Alcohol Drinking and the Outcomes

One of the most fundamental questions to ask for the purpose of understanding certain things is: why they happen the way they do. It is easy to find a young person get into a habit of drinking. Today we address the question why someone feels like he or she likes alcohol. After addressing the answer to this question, we will also look at what happens when he or she indulges in to the drinking habit. In other words, this essay discusses reasons people give for drinking alcohol and the effects of drinking.

Alcohol is a drink that most people take for pleasure and not for nutritional value. It is also a depressant and a laxative. It can be in the form of beer, wine or liquor. Many people in the world like it. It is common to hear people say, “hey let’s go and have a drink.” Most of us believe it is fashionable to have a drink. Alcohol tastes bitter, but it is ironical to get people cherishing it.

There are various reasons that people cite for drinking alcohol. One of these is that alcohol is a social lubricant. There are situations that make one feel shy, awkward or afraid. Others were bone shy. For instance, when in a party full of strangers, one will feel automatically shy. This will make him feel he is a looser. One may feel he likes alcohol because it inhibits that feeling of a looser. Drinking a few glasses of beer or wine, make it easy for one to meet people, mingle with them and enjoy himself. The outcome of this is that one gets outgoing. It is common to find teenagers even young adults take glasses of wine to get the courage of approaching girls and maintain conversations. In other words, it is a known confidence booster. It helps its drinkers to overcome social anxiety that results from their over-analysis of social circumstances they encounter. One will always like something that helps him, and that is why one ends up liking alcohol.

Another reason why one feels like drinking alcohol is because of its value as a laxative. Taking a glass of wine can make one feel relaxed after a long, tiresome and frustrating day or week. Consequently, one feels "high" and rejuvenated. Frustrating events prevent people from enjoying themselves. In a stressful situation, one feels he or she need something that will quickly and easily get his or her mind off the problem. That is why one goes for alcohol. Alcohol injects pleasure into their nerves. They end up getting the peace of mind.

For a moment, they forget about the problems they have and see them as not anything disturbing at all. Alcohol temporarily seems to "solve" ones problem. Who will not like something that brings pleasure to himself and solves his or her problems? However, the truth is that alcohol only postpones the problem for the time one is drunk. The problems are still there. In fact, the problems increase with alcohol drinking. One may end up being broke and unable to perform his or her work well.

When one feels this way, he ends up drinking a lot of alcohol. After that, the nervous system slows down. This disrupts messages from other parts of the body from reaching the brain. The result of this is that one becomes less anxious and carefree. Other outcomes include poor vision and slurred speech. There are times when one becomes angry and aggressive.

In addition, most people think that alcohol is a sleep inducer. There are situations when one feels bored, depressed, and stressful. These and many other situations can make one unable to sleep. After a drink of beer or wine, a person will feel drowsy. A bottle of beer can take one straight into sleep. The result of it is sound sleep and a happy waking. Sleep is beneficial, and something that gives one sleep is equally lovely.

Another reason why one may like drinking is that drinking is refreshing and social. The drinker will want to equal the other guys. Alcohol provides one with an avenue to spend time with friends, crack jokes and have "real fun". His friends would see him or her as fly guy when he or she does what they do. This is all about wanting to belong, a desire that everyone has in the sub-conscious.

Many people plunge in to drinking because one feels that it is normal to drink while alcohol is a widely accepted drink. Unlike any other drugs, alcohol drinking is legal. Drinking alcohol will not get one arrested. The advertisements in the media and various restaurants encourage people to drink and be like those in the advert. Ones conscience does not make him feel guilty doing normal and legal things that other normal people do and enjoy.

Although this is not a reason why most people like alcohol, a person may say that alcohol makes him or her feel less nervous about sex. They say that drinking alcohol makes sex enjoyable and calm. Others say that their partners do crazy things during sex, but the only way they can manage to cope with these ‘crazy things’ would be by drinking alcohol. For those who feel that it is not right to have sex or it is not the right time for them to have sex, alcohol would eliminate this guilt. Another one may say that a little wine gives him the drive for sex. One can observe that most people drink and end up having sex. This makes one feel that somehow this is true, and alcohol is advantageous for them.

What happens next? Once they have sex after a drink, there are high chances that the experience will not be as exciting as expected. One may fail to reach orgasm once he or she takes alcohol. Boys may be unable to achieve erection. The characteristics of alcohol as an anesthetic would make sexual performance diminish since sex involves a lot of nerves. Alcohol numbs the nerve cells in the genitals. The excitement is in the brain but not on the act. The partner may be left unsatisfied. Taking alcohol to improve sex would make one careless. It can also cause failure in taking right measure to protect oneself against HIV and pregnancy.

There are many things that happen when one drinks alcohol. Some of these are short term, and many others are long term. Once someone is drunk, the brain does not have full control of the body.  It impairs the drinker’s judgment and coordination. That is why people do not drink and drive because driving requires a lot of judgment and coordination. It is common for one to become talkative and feel dizzy. Excessive drinking or drinking a large amount of alcohol could lead to disturbed sleep, nausea and vomiting. There are incidences of excessive aggressiveness that can lead to violence. Child abuse and domestic violence are also likely to occur when a parent or a spouse takes alcohol.

Overindulgence to alcohol consumption could lead to dependency on the same. Alcohol is a sedative drug. It can make anyone feel he or she cannot do without it. Alcohol dependency can lead to addiction. After a night of drinking, one feels tired the following day. Hangovers that include headache, thirst, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue would be the other outcome. Taking another dosage of alcohol seems to solve the hangover problems. This leads to alcohol dependency and addiction.

Long term effects can also occur. These arise due to prolonged, heavy drinking. If one tries to cease from this excessive drinking, he may have withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, muscle tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Liver damage and brain damage also result from long term excessive drinking. Fetal alcohol syndrome can occur in infants when pregnant mothers consume alcohol. Mental retardation may occur in infants. Recent research indicates that alcoholic parents are more likely to have children who are also alcoholics than the non alcoholic parents.

Conclusion

There are many reasons, as we have seen that people cite for liking alcohol. Others have combinations of these reasons while others have other reasons not mentioned. The answer to the question: why does one feel he likes drinking alcohol and what happens when I drink is highly relevant in giving proper judgment towards drinking alcohol.  Ones feelings towards something do not always justify the reasons for having that something. Feeling like one likes drinking alcohol is not enough reason for drinking. Alcohol taking is destructive especially when the pressures from within and without lead one to it. One needs to question such feelings before they could actualize it. Is it the influence of media, my peer or the people around me that gives me a liking for alcohol? Have I weighed what would happen after drinking?

Getting into alcohol drinking habit just because it is legal and normal is not right. At the same time wanting to look like others or fashionable should not lead one into the habit. The painful outcomes of alcohol are more hurting than the feeling of shyness or boredom. Why get into a problem one cannot easily get out of it easily while escaping a day’s problem?