> [big snip]

> Could you be a Risk Taker? These are people who get their kicks from flirting with danger. You can look at your other activities and determine if you are an RT.
>
> Do you gamble? If so, do you gamble on things where the chance of winning is slim to none?
>
> Look at your driving habits. Do you drive faster than you should, or zip through a red light knowing that it will be red when you get there?
> Do you run stop signs when there is no other traffic? Do you pass on a two-lane road when there is oncoming traffic? Do you use a cell phone while driving? Do you drive without insurance?
>
> Do you smoke? Do you jump from high places?
>
> The list goes on and on. There is a chance that you can drink without ever becoming an alcoholic. There is an even better chance that your parachute will open. The other car may have excellent brakes. But is it worth the risk?
> Howard

No, I'm not what you would call a risk-taker. Out of all the things you mentioned, the only thing I do is gamble. I go to Las Vegas about once every three or four years, and about once a year to Shreveport (closest casinos to me). But I really don't define that as being a "risk-taker". Why? Because I do it responsibly. I set aside a certain amount of money and if I lose it, then it's quitting time. Sure, I could do different things with the money if I wanted to, but I choose not to. If I want to take $500 of MY hard-earned money and risk losing it all, then that's my business. And besides all of that, I enjoy going to the casinos. I have a good time there. If gambling isn't your thing then don't do it, but people who choose to gamble aren't doing a bad thing.

And gambling, much like drinking, is not inherently bad in and of itself. It's the choices people make related to those things that can be bad.

As to your question about drinking being worth the risk...I guess it all depends on the perception of the risk involved. I see no risk whatsoever (for me) in drinking. I'm not an alcoholic, I have no history of alcoholism in my family, and I drink in moderation.

The firsthand experience I mentioned in a previous post was from two close friends. I saw their addiction almost ruin their lives. But it wasn't the alcohol that did it. That just happened to be their choice. The responsibility for their addictions rests solely on their own shoulders. If they had never touched a drop of alcohol, then it would have been something else like drugs, money, shopping, or whatever. They would have found something and latched on to it.

What irks me is when people want to blame drinking, gambling, or [insert activity here] on their problems and not accept responsibility themselves. The glass of wine isn't the problem, it's the choice to drink ten of them a night that is.

Compulsive shopping/spending is a recognized disorder. Should we stop going to the mall to avoid the risk of becoming shop-a-holics?

-Kelly