How Weekend Drinking Can Become a Problem

There are a dozen labels attached to drinking as an addiction, a problem, a dependence issue, a social problem, etc. But I don't really want to get into the labels in this article; I would just like to address the weekend drinking behavior pattern and examine it as such.

When you are in your 20's and even in your 30's; the weekend trips to bars, parties, sporting events, or anything social usually involves alcohol. This is a social time when you are still finding out who you are and you are usually looking for others to join you in your quest. This behavior can quickly become a lifestyle before you know it. It sneaks up with you, suddenly every one of your close friends are heavy drinkers, as a matter of fact; you don't have any friends who don't drink in your life. You are also thinking about settling down and starting a relationship or family, maybe buying property, hmmm, which matters more in your priorities of money, alcohol or reality?

Once you get to 40's and over; social drinking on the weekends can still be pretty much the same social lubricant to most every event. People tend to "dress it up" a bit more, pursuing certain higher end cocktails or wines, but the weekend drinking of alcohol is usually the same socially accepted way to wind down after a tough week at the office or wherever you were. The difference is that now, you may start having other health issues (these may even be caused by prior drinking, smoking, etc. when you were younger) and you may start noticing some different results from you favorite past time. Also, you may be on some new medicines that interact with alcohol on a good or a bad level, never mind those silly ads and warning messages because they are still just guessing what your particular reaction will be to the combination of these prescriptions and alcohol.

I feel that alcohol has its place in our lives, society and for just pure enjoyment. And my advice for any behavior patterns or lifestyle choices is that you constantly have to keep yourself in check. The addiction process, the dependence or the downward spiral can creep up in any area of your life way too quickly, if you do not keep your awareness open and be brutally honest with yourself about where you are at in these events. Like Smokey Bear Says "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" and that goes as well with the "fires" that get out of hand in your life. Peace Out.