Pros and Cons of Drinking
I thought I would break this down. For me, and maybe others will appreciate or join in.
Pros:
I enjoy drinking while I am doing it. Really enjoy it. I love downing beers while watching movies, and cutting up with the boys while drinking and passing the joint around.
Cons:
Weight gain. I always poured as much beer into my gut as I could, then at a point in the night I would hit the kitchen. And I assure you, I was not eating wheat germ and bean sprouts. I would eat as much as I could of pizza, chips, burgers, and then collapse onto the bed.
Money. Consider what you spend/spent monthly while drinking heavily. Wouldn't it be better to save that money? Or put it to your house debt? Car debt? Credit card? Or for your family? Maybe fix up your house. Anything.
Destroyed relationships. There were other aspects that ended my marriage. My ex was addicted to World of Warcraft, and in some ways it was worse than my drinking. But I came to realize that she ran to that game because of my drinking. I believe that if I either did not drink, or was a moderate social drinker, I would still be married.
A horrible example for your children or other young members of your family. What do your kids think when you are drunk constantly? I had two kids and I drank every night. That is my biggest regret.
Decreased performance at work. I don't know about your job, but things are tight in the world of machining. There have been layoffs and it doesn't look like things will be picking up soon. I need my job and I need to be at my best at it if I want to keep it.
Wasted time. I needed approx. two hours extra sleep to get over my hangover every morning. Well, obviously not get over it, but to allow the extra sleep to make it almost bearable. Then there are the hours spent actually drinking.
Health problems. The toll on your liver and brain cells can be harsh. Drinking steals your stamina and makes all body functions less effective. It also gave me problems that come under the TMI (too much information) category for me to mention here.
Self esteem. While some alcoholics behave with false bravado, I think most of us feel inferior when we are drinking constantly. That affects our whole lives and brings on depression, anxiety, and even worse emotional problems.
Lack of creativity. Some of us surely have artistic aspirations. Even if it is for our own benefit. I am a part time writer and I could have been a whole lot more successful at it if I had not been such a heavy drinker all my life.
Isolation. I never got a DUI because I always drank at home. My rule was to not have a single drink or toke until I was secured for the night at my place. People would ask me to a concert or a party. I would immediately think of how it would affect my drinking. Could I get a ride back and forth? Could I drink during the concert? I couldn't have one or two then stop for a couple of hours. I declined so many invitations that they stopped coming.
Shortened life span. Alcohol consumption is not good for us. They say a drink a night might not be bad for you, and could even be healthy. I doubt anyone here drank one a night. Dying young might sound good to someone in the depths of alcoholic despair and depression, but life is sacred. I believe we are here to fulfill a purpose. We are all on the same ride, and it is our job to help others along the way. We all need each other, and excessive drinking destroys that.
Need I go on?