While it's hard to judge a book by its cover, it's possible to judge a drinker by the number of glasses he downs, because a new UK study reveals that there are nine types of drinkers. Their personality types range from depressives, who drink alone at home, to macho exhibitionists who spend almost every evening at a pub. 
Since not everyone who drinks is on the brink, here's a guide to safe social drinking.

When you drink, what booze does to your mind and body

Dr Raju Kanakia, consultant gastroentologist and liver specialist at Lilavati Hospital

Alcohol can artificially correct an ineffective dopamine system and make the drinker feel more sociable or motivated to pursue a goal. It increases blood pressure andcan contribute to coronary heart disease, add calories and can lead to obesity.

Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage the liver in 3 stages:

Alcoholic fatty liver: It can be cured if he/she stops drinking.
Alcoholic Hepatitis: There's a 50% chance of the drinker recovering, if they stop drinking.
Alcoholic Cirrhosis: Usually develops after more than a decade of heavy drinking.The damage is irreversible.

The notorious nine

De-stress They use alcohol to regain control of life and to calm down. They are most likely to include middle-class women and men. Their partners often reinforce their behaviour by making them drinks.
What they are likely to drink: Several bottles of wine

Conformist They are driven by the need to belong and seek structure. These are typically male, aged 45 to 59, in clerical or manual jobs, who believe going to a bar is what men should do.
What they drink: Ale

Boredom Consume alcohol to pass time, seeking stimulation to relieve monotony. Alcohol helps them feel secure while acting as a substitute for company.
What they drink: Can after can of mediocre lager beer.

Depressed They could be of any age, gender or socio-economic group. Since their life is in crisis, they crave comfort, safety and security.
What they drink: Gin

Re-bonding They are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them, and often forget how much they are drinking.
What they drink: Whatever the other person is having. For them, it's all about reflecting the other person's actions.

Community They are motivated by the need to belong. They are usually lower middle class men and women who drink in large groups.
What they drink: Beer

Hedonistic They crave stimulation and want to abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children, who want to stand out from the crowd and prove their youth.
What they drink: Spirits with energy drink mixers.

Macho They are mostly men of all ages who want to set themselves apart and prove their status.
What they drink: Beer and spirit concoctions.

Border dependents They may suffer from a general sense of malaise in their lives.
What they drink: They drink the bar dry.

Desi star who took to drinking

Actor Meena Kumari's personal life depicted the tragedy of her films. While her professional life was soaring with hits, she had a lot of  personal angst and turned to drinking.

Hollywood star Drew Barrymore spent most of her childhood plastered in tabloids thanks to her wild partying, drug and alcohol abuse. Her actions forced her mother to commit her to a drug rehab clinic, with little success. In 1990, Drew wrote her autobiography, Little Girl Lost. It dealt with her struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, and her life in the fast lane.

Deadly combinations to avoid

Drinking and driving
A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than a driver who has not consumed alcoholic beverages.

Drinking and smoking
Even small amounts of alcohol boost the pleasurable effects of nicotine, inducing people to smoke more when drinking alcoholic beverages.

Drinking and consuming antibiotics
Mixing any type of prescription drugs or antibiotics could prove to be a bad cocktail. Antibiotics are absorbed through the liver, as is alcohol, the consumption of alcohol affects how the antibiotics are absorbed, and they may not be as effective. Might even cause nausea, vomiting and headaches.

Don't be a slave to the bottle

Dr Yusuf Merchant, President of Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre

Alcohol is a drug in liquid form. At our centre, we follow three stages to help patients deal with alcoholism.

Motivation: Here, we interact with the patient and his family. We inform them about the recovery process, and encourage them to stay away from alcohol.

Detoxification: We administer medication, which will minimise the physiological discomfort that a patient suffers.

Rehabilitation: It's a process of self discovery. Since most patients come to the centre with low self esteem, this process helps build confidence and equips them with skills that help them start life afresh

At: 5-7, 2nd Floor, Raja Bahadur Mansion, Homi Mody