Alcohol is a commonly used and socially accepted drug around the world. Unlike other drugs like heroin or cocaine, drinking alcohol is legal (age, religious and geographical restrictions aside). In fact one may argue that drinking is a socially sanctioned activity at social engagements and celebrations. But why do some people enjoy feeling tipsy or drunk even?
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Lost inhibitions
Some people take alcohol to lose their inhibitions, so they can socialize better. Although alcohol consumption is acceptable in most social contexts, it is still a drug – a depressant – which affects the brain, Jodi Gilman, psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School tells the Washington Post. Feeling tipsy presents differently for different people. An article in the Guardian by Marc Lewis explains this further:
People who carry around a lot of stress drink to relax. People who spend a lot of energy controlling their impulses drink in order to let themselves go. The first drink of the night excites you, the last drink of the night sedates, and that isn’t nearly as much fun.
Social contexts
The effects of alcohol on brain and mood, depends to a large extent on whether you’re drinking alone or in the company of others, according to the Washington Post. A study conducted in the 1970s found that when people drank alone, they talked more about the physiological effects such as dizziness than changes to their mood.
But when drinking in a social context, they talked more about feeling elated and not the body effects. Michael Sayette, director of the Alcohol and Smoking Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh who referenced this study added:
The funny thing about brains is that brains like to hang out with other brains. What does the brain look like when you drink varies dramatically, depending on whether you’re by yourself, or whether you’re in a social situation.
Sources used:
Guardian: Why do humans like to get drunk? You asked Google – here’s the answer
Vice: There Are Four Motivations For Getting Drunk
Washington Post: Why do people like being tipsy? Here’s how alcohol affects the brain.
