Why Do Men Drink – Is It Really That Good? Should We Stop?

Alcohol. We have been enjoying the effects of it for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians made beer, monks in Medieval Europe made mead, beer and wine, even the Mongols managed to make alcohol, from fermented horses milk. Why is it that many nations over many yer have all managed to develop alcoholic drinks and why are they so popular, even to this day?

It’s no secret that men enjoy alcohol more than women but why do we like to drink at all given it’s effects?

Men enjoy drinking because of the lowering of their inhibitions. the changing of their moods, the social togetherness that it brings, and the effects it has on their bodies.

Some men believe that the positive effects outweigh the negative ones, especially in situations where there is peer pressure to join in.

Lower inhibitions

After consuming alcohol a common effect is for your inhibitions to be lower than usual. As a result of this you may feel, more in control, more positive, less indecisive or less shy and introverted.

There are even a few nick-names given to alcohol as recognition of this effect. Names like Dutch courage, hero-juice, liquid-courage, giggle-juice to name a few.

While under the influence of alcohol you may be more inclined to talk to strangers, dance, talk excessively, laugh a lot.

Relaxation

Another perceived positive effect is that it can relax you. This is because alcohol is a depressant. It can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety which may feel like a relaxing effect.

Other effects, which are separate, can have a cumulative effect making you think you are relaxed when it’s the alcohol that causing chemical changes in your body and not actual relaxation.

Mood changes

This can be quite a strong effect as some people tolerate the absorption of alcohol into their bodies differently. The 2 most common states that are seen as a result of a mood change is happiness or anger. There are many more but these seem to be the most visible.

Extreme happiness is often noted as when a large crowd has formed in places like bars you will often hear and see raucous laughter and exaggerated displays of merriment.

The same can be said for anger. Often harsh words or even fights are started when 2 individuals who are prone to anger, get drunk in the vicinity of each other. The Native American’s used to refer to whiskey as firewater purely because of this mood change that happened when they drank it.

Depressant effects

It’s not all rosy though when drinking you favorite tipple. The depressant effects may make you feel more relaxed but it can also bring about negative emotions, like sadness, depression and a feeling of despair.

Studies have shown that long term alcohol abuse can not only increase the likelihood of these effects becoming commonplace but they can also become permanent leading you to feel lost, alone, and detached from the world.

Studies have shown that men who consume alcohol are more likely to commit suicide than women who drink the same amount.

Impaired judgment

Another common effect is impaired judgement. You often see people falling off chairs, dropping drinks close to the edge of a table, tripping up stairs, and even not being able to stand up unassisted.

It’s not just the physical impairment that affects our judgement. The physical effects like the ones just mentioned can be quite obvious. But the mental impairment that arises as a result of consuming too much alcohol can be just as, if not more dangerous.

When under the influence men tend to feel more powerful, more in control but nothing could be further from the truth. This is why we are prohibited by law from doing certain things such as drive a motor vehicle or operate heavy machinery.

Men, with their new sense of invincibility, often approach women, believing that the woman, in his mind, will be all over him like a rash when in actuality she is disgusted by his slurred words and drunken demeanor. This could go badly in many ways, such as him not taking no for an answer or another guy stepping in to aggressively defend her.

Confusion

Being confused can happen often while having drunk alcohol. You often see people in the street who are drunk who cannot figure out how to open doors, people asking for directions because they are “lost”.

People who get onto the wrong train or bus and end up on the opposite side of town. Even people trying to get into the wrong house and are confused as to why their key does not fit the lock.

Confusion at home can be serious as well such as picking up cleaning agents thinking they are some form of food or beverage.

It can even be severe enough for someone to pick up the wrong child and begin to go home with them.

Drowsiness / loss of consciousness

People who drink too much are prone to falling asleep or even losing consciousness if they have consumed an excessive amount.

Where you see people drinking alcohol you will often see someone who has dozed off as a result of having a drink of 2 and this, whilst normally harmless can have some serious consequences even if you have just drank a single drink.

The chances of you becoming drowsy after drinking are much greater so we have strict laws to protect us from dangerous behavior like drink-driving.

Even with just a single drink the chances of you falling asleep at the wheel shoot up drastically, even if you are within the limit.

For those people who consume way more than what can be considered safe may actually lose consciousness. This can be dangerous of these people, fall into a busy road, take a bath and drown, drop a lit cigarette in the home.

The results can be devastating in so many ways.

Memory loss

Another major problem with alcohol, especially with regular use is memory loss.

Common stories told by many are that they got so drunk and needed to ask their friends what happened the previous evening cannot be remembered at all. Short term memory loss as a result of binge drinking is common but it can also lead to long term memory loss too.

In conclusion:

Men drink to feel good, Men drink to feel better about things, including themselves. Men drink to feel like they are part of a group. Men also drink because they are unhappy, sad, depressed and alone.

Using alcohol as a means to make your life better or at the very least more tolerable is something you should avoid. If you have problems then you need to fix them rather than putting a short term band-aid on it.

Some alcohol, like red wine, can actually be beneficial but it’s not down to the alcohol in the wine but rather the antioxidants that help us. If you do need to consume alcohol then do so in extreme moderation.

I personally drink just a few times a month if that. I usually only drink a beer or maybe 2. I am a self-professed lightweight as I cannot drink much. I wear this badge with pride and enjoy telling people so. Heavy drinking should not be someone to be proud of so become a lightweight too and be proud with me.