To drink or not to drink

To Drink or Not to Drink? That Is the Question

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To drink or not to drink at work related events is a question almost every employee has to ponder for one occasion or another. Whether the business occasion is lunch during an interview, the company holiday party, or a staff networking event on Friday afternoon, alcohol is usually an option.

Make your decision about what to drink and how much to drink before you are faced with the choices at the event.

Set your limit before the event. This will help you resist the temptation to change your mind when you are actively attending the party.

At home, I was feeling like my body was starting to talk to me, and tell me to slow down. When i first started drinking I could drink until 3am, wake up at 9am, and still be productive. But that’s not the case anymore. Alcohol seems to have a cumulative affect on a person, whereas the more you drink the more it chips away at your productivity and clarity until you think that waking up at 2pm is ok, and as long as you’re not hungover for the two days then its ok to be hungover for one. I began to notice that it became harder and harder to get started on my work before well into the day, and because i got started so late I would complete less, which would make me feel shitty about completing less work and want to drink more. The cycle had officially began.

Looking back I now realize that I really only had two main activities in my life: music and going out. I would do some music, then go out. Recover from going out and do some music again. Now that I write this I see how unhealthy it is at a very fundamental level to have so few outlets. It wasn’t always like this. I was always into sports and really technical nerdy stuff like computer programming, but i noticed that the more I would drink and go out, the less I would care about stuff like that. I think i probably averaged only reading 1-2 books per year the past few years.

I started to also realize that this sentiment was starting to come across in my music. As an artist, it’s very difficult to express yourself without talking about what you’re going through, and the bored, tired, fed up feeling was starting to come across in my music. A line here, a line there, but I knew that if it was coming out in that way then it was time to make a change.

Among the dangers of underage drinking:

Each year, an estimated 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries.
The younger people are when they start to drink, the more likely they are to become alcoholic at some point in their lives.
Underage drinking is illegal—an arrest can lead to losing a job, a driver's license, or a college scholarship.

Even moderate amounts of alcohol can significantly impair driving performance and your ability to operate other machinery, whether or not you feel the effects of alcohol.

Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damage and other serious problems in the baby. Because it is not yet known whether any amount of alcohol is safe for a developing baby, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not drink.

Drink moderately.
Don't binge drink.
Avoid drinking games, keg stands, and beer bongs.
Set limits before you drink and establish a nonalcoholic beverage you will use as a substitute once you have reached your limit (soda, juice, mineral water, and carbonated spring water are good choices).
Always appoint a designated driver.
Set up a buddy system and stay together (don't abandon intoxicated friends or let them wander away).

Teasing Out the Truth

How can alcohol pull a person down so quickly? The answer is found in its chemical composition. It produces certain chemical reactions in the brain that release dopamine, a substance that causes feelings of well being. These reactions also stimulate endorphin production, which is a natural painkiller. This “feel good” effect drives people to drink increasing amounts. But here's the catch: when a certain amount of alcohol is consistently consumed, the body becomes tolerant of that, and more is necessary to produce the same physical effect. This progressive process is similar to other addictive drugs. As one alcoholic described it, “[After] you take that first drink, you want to replicate that rush. I wanted to get to that point [again].” (Chicago Tribune) This feeling is so powerful that it drives many beyond their resolutions to remain moderate drinkers leading to their ultimate ruin.

So it turns out there is a big price to pay when you get the rush coffee has to offer. This rush is wear and tear on our body at a cellular level.

Even if you enjoy only one cup of coffee in the morning, it may still affect you at night. This is because the suppression of adenosine released throughout the day disrupts sleep at night because one of its jobs is to promote a good night’s sleep.

It's crucial to take into account age, sex, specific medical problems, and family history, Klatsky tells WebMD.

Or shall I pour a little liquid courage, a glass of floral sustenance, a tumbler of divine happiness?

Can I please have my wine?