" 'Difficulty walking, blurred vision slurred speech, impaired memory, impaired judgment, and blackouts' according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are just a few of the damaging effects of alcohol on the brain. Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when the drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety."
You and I both know people whose idea of great enjoyment at any social occasion is to drink to excess, sometimes to the point of losing consciousness. I don't mean necessarily that they drink until they pass out, although some people do. I mean that they drink alcohol until they have little or no idea of where they are,who they are with or what they are doing.
I'm not being self-righteous about my position on social inebriation. I'm not a teetotaler. I just don't get why people want to get showered, get dressed, drive to a social occasion to be with friends and then behave in such a way that they remember little or nothing about it. Besides the long-term health effects mentioned above, in the short run it just doesn't make logical sense to me. I'm not just questioning the after effects, I'm questioning the gathering itself. When a person is inebriated he says and does things that are not consistent with his or her walking around self. When he is drunk, he takes leave of his senses and is no longer in control of his faculties. He is neither in control of what he is saying or what he is doing. He risks his job, his reputation and his relationships. The death spiral of drinking is that alcohol impairs judgment, so the part of your brain that normally says "Stop drinking" isn't capable of telling you that. So you drink another and are more impaired. Eventually there is no filter whatsoever to stop you from making an absolute fool of yourself. And risking your health, your life and the lives of others.
But speaking of "driving to" the occasion, many people who get sloppy drunk "drive from" the occasion as well. They say they had "a couple of drinks", but the truth is they lost count of the number of drinks that they consumed. They say they've waited long enough and are okay to drive. But our highways are littered with crashed automobiles, broken bodies, blood and guts and destroyed lives because somebody had " a couple of drinks" at a party. Thankfully, some people before they go, and while they have possession of their rational brain, make accommodations for the fact that they will have leave of their rational brain in a few hours.
Short of a catastrophic accident, there is the matter of a DUI. A DUI is one of most embarrassing, time-consuming and expensive legal offenses possible. Even if it doesn't involve jail time, and many times it does, the first offense can cost the offender $10,000 or more. It can cost his driving privileges for a year. Insurance rates sky rocket. It can cost a career, a marriage, etc. And will you enjoy picking up litter for several days along a busy highway? There are impaired drivers on that highway as well. Will you be proud to wear that orange vest that makes you look like a convict? Oh wait; you are a convict. And for what good reason? Because it was fun to get blitzed at at social gathering and not even remember being there? I'm quite sure you will remember everything associated with the DUI for years to come.
When you have gotten drunk, even if you have not done damage to your brain, even if you got home safely, even if you didn't harm significant relationships or your career, there is the inevitable hangover. That's why they call it a "hangover." You may not remember much of what you did the night before, but your body will remind you. And for what?
Finally, there is the matter of alcoholism. Once you cross that line, there is no going back. Ever. No one ever said, "I used to be an alcoholic." You will spend the rest of your life either in recovery or as a drunk. Pick one.
Go to weddings. Go to parties. Go to business social occasions. Have fun ! But instead of getting sloppy drunk, try it under the influence of nothing more than your quick wit and natural charm. If it helps you to relax, have "a couple of drinks" and stop. If you can't "have a couple of drinks" without stopping, then drink nothing stronger than Coke, tea or coffee. Besides avoiding the many health and well-being risks with the consumption of too much alcohol, you will actually remember being at the party. You possibly made connections that will pay off now and in the future.
When I was a kid I started a fire that involved the fire department to put it out. The only fire I intended to start was to burn pine straw in a mesh sack for oranges and spin the flames around my head. I'm sure some part of my ten year old brain was telling me that it was not a good idea. Inevitably the fire burned out the bottom of the sack and the flaming missiles spread everywhere. Thankfully, the fire spread only to a wooded lot and the firemen were able to contain it quickly. I got a much deserved lecture from the fireman and a tongue lashing from my dad. There are some things that have good outcomes and some things that will always have a bad outcome. There are no good outcomes from playing with fire. Something gets burned.
One of the synonyms of "sobriety" is "common sense." Fifty percent of "common sense" is "sense". I think what I have written makes sense. If you don't think it makes sense, then maybe you have already had one too many.
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