TresSugar

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: 13 Irreverent Cocktail Napkins

TresSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:03:41 -0700

We've all seen beer posters and fridge magnets for dudes with messages like "The more I drink, the better you look." Well, there are a lot of cool cocktail napkins for the ladies - some inappropriate, some corny, but all funny. So sit back, sip your Old-Fashioned, and check 'em out. Source

View Slideshow ›

Have Cafe Novelists Replaced Boozin' Writers?

TresSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:30:07 -0700

In the past, the writer's life was often a lush life. Many great American novelists - including Ernest Hemingway and John Cheever - were notorious drunks. In fact, according to an article by Tom Shone in the new issue of More Intelligent Life, five of America's seven Nobel literary laureates were alcoholics:

In America William Faulkner and Scott Fitzgerald were the Paris and Britney of their day, caught in the funhouse mirror of fame, their careers a vivid tabloid mash-up of hospitalizations and electroshock therapies.

Rehab wasn't something people did back in the '30s. Neither was recovery-centric memoir writing. When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a story for Esquire chronicling his struggles, Hemingway told him to cast his "balls into the sea-if you have any balls left."

Ever since rehab went mainstream in the 1960s, Shone observes, the boozing writer stereotype is less typical. Both Cheever and Raymond Carver came out of rehab and kept writing; Stephen King got sober after an intervention. So where have all the overindulgent writers gone?

Alcohol Makes Your Mind Wander, But You Won't Notice

TresSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Anyone who's been tipsy knows it can set your mind a-wandering. What's worse, you may not even notice that it's wandering. Wait, sorry - what was I just saying?

A new University of Pittsburgh study suggests that even small amounts of alcohol can make you zone out without realizing that you're zoning out. In fact, putting back a few may put you in a state of meta-consciousness, where thoughts pass through your head without you fully noticing.

For the study, participants had to read part of War and Peace after consuming alcohol (try that next time you're drunk) and push a button when they caught their minds wandering:

The results revealed that while they were reading the text those who had consumed alcohol were mind-wandering without realizing it about 25 percent of the time - more than double that of those who had not consumed alcohol.

I've definitely been involved in some meandering bar conversations that suggest these finding are true. But it's hardly a laughing matter when talking about high-functioning alcoholics or other problem drinkers. According to psychology professor Michael Sayette, "this 'double-whammy' may explain why alcohol often disrupts efforts to exercise self-control."

Source

How to Spot a High-Functioning Alcoholic

TresSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

High-functioning alcoholics are often considered a hidden class of addict, but I've met more than a few of them in my life. So has Sarah Allen Benton, a recovering high-functioning alcoholic who just released a book about the disease: Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic.

According to Benton, a so-called HFA is someone who lives a seemingly normal life, often balancing family or romance with a successful career, while also abusing alcohol - and often denying it. In Benton's case:

"Having outside accomplishments led me and others to excuse my drinking and avoid categorizing me as an alcoholic. My success was the mask that disguised the underlying demon and fed my denial."

Do you think you might know a high-functioning alcoholic? Learn the warning signs when you read more.

Many times, the problem comes to light due to an unfortunate incident, like a drunk-driving accident, or the realization that the HFA simply can't control her drinking. But since the alcoholism doesn't fit into our typical understanding of addiction, it can stay hidden for years. Here are some things to look out for.

Excessive social drinking. Overindulging on occasional nights out doesn't automatically make you an HFA; it all depends on how much you consume. "Low-risk" drinking, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), for females consists of no more than seven drinks per week and three drinks per sitting.
Missed obligations. Shunning work or kid-related obligations could be indicative of a drinking problem.
Loss of control. Social drinkers who can't seem to limit their intake after one drink or who act differently than when they're sober could be HFAs.
Broken rules. Drinkers who set per-drink limits for themselves but fail to adhere to them could be battling alcoholism.
Alcohol obsession. People who seem to obsess about drinking could be HFAs. If one drink sets off a serious craving, that's a bad sign.

For more, check out Benton's blog or the resources page of the NIAAA. Do you know or have you ever known a high-functioning alcoholic? Share your stories in the comments (sign out to comment anonymously!).

Source

Dear Poll: Are You Prone to Drunk Dialing?

DearSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0700

When you're crushing on someone, sometimes a little liquid courage is all you need to get things moving in the right direction. But when you reach for the phone after having a few too many, that momentary fearlessness could easily lead to total humiliation the next day. Nowadays we not only have to worry about drunk dialing, but we also need to keep drunk texting and drunk emailing in mind, which could do even more embarrassing damage than a simple missed call.

So even if you didn't fall victim to drunk dialing this weekend, tell me, are you prone to it?

Source

Where Do You Stand? Drinking With Your Significant Other's Parents

DearSugar — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

So maybe you're not too keen about drinking on your first date, but after you've been seeing someone for a while, you've probably shared a few drinks together. You can have a great time letting loose with your significant other over a bottle of wine or six pack of beer, but what happens when you get together with his parents? Alcohol can definitely ease tension and make you feel more comfortable, but too much could prove to be disastrous. So where do you stand when it comes to drinking alcohol with his parents?

Source

The Best Date of '08!

DearSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:45:02 -0800

When it comes to dating, I'm a big fan of dinner and drinks with someone I'm crushing on, and though it wasn't a landslide win, 27 percent of you agree! Cooking together and being active came in a close second and third, but it seems like chatting over good food and a good cocktail takes the cake in 2008!

Source

Where Do You Stand? Drinking on a First Date

DearSugar — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

First dates are exciting, especially if you really like the guy, but they can also be incredibly nerve-wracking! Having a glass of wine is a great way to loosen up, but knowing when to call it quits is essential - you don't want to be that drunk girl (like this gal below)!

Is there a happy medium when it comes to drinking on the first date, or is alcohol better left for after you get to know each other a little better?

Source

10 Tips on How to Survive a Wild Night Out

DearSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Before you hit the town tonight, you might want to be prepared. Last weekend I ask you to tell me how you recover from a wild night out and your suggestions were awesome - looks like you've all done this before! In an effort to be more positioned this time around, I've compiled my 10 favorite suggestions for how to avoid a nasty hangover. Check them out below:

Don't drink the cheap stuff
Don't drink the sweet stuff
Don't mix alcohols
Hydrate before and after a night of drinking
Eat before, during, and after a night of drinking

Want to see five more tip? Just read more.

Wash your face and brush your teeth before bed - for some reason it helps
Sleep
Sweat it out at the gym the next day
Ibuprofen
Hair of the dog - have the same drink you had the night before!

Did I miss anything?

Source

Sunday Confessional: I Embarrassed My Boyfriend

DearSugar — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

After being unemployed for several months, my boyfriend finally landed the job he'd been pining for. To welcome him to the firm, his co-workers planned a happy hour at a pub nearby. My boyfriend invited me to join so I agreed to meet them after I left work.

I knew this was a big night for him and I was a little nervous, but I knew I had to be there for my boyfriend. All his co-workers were incredibly nice and we ended up having a great time. But since I hadn't eaten since lunch, I got tipsy pretty quickly. And when the shots started flowing, I went from being tipsy to being drunk. I don't remember much of the night other than having to run to the bathroom to get sick. I thought I was discrete about it, but one of my boyfriend's female co-workers was in the bathroom at the same time and witnessed the whole thing. I know things happen, and people make mistakes, but I have extreme guilt and shame for embarrassing my boyfriend in front of his new co-workers, especially during his first week on the job. Is my drunken indecency forgivable?

Submit your own Sunday Confessionals here and see if you are forgiven!

Source