by Kevin O'Connell

Created on: December 28, 2008

Alcohol as a social beverage shared among friends and family can and should contribute to the enjoyment and the ambience of such gatherings. Even over doing it on the rare occasion is not all that serious of a matter, other than the embarrassment of passing out or doing something regretful, or the discomfort of having it all come back up.

However, alcohol can have negative physical and psychological effects when its use moves from the social to the routine. Consumed in moderate amounts and provided the time to fully clear the body and to allow the system to cleanse itself, alcohol is well tolerated. However, in the absence of this cleansing, it is a substance that is both toxic and upon which one can develop a dependence.

So how can you tell if you are drinking too much?

Do you drink every evening to reach that point where the warmth of inebriation seeps through your limbs? It is one thing to unwind each evening with an after dinner cocktail or to enjoy a class of wine with a meal, and quite another to have multiple drinks throughout the evening and pass out in the recliner.

Do you pick up a six pack of your preferred malt beverage each night on the way home from work? It may only be beer, but if you are drinking it at a rate that you need to replenish your supply on a daily basis it is a good bet there is a degree of dependence.

Do you wake each morning, or multiple mornings a week, still under the influence of the previous night's consumption? To do so is clear indication that your body is not being allowed the time necessary to detoxify.

Do you take a drink in the morning prior to going to work or just to kick-start your day? This little shot is a bit more than just the hair of the dog. It is a sign of alcohol dependency, something that your body needs to "feel right".

Do you start out with hard liquor and than switch to beer, or visa versa, and then back and forth? Only those hard core drinkers with practice can do this without getting sick or suffering from a massive hangover come the morning.

Do you simply fall asleep or pass out after your drinking is done for the night? The spins or alcohol related nausea is for the rookies and the uninitiated. You have practice.

Do you see drinking as an activity? Much like being high, being under the influence of alcohol is "doing something" and is often a substitute for boredom or a way to fill free time.

Do you start your drinking early on the weekends? It may seem that without the demands of the work day, having a beer with

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>