Consequences of Too Much Partying and How to Find Balance

The Consequences of Too Much Partying

We've all been there - one drink leads to two, two leads to five, and before you know it you've partied a little too hard. While letting loose and having fun occasionally is fine, regularly overdoing it on the alcohol and late nights can take its toll both physically and mentally.

The Morning After Regret

The most immediate and obvious consequence is waking up with a nasty hangover. Symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue make for a rough start to the day. Not to mention blackout drunk episodes leading to regretful situations or embarrassment.

Hangovers serve as the first warning sign you may be partying more than your body and mind can handle.

Impact on Work and Relationships

Showing up late and disheveled to job or classes with bloodshot eyes and smelly clothes reeking of cigarettes and booze does not give the most professional impression. Coworkers and supervisors quickly take notice.

Blowing off responsibilities to drink leaves you scrambling to catch up. Friends and partners also feel hurt when regularly stood up or ignored to continue partying instead.

Financial and Legal Troubles

All those drinks, cover charges, Uber rides, and drunken online shopping sprees quickly drain your bank account. Not to mention run-ins with the law for things like public intoxication, disorderly conduct, or driving under the influence racking up fines and legal fees.

Health Risks

Over time, excessive drinking and pleasure seeking manifests through various health issues dragging you down. From sallow skin and bloodshot eyes to vitamin deficiencies, weight gain, liver issues, anxiety, insomnia and more.

Short-Term Fixes for Hangovers

While no cure exists to instantly take back a night of too much partying, various remedies can help relieve hangover symptoms sooner rather than later.

Rehydrate

Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing increased urination and fluid loss. Combat dehydration headaches by drinking water or electrolyte beverages like sports drinks, coconut water, or broth.

Eat Something

Boost blood sugar and soak up leftover booze with bland carbs like toast, crackers, oatmeal, or bananas. Avoid greasy, dairy-heavy options which are harder to digest.

Take Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen help minimize inflammatory prostaglandins and cytokine chemicals induced by alcohol.

Try Some Caffeine

Coffee boosts feel-good dopamine neurotransmitters while constricting blood vessels in the brain, alleviating headaches. Opt for a small cup so not to further dehydrate.

Soothe Your Stomach

Ginger, mint, chamomile tea activate stomach-soothing properties. Peppermint capsules also relax GI muscles while antacids containing calcium carbonate neutralize excess stomach acid.

Preventing Hangovers and Alcohol Overindulgence

While no fail-safe method for preventing hangovers exists, various strategies help reduce their severity so you can avoid suffering and get back on your feet faster.

Pace Yourself

Slow steady sipping gives your body more time to metabolize alcohol rather than overwhelm it leading to toxicity and sickness.

Drink Water Between Beverages

Alternating alcoholic drinks with water preempts dehydration and slows absorption so inebriation creeps up gradually.

Eat Before and While Drinking

Lining your stomach with carbs, protein and fats makes alcohol absorption slower. Meanwhile, vitamins and minerals in food offer protection against depletion alcohol causes.

Avoid Congeners

Darker liquors like bourbon, rum and red wine contain chemical congeners exacerbating hangovers. Clear spirits like vodka and gin with less additives prove gentler.

Limit Late Night Drinking

Your body burns off most alcohol by metabolizing it through enzymes in your liver. But enzyme function peaks by nighttime then dips 50% lower overnight. So late drinking means sobering up takes longer.

Pop Some Supplements

Taking activated charcoal, milk thistle, vitamin B complexes, Dihydromyricetin (DHM), and N-Acetyl Cysteine before or while drinking help prevent toxins and nutrient depletion due to alcohol.

Signs You May Need to Cut Back on Partying

Blowing off steam with friends serves an important purpose. But regularly overdoing it signals an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and partying requiring reevaluation.

It Leads to Risky Choices

Blackout drinking with memory lapses means you lose control and make poor decisions against better judgement. Like unsafe sex, drugs, violence, criminal acts, or drunk driving.

You Neglect Responsibilities

Frequently calling into work sick or arriving late with reports unfinished means drinking prevents meeting expectations. Same for forgetting family obligations orevents.

It Impacts Your Reputation

Friends commenting on your extreme antics, bosses reprimanding you for mistakes, or partners losing trust means your partying damages relationships and professional standing.

Hangovers Disrupt Your Routine

Having to regularly cancel plans last minute or flake out on people because you are bedridden, sick, or recovering from a bender signals an issue.

It Causes Mental Distress

Experiencing shame, embarrassment, regret or depression after excessive partying Serve as red flags. The same applies to using alcohol to cope with stress or trauma rather than dealing with issues directly.

Physical Warning Signs Emerge

If drinking causes trembling hands, fluctuating weight, sleep issues, skin troubles or other concerning symptoms it cautions alcohol usage requires cutbacks.

Setting Clear Limits and Boundaries Around Partying

Getting carried away occasionally by enjoying nightlife is understandable. But tempering party habits by imposing reasonable limits and boundaries helps strike balance.

Define Days and Times for Drinking

Like, “I will only drink moderate amounts on Friday and Saturday nights” or “I will abstain from booze on weeknights.” This tactic prevents alcohol encroaching too far into responsibilities.

Determine Drink Maximums

Deciding your personal max number of drinks ahead of time provides a concrete cutoff to prevent overindulging. Factor in variables like food intake, circadian rhythms, medications and other individual tolerances.

Prioritize Obligations Over Partying

Never sacrifice work, family duties or health because opting to party instead. Make showing up prepared and on time to commitments the priority rather than afterthought.

Plan Sober Days and Activities

Scheduling regular alcohol-free days into each week or finding social outlets not revolving around booze reduces likelihood of overdrinking and provides balance.

Know Your Own Warning Signs

Learn to tune into personal signals like cravings, mood changes, decision making and behavioral shifts indicating you feel tempted to overdrink or party too hard.

Seeking Help for Alcohol Abuse

Sometimes despite best efforts, willpower falls short of resisting temptation to overindulge. In these cases, seeking outside support proves wise rather than delaying.

Talk to Your Doctor

Primary doctors help assess if drinking habits pose health risks plus assist creating plans to cut back or quit while also managing withdrawal safely.

Consider Therapy

Counseling helps identify motivations behind excessive drinking, builds coping skills to prevent using alcohol to self-medicate, and nurtures accountability through the process.

Look Into Treatment Programs

For those with more severe alcohol use disorder, structured inpatient or outpatient recovery programs offer intensive support to achieve and sustain sobriety long-term when self-help falls short.

Lean on Support Groups

Peer communities like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery provide relatable perspectives and tangible wisdom from others facing the same struggles with alcohol addiction and recovery.

Prioritizing health and well-being ultimately requires reassessing party habits with honesty. Then imposing reasonable limits and seeking help when necessary makes finding balance again possible.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.