A DELICATE BALANCE

Drinking can never be supported by me, but then I always believe that everything that has an advantage also has a disadvantage, and that goes for drinking alcohol, but not for hard drugs. Despite the fact that in almost every part of the world alcohol seems to be abused, there are still some benefits of alcohol. Sadly, so many people now see alcohol as a form of maturity or something that you just have to do to get over your frustrations, and of course, that's where the abuse comes from, because no matter what, that frustration is never going to go away. What just happens is that your brain just ends up choosing to believe the fact that it goes away because you feel relax, but in reality, nothing changes.

I've heard a lot of people say they drink alcohol so they could forget their sorrows, but then I've never seen anyone of them that ever forgets it. Instead, they become more pessimistic and nag even more, because most things don’t work their way. Alcohol is an organic liquid and it has so many uses, and I think the only disadvantage it has is the fact that people abuse it by consuming it without any moderation, some even use it to abuse people too.

If we look at where alcohol is gotten from, we will see that alcohol is never the problem; neither are hard drugs a problem. The problem has always been humans. We are so fond of doing things that we are asked not to do, and that did not even start today, so it won’t end tomorrow either. We are always going to deal with these excesses every now and then, and the only thing I can recommend is more orientation, education, and awareness.

Surprisingly, even those that tell us the disadvantages of these things also indulge in them, and that is a problem too. Alcohol has a very interesting role it plays in the human body, and that is why completely banning it out can’t be encouraged. Even in the medical field, we see that alcohol plays a major role for some surgeries to be successful. Yes, alcohol has the ability to make the human body feel relaxed and also relieve stress, but then when it is taken in excess, that is when complications start coming in, and that is what makes it look bad.

The thing is, every human has taken alcohol in one way or another, whether or not they know about it. In our bodies, we have two nervous systems, which help the body maintain stability, and they are called the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system is the part of the system that prepares the body for fight or flight, while the parasympathetic system helps the body to relax and digest. Now, when we take in alcohol at a time when we are scared or frightened, it helps to activate the parasympathetic system, and that helps the body relax, but then, when it is taken in excess, it can cause the sympathetic system to be more active, and that is a problem. Remember, the aim is for “stability”.

For hard drugs, due to its ban, we can see that it has made its consumption even higher, because now people feel dared, and they can just go the extra mile to feed their curiosity. And I believe that will also apply to alcohol consumption too if it is banned. People just need to be educated and encouraged to take these things in moderation and also, if possible, take them when they are in a place that they can be monitored too. Just like in the hospital, we see that people are given some sedatives, and it is always under supervision, because everyone reacts differently to these sedatives.

Banning anything completely will only make matters worst. People just need to be taught and encouraged to use them under supervision and at the right time. Also, they should be taught on how these things work inside the body, and I believe that will help them have more ideas on how to use these things. Like I said when I started, all these things have their advantages and their disadvantages; we just have to find a balance and not over-cross our boundaries, or else we will be the ones who will suffer for it more.

And also, one good way to help, as parents or guardians, we should avoid introducing our kids to alcohol at an early age, because that can be very disastrous. Sadly, here in my country, I see parents give their little children, even less than a year, alcohol, and they see it as a play. Alcohol has a very good way of disrupting the growth process of a child, so parents should be taught to avoid that as much as possible. Those children are still growing, and introducing them to alcohol or even drugs at a young age is one easy way to destroy their lives. I really hope that we put these things into consideration and save those little ones, because they are the ones who are going to be adults someday.

Thanks to the Hivelearners community for this beautiful topic on “No More Alcohol”.