paul99

I had no personality to enhance per se, because when I drank I became what I thought you wanted me to be...and I became that. I was a chameleon. I wanted you to like me, so I drank and molted into what I needed to be in order to fit in. I too had the anger, the melancholy, the disdain, the paranoia...the stuff that I tried to contain, but couldn't after a while.

Adillac

Yes.

MalkavianEmily

I dunno whether it 'improved' my personality or not. A lot of the time I'd be on my own anyway, even if I was with other people.
It made me louder. It made me more likely to talk to you if you came over to talk to me. Did it make me more likely to come over and talk to you? Probably not.
And when I did talk, I'm sure I talked nothing but sh1te anyway, so unless you were drunk too, you'd probably walk away very quickly.
So no, it probably did nothing for me on that front.

Gravel

Drinking alcohol can socially boost you as long as you don't become a drunk buffoon. I'm not in no way saying it still isn't bad for you in small amounts though.

Yea I mean, alcohol can make a quiet person talk and get happy with euphoria. Next thing they know they are laughing with everyone having a good time.

But that's the bait of alcohol. And then that person uses it to chase that feeling over and over again until it can become an abusive behavior.

Once its past the point of being fun then all hell can break loose. Chasing that sweet spot so to speak of the happy feeling can lead to blackouts.

Corvus

I find how I act on alcohol depends on my mood before I started drinking. If I'm in a good mood, then alcohol enhances my feelings of well-being because it helps with loosening my inhibitions. If I'm in a bad mood, then the same loosening of inhibitions makes me worse.

soberlicious

I don't preach the evils of alcohol, but I can tell you that my whole take on drinking has changed over the years. I think that when anyone relies on drinking to be more social (bubblier, funnier, more fun to be around) they lack imagination. Anyone can down a drink. That takes no skill or finesse. The confidence and ease and authenticity of someone who has no need for a social lubricant...those are the people I find most interesting and attractive.
What's wrong with pushing outside of the comfort zone? God forbid we feel any discomfort, or social awkwardness. Our society would have us believe that's a fate worse than death. In my field, I observe children all day long. I often see them stand to the side on the playground, you can sense the discomfort, the uneasiness. But watch...because drowning their discomfort in a substance is not an option, you will see them push through and find a way through the situation. The more they practice this, the more skilled they become. Too bad as adults we are not as smart as children.

I don't think alcohol use evil at all, I just think it's well...dumb.

People say that one drink for the "normal" drinker makes them clamer and more easygoing...why wouldn't someone want to be that way on their own? Why wouldn't one set about learning ways to be the way they want to be and feel the way they want to feel permanently rather than just for a few hours at a time?

TheEnd

That sounds good in theory, but I don't think we were made to feel any particular way permanently. Even when I go for a nice 15-20 mile run, the great feelings that I will have after completing this task also known as the runner's high, were produced through my own hard work, but yet they are temporary and will eventually go away until the next run.

soberlicious

Are the effects temporary? Is it possible that the fact that you are able to push your physical limits, despite it being hard...and accomplish something like that on a regular basis...is it possible that that can create a confidence and a way of coping that can spill over into others areas of your life? A skill set that can be generalized not just to running, but to living in general? I don't think the effects are temporary at all, but that's just me.

TheEnd

Ok I see the angle you are coming from. When I meant temporary, I was talking about the actual endorphin high "Runner's High", which is often compared to an opiate like high. That part is temporary, which is similar to the effects of drinking.

Now the lasting effects that spill into other areas of my life as a result of running are not temporary. I actually believe training for these endurance events does create a confidence and helps support my continued recovery. I became FB friends with Todd Crandell (google him) who has about 20 yrs of sobriety and he uses Ironman events to drive his recovery and help pass his message.

lillyknitting

I totally agree DD, only the very exceptional few don't change, most nearly everyone starts off by chattering more, twittering away to me, smiling animatedly, thinking they are scintillating company. They feel they are, I don't really much, they just bore me. Blokes think they're really sexy and good looking and that I secretly fancy them like mad. Pompous guts. Thankfully most people stop drinking or slow down by the time I've got ready to go home. If ya stay long enough then the fun really starts yawn. To think I called all of this tripe fun. So glad I don't have to do that any more. By the way, I must have been just as dreadful and a total boring Pratt but now I can see it, the truth, with sober eyes. We ain't missing a single thing it's a total farce and a lie which I fell for hook line and sinker. I love waking up sober more than anything in the world, truly, I never ever want alcohell back again. I'd rather stay in a be a boring person than a pissed person. You are an inspiration, well done, the gates of hell are always there for us if we want to go back. Take care

soberlicious

I understand what you're saying. There are many many ways to create that "high" that don't involve a substance. Being scared but pushing past the fear creates that feeling for me. My point was, I think drinking is a lame way to loosen up...for anyone. I eschew the artifically enhanced personality.

Todd Crandell is very interesting. Just now skimmed a little about him. I'm thinking I also read about a rock climber that also used that extreme sport to end his heroin addiction. Does this ring a bell? Can't remember the name.

The things I have experienced w/o the unnatural high have completely changed my perspective. Even if I could drink "normally", I would choose not to. Seems I have now become "addicted" to the crispness, the sharp edges of life, that only mental clarity can bring.