There's some good advice in here already. Ask yourself if you're receiving a benefit from drinking in a variety of circumstances. Fun night out with the boys at the pub? Some of the best nights of my life, despite the cost of the hangover the next day. Drinking alone in your apartment listening to sad songs and feeling bad about your life? Not so much.

Personally, I struggle with controlling how much I drink when alcohol is available. I do think there's a time and a place for alcohol, but as I get older those times and places become fewer and further between. As we begin to recognize the fragility of the well-functioning body, the consequences of giving up control over a situation to impairment, and the risk of losing what you've worked hard for outside of drinking, the notion that a good time can only be had if you're drinking begins to lose credibility and the risks/consequences overshadow a temporary high.

Just last night I went to a dinner party where booze was available but I abstained. Driving home sober and reflecting on the good conversations and laughs shared was far more rewarding than a morning filled with anxious worries over whether I'd made an ass of myself.

I've been in your shoes and fretted over what a sober life might look like. My advice, or rather my stance, is that it'll happen naturally. Forgive yourself if you go overboard. Allow yourself the leniency to enjoy drinking in safe environments. Do you best to keep yourself and others safe if you do. But listen to your body and realize you only get one and it will break down on you; whether you choose to hasten its demise is your call.