I only have one thing to say...why alcohol? Alcohol is a depressant. Why use alcohol for momentary relief from depression? Or...if you must...drink mindfully. I noticed that when I drank (I do enjoy Pinot Noir and my beloved Guinness) --- that for two to five days afterwards my depression would INCREASE alarmingly. Yikes!!! The LAST THING to do when grappling with serious big life issues is to drink...especially to drink alone. I have stopped drinking any and all alcohol and I feel so much better for it.

I must say I am tending to agree with Artchic on this one. A few weeks ago I looked up a past love on Facebook, and it really screwed with my mind! At that time Artchic told me about her new philosophy of embracing being single. Well, Artchic, I too am now feeling it!

We can ONLY prepare ourselves for future relationships by FIRST having a good relationship with ourselves. I think that is Artchic's essential message.

I also agree with Artchic that relationships - even good ones - take a lot of work. I know as I have been in several long relationships, and have been in marriage, and that is definitely how it went. The healthier one is as a single person, the more they have to give when in a relationship. A good relationship requires vim and vigor!

Worrying about things like one's age or energy level might be an indication of lack of self-confidence. The last person I dated was much younger than me, and the age difference was not an essential factor. It simply doesn't matter and there are tons of couples out there who prove that age is not the single most essential factor in finding a relationship. It is all about self-confidence.

All I really wanted to say is that drowning one's troubles in alcohol is a very bad idea, especially if one is already depressed.

Alcohol kills brain cells. Alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol is an expensive way to self medicate.

Please, please, please don't drink in an effort to escape troubles.