feeling lower than death

Drinking to excess does solve problems, but only for a short time (while you’re drunk), and ultimately it causes more problems than it solves. I’m not trying to be condescending, but I’ve never had a drinking problem because I’ve always realized that ultimately I will have to sober up, and that drinking can become a problem, and is not a permanent solution (although I’m by no means a teetotaler; sometimes you really need to just get good and drunk). My personal rule is that I’m only allowed to get wasted one day a week (Friday, so that it won’t interfere with my job; 12:01 am is Saturday, so the drinking always stops by midnight), and can have two other drinks throughout the rest of the week. I always ensure that I won’t have to drive anywhere when I’m getting wasted, and that I’m in a safe environment. I don’t actually get wasted every week, but sometimes when I’m having a really horrible Tuesday I think, “Well, at least this Friday I can get good and drunk.” The advantage of this is that drinking doesn’t interfere with the rest of my life. And like I said, I’m adamant about the 12:01 am being Saturday; to quote In Bruges, “You’ve got to stick to your principles.”