Hangovers- The curse to humankind

Gone are the days of being a young student who bounces right back after a night of binge drinking at the club. On behalf of all the hard-working people out there, I finally understand you. Us corporate grinders are what I refer to as the 'weekend drinkers'. We work a full time job 5 days a week, only to get to Friday and grab a drink out of the fridge faster than we can put our bags down. Aren't we all grown up?

There is no known cure for a hangover, even though it only takes a simple internet search to find a whole list of theories and concoctions to fix it (orange juice and raw egg anyone?). Its the way our bodies menacingly remind us that we had too much fun the night before, and as we get older the hangover seems to linger and gain momentum as the day progresses. Before we know it, we are writing off being a functional adult for the entire day. If only we could bottle the feeling of a hangover just to remind ourselves how we are inevitably going to feel in less than 24 hours.

I am what they call in the world of drinking a 'light-weight'. If drinking was boxing, I would undoubtedly be in the lowest category. I have even been given the nickname 'Two-sip Sarah' after the many occasions I have had less than three drinks and already caught up with the seasoned drinkers. I am not ashamed of this, I embrace my inability to consume vast amounts of alcohol as time saving and cost-effective.

The problem I do have with my low level of consumption is how I feel the next day. If you thought I managed to completely avoid a hangover because I drank less than the average person on a night out, you would be thoroughly mistaken. Not only do I suffer the WORST hangovers, I pretty much experience every symptom throughout the day until I go to sleep that night. Does it stop me from having a few drinks with my friends and family on a Friday night after a long week of work? Hell no. Its like watching Supersize Me and then eating McDonald's straight after.

When you think of what a hangover actually is, its your brain suffering under duress from dehydration. Alcohol is seen from a biological perspective as poison to the human body as it is unable to process it naturally, which sounds genuinely frightening. This causes physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, fatigue and sensitivity to light and noise. Lets not forget the emotional symptoms of regret, embarrassment and the unavoidable 'losers complex' #whatdididolastnight.

Next time you wake up in the morning with those blood shot eyes and that poor aching liver, consider yourself part of a large group of people around the world that are feeling just as shocking as you are. Have a big glass of water, a greasy breakfast and a pain killer and call the day off until further notice. You body is too busy figuring out what to do with tequila and vodka cranberry to get anything done. x