People drink alcohol for many reasons – to be sociable, to de-stress or to feel cheerful (even though alcohol is a depressant). Some of the more negative effects of alcohol can include:

- If you drink too much it can make you feel very unwell

- Alcohol can affect your judgement

- If you are drunk you are more likely to take risks

- Too much alcohol over a long period of time can lead to serious health problems.

Alcohol can make you lose your inhibitions. If you are not confident you may drinks to boost the way you feel about yourself. It can be far too easy to end up in a situation that you can’t control, you may not realise what you are doing and wake up the next day unable to remember what you have done.

Many people have regular casual drinks which don't have a detrimental effect on their health. However if your drinking is becoming a habit, you may face physical, financial or emotional problems. There are services that can help if you are feeling out of control – check out the links page for more information.

The recommended weekly alcohol limit is three to four units per day for men. One unit of alcohol is roughly equivalent to half a pint of low-strength beer or one measure of spirits. A small glass of wine is roughly one-and-a-half units of alcohol.

Spreading your units out over a week is the most sensible thing to do, don’t drink all your weekly allowance in one go! If you often go over the limit it is advisable to think about cutting down as you may experience long-term ill health such as liver, stomach, throat, kidney and heart problems.

If you drink too much you may get a hangover. Here are a few things that may help:

- Sleep – having enough sleep will give your body time to recover.

- Water – drinking too much alcohol can leave you dehydrated. Try to drink plenty of water to help your body recover.

- Fruit Juice – drinking fruit juice will help replace lost vitamins and the fruit sugar will boost your energy levels.

- Paracetamol – if you wake up and feel like your head is about to explode, a couple of paracetamol with water will help reduce the pain. Stick to the stated dose though. Avoid aspirin as these may irritate your stomach and make you feel more nauseous.

This article was last reviewed on: 26/10/11
Date due for next review: 26/10/13