Quick question: do you genuinely like the feeling of being drunk? 

I know this seems like a strange thing to ask. 

Back in my drinking days, I would’ve dismissed this question without even thinking about it. Of course I liked the feeling of being drunk! Doh. 

But to be honest, I never stopped to properly think about the physical sensation of getting drunk. And actually… when you really analyse it… it’s quite a strange thing.

Like I said, you need an open mind for this conversation, but if you’re open to questioning this important element of drinking, this video is for you.

Keypoints

Step into someone else’s shoes

When we’re analysing the physical sensation of being drunk, it helps to think about someone who never normally drinks. Picture a teetotal friend, a child or young adult. What would their experience be, if they were tricked into consuming alcohol? 

Perhaps you can remember your first ever drink. What was that like? Personally I didn’t like it. The room began to spin and I felt awful. It wasn’t very relaxing or fun. The feeling of being drunk was horrible. (But this didn’t put me off. I was sold on alcohol before I even drank it.)

Stick to the facts

Drop any romantic or cute language and nail down the facts. When you feel drunk you tend to get a bit dizzy and lightheaded. You might feel a bit slow and out of control. Your vision, speech and coordination may change.

If you had to take some medication and the side effects included an inability to think clearly, speak articulately or control your actions – and the risk of vomiting, heart disease and cancer – you’d probably be alarmed, not excited. 

So why do we romanticise the feeling of being drunk?

Alcohol is the most normalised and glamorised drug on the planet. We grow up watching the adults around us drink. We’re brainwashed into thinking booze is a good thing before we’re old enough to have our first glass. Hence why I’d decided drinking was a good thing, despite my lived experience of it. 

The language we use to describe alcohol use is very positive as well. When we talk about other drugs, we say people are getting a fix, getting high, or using. But with booze we’re just ‘getting tipsy’ or ‘feeling a bit merry’. 

The good news…

If we can convince ourselves that using alcohol is fun – despite it being a toxic, cancer-causing substance that makes us feel ill – then we can talk ourselves into quitting too. 

If we can believe that it’s fun to be zombified, then we can use that same brain power to get excited about sobriety too. We can start telling ourselves a better, sexier story about living life alcohol free and showing up for our one and only life.

Ready to create an alcohol-free life you love? Click here to learn more about my Getting Unstuck course.