I’ve been a teetotaler for most of my life, but drank more during certain times like my final semester of college (happy it was finally going to be over), or when we’re very busy socially. I also have alcoholism in the family, so am very careful about drinking and keep everything very much in check. I drink at least one glass of water/tea for every alcoholic beverage when I do drink, which helps a lot.
Most years, I only drink ~3X year, but have started to drink a bit more lately because, as scaredy noted, social drinkers tend to live longer than non-drinkers. My guess is the anti-anxiety/stress effects, but who knows? I just know that I feel less anxious and sleep better when I drink. Wish it weren’t so, but it’s true.
My DH tends to drink whenever he’s not working, and (IMO) he drinks too much. He’s a large man and has a high tolerance, but still. So far, no negative health problems related to drinking, his cholesterol and blood pressure levels are exceptional, but I’ve noticed his memory slipping a bit, lately. Not sure if it’s drinking related, but I have a feeling that it is.
Either way, I think it’s okay to drink in moderation, but it’s probably a good idea to always be honest with yourself about it, and try to keep things well under control. If the thought of going without a drink for a few days stresses you out, there might be a problem. With all of the alcoholics I’ve known, there is a definite pattern where the drinking happens more often, then the volume increases, then they move on to the hard stuff. Things tend to spiral downward rather quickly from there. Denial is always thick.
And Svelte is right about the breast cancer/drinking risk. Supposedly, one drink per day (even less than that) can dramatically increase one’s breast cancer risk, especially for those who are susceptible to the disease.
