I have never drank before so I’m curious about it. Alcohol is known for lowering your inhabitations and making it easier to have fun. I also don’t want to become dependent on alcohol in social situations. I’m wondering if maybe drinking alcohol can lead to you becoming less shy in general even when not drunk.
Update: Thank you guys for sharing your experiences. I read every comment. I think you guys are right in the slippery slope argument how treating it as crutch is not good for long term health.
21 comments
I do have experience with drinking for this exact reason, and I know for a fact that dependency on it happens faster than you think. If you absolutely have to go this route, please be careful and know your limits.
I don’t think this is something that can be answered by anyone else but you. What I mean is…
I know that people have different reactions to alcohol. Some become the heart of the party and some cry in the bathroom..
Thing is 1) Know your limits. Alcohol is not the main element to having fun, you can have fun without it too. And 2) Becoming less shy I believe is a matter of mindset. Just remember, people don’t give a fuck, they will forget they saw you in less than an hour, so dance and communicate with other without being afraid.
I don’t know if I helped or not, but that’s what I believe.
Have a nice day!
Yes, HOWEVER, it turns into alcoholism for a lot of people. Beware!!
It can work, but only if you do it responsible.
I’m feeling a bit more confident after a bit of drinking and use it to learn from it.
On social events or on a party I try to memorize how other people interact with each other, friends and strangers.
Sometimes if I want to be more confident before a social event I drink an alcohol free beer, somehow gives me confidence without the side effects of real alcohol.
All in All, you can try it, but be careful. Some people I know did stupid things while completely drunk and some embarrassing stories are always told about them.
As a third generation alcoholic, approaching alcohol with the hopes of it possibly being a tool to help with social skills is a VERY dangerous idea.
My dad used alcohol largely as a social crutch. Alcohol was something his dad also used generously in social situations so my dad thought of it as perfectly normal. It slowly but surely bled over into being “liquid courage” for everything else. Took multiple attempts to get clean, a DUI, threat of jail time and losing his business to literally force him to get sober. I was also the one that ended up driving him to rehab in the middle of the state. He has been clean (as far as I can tell) for the past 7 years (I’m in my 30s for reference).
Im obviously speaking from very extreme personal circumstances, but addiction is no joke. I suggest talking to a trained professional on how to develop your social skills. It will not only help you learn how to develop social relationships with others, but it will help strengthen the relationship you have with yourself.
Yes, I am able to open up more. However, the person I am with alcohol is another side of me. When interacting with people initially, I prefer sober so they can see the real me and have an understanding of who I am without the booze.
I wouldn’t say less shy necessarily. Don’t consider myself shy, just awkwardly introverted. If I see you sitting at a bar in a Star Trek shirt, you will be my new best friend. But I won’t small talk sports and weather with random people.
I have suffered from a phobia of human touch for most of my life. Alcohol has helped over come that. First two girls I kissed were after more than a few rounds. My now wife was the first one I kissed sober.
It also makes me more willing to start non small talk conversations with people. I’ll spend 30 minutes analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of genetic engineering, or the history of traffic starting with Ancient Rome. They may not give a crap, but I had fun with the lecture
By lowering inhibitions, alcohol makes you do things that you usually wouldn’t do. This is not only positive, but can be quiet negative.
Also, you are inviting dependency in your life if you try to use alcohol as a “crutch”. This is exactly what it is for a lot of alcoholics.
I’m very discontented with my current personality. I’m extremely introverted (not shy) and nothing seems to help execept drinking. It makes it so much easier to talk to everyone else, to smile and i never run out of things to say. I drink enough to make me feel at easy, but not enough to get drunk or faint though.
Honestly this the reason most people drink
It’s pretty useful for me. I just have one drink and I sip it slowly. Ice also comes in handy as your drink is increasingly diluted. By the time the alcohol has completely worn off, the social event has already gotten going and takes less effort anyway.
If you need more than one drink, there are more risks.
Yes-IF you can know your limits. I’d say a drink or two depending on your size absolutely helps. But if you become dependent on that, it can be expensive, lead to you not knowing what to do in social situation without alcohol, and worst case, alcoholism.
My ex husband was painfully reserved. He took to drinking to ease things (though to be fair he also had a whole host of anger, past abuse, and mental health issues). By the end of our relationship it was a six pack a day during the week and absolutely trashed running up steep bar tabs on the weekends. I tried to talk to him about it multiple times. Didn’t help.
That an extreme example. But you get the idea. Getting smashed won’t help you, nor will always needing a drink to socialize. A drink or two at a party or bar? Go for it, relax, and have fun.
Eh yes and no. Not to scare you but I had a bad experience a while back. Drank too much and though I was doing good but then the rum came and I blacked out. According to my friends I was acting normal, just extra talkative. I apparently told my 2 male coworkers that I’d totally touch their butts (or something along those lines). Totally embarrassing, and so I spent a few months just avoiding them at work. Made peace with the situation and eventually had the courage to talk to them and say sorry.
But yah, just be careful. As I always say, Jesus drank… in moderation. I’d try to work on ways to get other people to talk if you’re shy. Board game night is something I do since it gets people engaged, and you don’t have to pour full energy into socializing.
Caffeine also makes me outgoing. Alcohol definitely. But I’d rather just be my boring self
sounds like you should be smoking weed as opposed to getting drunk lmao
Short answer, yes.
It does at the moment (although some people get more sad drunk and that’s less helpful). I agree with the dependency thing, but don’t think that should make you stay away completely. Many social butterflies go out every night drinking, probably even more than shy people since they always have friends to go with. You shouldn’t use it as the only chance to talk to people but it will definitely help you have a better time, and if you manage to make more friends out of it then that’s a win that will last beyond the night.
We are distracted by the modern day living, alcohol temporarily gives you focus and by that focus there will be no shyness. Whatever you do at that time all your mind is concentrated on that one thing only so if you are normally have cold feet about doing something you can do it under the influence of alcohol. Mostly getting out of comfort zone, rebel, expressing suppressed emotions and so on.
I tried that during my college trip. Turns out I have surprisingly high tolerance to getting drunk and my friends passed out before I got a buzz.
Awe man this sounds like the start of an addiction
Absolutely, it does. In general I can’t dance or sing as i become super self conscious. Alcohol removes that restraint, makes me somewhat of an extrovert. Talking to people becomes easier and natural.