Experiences with alcohol

[Headsprouter]

I have done stupid things and made stupid decisions when drunk, but only once has it been really embarrassing, but it didn't have any consequences. Nobody got hurt.

I'm like OP, slightly louder, a little less shy. Harder to inhibit emotions, but I rarely ever misread situations so I haven't ever expressed anything inappropriate.

I'm a bit of a lightweight, I've sent things back up and have minor gaps in my memory. Nothing major, always been there enough to help clean up or get to the bathroom in time, but I know my limits these days and avoid vodka. Gin is far nicer. c:

But yeah, 90% of the time I'm drinking on a night in with friends I trust. It's more fun that way, less expensive and fewer things can go wrong. Clubs are for posers.

 

[McElroy]

I'm louder, talk more, talk faster, more likely to speak up. No serious change in personality really.

This is me too.

But I must add that I'm not good at "taking the right amount" as I often end up vomiting and dehydrated.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

What I don't get about it is the whole "alcoholism" and being "addicted" to being drunk. There was about a 6 month period of my life where I was a "drunk by early afternoon every day" drinker. I was having a hard time finding a job... had some money saved up, and was just living it up and hanging with friends all the time. In retrospect, I was drinking far too much and I'm surprised I eventually managed to find a job during all that.

But I did. And it was a job that required me to be "on duty" and sober for days in a row even while I wasn't technically at work. And it was no issue. I went from fall-down drunk to complete teetotaler in ONE DAY. No withdrawal. No craving. No "relapses." Basically I don't understand even how someone could be "addicted" to alcohol. Whenever I see one of those "DUI Awareness" commercials where a guy says how he was drinking all the time and ran over a family of 6 or whatever my thought is always "why didn't he just quit drinking?" But I guess it can be really difficult even if it doesn't seem like it to me.

These days I have a couple of beers every now and then when I'm not "on duty." I'll have a couple at a party or one if I'm on a date or whatever and not driving. But I'm old now. I don't recover from a night of drinking like I used to be able to. So I don't do it.

The thing is, is it's never that simple and the reasons people can get addicted are layered. For example, once, i was living in some shared sheltered housing a few years back after a lengthy hospital stay, an older, very stocky guy about maybe 40-50 years of age lived there too, whom everyone regarded as a well known alcoholic. One time he opened up to me, explaining that he did weilding for ships and was fairly well off from it for most of his early life. But he got caught up in a car accident with his best friend at the time. He was trapped in the car and his friend was beside him dead, decapitated. He has never been able to get over it and has been hitting the alcohol ever since in an attempt to shut out the trauma. He is still getting help, but there is only so much other people can do. Some people do not get addicted to what the substance is, but what it does. And when it fades, the memories, trauma and pain return. So they continue trying to self medicate this way.
Many people don't even realise that is what they are doing until they confront their reasons.
It can be any drug also, they are not substances that people take once or twice and suddenly "you're addicted." An ex heroin addict was explaining to me another time that it takes over half a year for your body to become physically addicted and dependent on the drug, all the time beforehand is merely taking advantage of the pain killing qualities it provides. I spent a lot of my youth finding various methods of killing pain without realising that psychological help is what was needed, not self medicating. Though i tried a lot of different things, there was none that were ever addictive for me. Only some were easier to obtain than others. There was one thing i had a couple of short periods of addiction with, but it was legal and i can garuntee hardly anyone has heard of it. Knowing the reasons going into it helped me get back out. The public need to be more aware of mental health, people that aren't can be led into vicious circles trying to escape their own problems. It's bad enough being demonised as criminals in the media. This doesn't speak for everyone of course, there are those who just enjoy different states of mind. A change of perspective. But sometimes it's the escapism that takes hold. Hope that helps a little.

 

[RedRockRun]

I'm not into alcohol, and I doubt I ever will be. Honestly, I don't get what the draw is. You have a few drinks, get a headache, and have trouble peeing. Why do people enjoy that?

 

[Jute88]

First experience with alcohol was during confirmation (Lutheran thing). Thought it tasted bad, since it burned my tongue.
Later, when celebrating my 18th birthday, I tried some beer and wondered why people drink something that tastes so awful.
Some years later at a christmas party I took some more, but put plenty of 7Up to make it taste, well, less shitty. Next week at work I was told that I was a lot more talkative during the party.

So yeah, drinking is not really my thing. I can take a sip during a wedding or some other party, but otherwise I don't touch the stuff. And that passive-aggressiveness sounds very familiar to me. My parent did the same thing. But when it comes to drinking, it affects each of us differently, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. It's up to you to decide what kind of a relationship you want to have with it. Best of luck

 

[pookie101]

tired sake with some friends about 20 years ago and thats what im blaming for the threesome afterwards..

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

My experiences with alcohol have been universally pleasant, but then again I am a person who has social anxiety issues but really likes spending time with people so lower inhibitions is a godsend for me. Drunk me is exceptionally friendly, and I personally think I'm hilarious when drunk off my ass, which my similarly inebriated friends seemed to agree with. I've gotten drunk enough to start shutting down once, but then I threw up and was fine, and I've gotten close on another occasion, but once again threw up and was fine. Throwing up appears to be a miracle cure from what I can tell. So far the only embarrassing thing I've done while drunk was hit on some male friends (which I'd do anyway) and complain loudly about how upset I was my friend wasn't trying to set me up with a girlfriend and was instead doing so for his roommate, which was kinda sad really. My limited alcohol tolerance combined with a taste for hard liquor is probably a bad combination in the long run though. Probably.

Now pot, pot I've had a negative experience with. My buddy gave me two edibles and I basically spent an hour or so feeling like I was three different people trying to control a toddler for an hour until I fell asleep. I called my friend to tell him my phone was too loud. That was less fun, and after I woke back up the whole day was just super boring.

 

[fenrizz]

I'm not into alcohol, and I doubt I ever will be. Honestly, I don't get what the draw is. You have a few drinks, get a headache, and have trouble peeing. Why do people enjoy that?

Unless you drink quite a lot, you won't get a headache (mostly).
Trouble peeing? As in having to pee more than usual? Sure, but it's not a big deal really.
Mostly people drink because it's quite fun.

OT:
I usually get chatty, a bit louder, feel like dancing and sing karaoke.
I only drink beer, and the odd whisky.

 

[jklinders]

I used to have some pretty self righteous ideas about how alcohol affects people based on my own experience.

I used to view it simply as something that removed or reduced inhibitions. So when people got violent or shitty when drunk that's how they were deep down while wearing a mask of civility. I've learned a bit better since. My wife knows a man who is a real decent guy when sober, but would get outright hostile or threatening when drunk. He doesn't drink anymore. Not an alcoholism thing, he just now realizes he's a shitty person when drunk. So I have learned from this that some people simply react to it differently than others.

Me, I simply get relaxed, mellow and contemplative. I get fairly buzzed 2 or 3 times a month on my weekend as it's a good way to relax after a week a work. Every now and again, i enjoy one or two drinks after work to take the edge off. I overtly overindulged twice. there are types of booze I don't drink anymore as my body associates them with very bad things and the last time I allowed this to happen was around 15 years ago.

 

[TakerFoxx]

Tried it a couple times. Didn't care for it. Stuff tasted bad, and I've seen enough drunk people to know I don't want to be like that. So now I just don't drink

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

When I'm sober, I find that equal parts McCullicuddy's Raw Vanilla, Bailey's Irish Cream and Creme de Cacao tastes like an alcoholic form of a vanilla twist ice cream cone and I want one more glass.

When I'm buzzed, I find that equal parts McCullicuddy's Raw Vanilla, Bailey's Irish Cream and Creme de Cacao tastes like an alcoholic form of a vanilla twist ice cream cone and I should probably stop.

When I'm drunk, I find that equal parts McCullicuddy's Raw Vanilla, Bailey's Irish Cream and Creme de Cacao tastes like an alcoholic form of a vanilla twist ice cream cone and I should go get some ice cream.

When I recover, I wonder why the hell I have ice cream but no alcohol.

 

[Lieju]

I'm an asocial drunk. I don't even have to drink much to just lose any interest in humans and just stare at a wall. Or, well, I'm probably buzzed at that point. I lose any interest in drinking as well so I've never gotten really drunk.

But I never drink in company because I'mnot good company.

 

[Lufia Erim]

I go from being completly Asocial to wanting to be everyones best friend. I'll chat up any poor sob that would listen. I am also a huge flirt. Not gropey flirt but " normal person" flirt. Being the asocial bastard that i am i can barely talk to women.

Oh, you remember that episode of family guy when peter was a savant pianist when drunk? Well think that but with dance for me. Sober, i couldn't dance if my life depended on it. Drunk, clear the dance floor because I'm about to go "step up" on this dance floor.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

So at first, when your defense mechanisms against alcohol are still strong, you have a bit of fun when drunk and then when it is too much you either go to sleep or throw up. That's phase one.
After a while, if you keep consuming alcohol, your tolerance level rises. Defense mechanisms get weaker, you can drink more and stay awake. You can go past the sleeping point and that's when people do weirder things than usual. That's phase two. If your tolerance level goes high enough, you might reach the stage when your mind basically shuts down, but the body is still messing around. This is a really weird place to go and this is a sure sign of danger.
Now, the alcohol tolerance level rises gradually throughout your life, as you keep consuming larger amounts, and then one day it drops like a rock. That's phase three and it means that you're finished. At this point both your body and your mind are broken and you're a complete drunkard. One sip is enough to get you absolutely drunk, and there's no self-control left to refuse it.
From a medical standpoint you want to stay in the phase one as long as possible. Where it is all good fun.

This is how alcohol changes your behavior.

Or you have an accident that affects your liver and you basically have to regenerate it (thankfully livers are hardy if you give them time to heal). Afterwards you have no tolerance and can't build it. Personal experience. Prior to the accident I had the proverbial iron stomach to alcohol, being able to down about anything without getting uber-drunk.
But now? One beer. One fucking beer. So I don't drink.

 

[the December King]

I was totally uninterested in alcohol until I was about 19, and then I started drinking red wine. I liked that for several years, just having a bottle or so every other weekend with a few friends. Then I found rum. LOVE RUM. Happily drink till buzzing/silly about once a month now (for me, that means several rums, or about six well mixed single rum-and-cokes, or about 3 "rum-that-was-passed-near-an-open-coke' doubles).

 

[votemarvel]

Don't ever start drinking.

I've just been diagnosed with alcoholism, I'm in the first stages of liver damage. If I could go back and stop myself from having that first drink I would.

You don't know if you have the self control to resist booze until you've tried it and it isn't worth the risk.

If people don't believe me. I collapsed at my Pub's carvery just crying into my knees (I'm 39 years old), the crutch that booze provided to my life had given up and snapped. Yes I had to drink at work to get through any day.

Now I have depression, anger issues. I've had people I'd consider enemies take me home from the pub crying my eyes out and put me to bed because I couldn't control myself.

Honestly it is never worth it. Alcohol has ruined my life and I don't know how to stop it.

 

[Creator002]

I don't think it "modifies" your behavior at all. In my experience, it just ramps up who you actually are to 11+, and removes your inhibitions. The people I know who get silly/happy drunk, are in general silly/happy people anyway. The people I have known who get angry/abusive/violent, were already prone to that behavior anyway to some degree.

I don't think it's a Dr. Heckel Mr. Hyde kind of thing.

This. This all the way. It's a much better explanation than I've been able to come up with.
I've always just been me with less ability to not say/do what I'm thinking. That is, what I would normally do if I didn't mind the consequences. Loss of inhibitions with added clunky coordination.
I usually get sick far before I get drunk anyway, making the point of drinking usually moot. I need to mix different spirits to get even a buzz.

 

[Adamantium93]

I like alcohol. I like the taste of good beer, wine, or whiskey. I like being buzzed or tipsy, and I especially like hanging out with friends who are in the same state of mind. However, I have never been black-out drunk, nor have I ever done anything I seriously regretted the next morning (there have been "That was dumb." moments, but no "Oh dear god what have I done?" moments). Ultimately, Drunk Me has never done anything sober me wouldn't do under the right circumstances.

As for my personality when drunk, my friends say I barely change and am just a little more outgoing. Basically, I slowly transition from being passively friendly to actively friendly. Most people don't actually change their personalities while drunk, they simply become more intense versions of their sober self.

That doesn't mean that your parent is a bad person, but that anger IS an aspect of their personality and it IS being magnified when they drink. Also, why do they drink? How often? Do they drink with friends or alone?

Being drunk doesn't change your behaviour or bring out your "true self", it just amplifies what you already are feeling. If you're sad and you drink, you'll be depressed. If you're frustrated and you drink, you'll get angry. If you're happy and you drink, you'll have a good time. If someone becomes unpleasantly passive aggressive when they drink, then they were already holding that aggression internally. Very rarely have I been mean to someone when I drank, but every single time it was motivated by feelings I had when I was sober but was too polite to act upon.

That's also a good tip to remember: drinking when you're sad or angry will only make things worse. Don't drink to cope.


Oh, and the "I was drunk" excuse isn't valid. If alcohol effects you so much that you cannot control your actions, then you definitely shouldn't be drinking.