[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by twobone

Not wanting to inflame the discussion, but....

One conclusion I have come to is that alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances on earth. I have seen it contribute towards the majority of the divorces and some of the early deaths among my extended friends and family.

I'm OK with the occasional drink, but society's love affair with booze as escape for the masses from the troubles of modern life takes a terrible toll.

Anything used to excess can be destructive. Alcohol to be certain but you could also list drugs, gambling, porn, internet, food, etc.

A friend of mine dropped off of the grid after his fiance left him. My last conversation with him was totally normal, he was looking forward to coming to my wedding and life was good. Shortly thereafter he vacated his place, disconnected his number, left town, and nobody has heard from him since. He had recently discharged from the military due to his engagement and desire to start a family, prior to leaving he had been offered a special forces gig that he declined. Our theory was that he re-enlisted after his relationship fell apart and disappeared due to his new line of work.