thinking/feeling/motivation is chemically driven in many ways, so I’ll come at this from another angle. No idea if it will help you, but I certainly found it helpful when I first encountered it.
Basically, this is an ancient problem despite the modern framing. Have you read Euripedes’ The Bacchantes? Dionysus isn’t just the god of wine and partying, he’s also a god of balance and renewal, and the proper, mature use of all forms of intoxication. Intoxication can destroy, but with his initiation rites and rituals (translation: social context, training, self-discipline) it can intensify experiences, promote social cohesion, and enhance exploration of the full range of ways of being human.
These days, our culture rejects letting others decide for us what the proper use of sex and drugs and so on are, and so refuses to provide much useful guidance or a reliable social context. But it’s at least a way of thinking about the problem. If you find yourself in a setting/culture where use of intoxicating substances or practices seems to cause problems, avoid them. If you find yourself in a setting/culture where they seem not to cause problems, or even seem to make things better, then take the time to learn why and how that setting/culture uses them, and then decide if and when you want to follow along. Throughout, strive to monitor yourself and know your limits, and to have people you trust watching your back (and listen to them if they suggest you cut back on something).