Liquid Courage?

What are things you’ve done drunk, but wouldn’t have done sober?

• Say hi to that person you’re only acquaintances with (because you’re too nervous)

• Go to an event that’s mostly people you don’t know (especially by yourself)

• Ask someone on a date

• Tell someone you think they’re cute

• Leave a voicemail admitting my undying love for an ex

• Tell someone I miss them

• Confront someone on the way they hurt me

• Yell at someone for hurting a friends feelings

• Scold someone for getting my pronouns wrong continuously

• Eat Taco Bell (I’ve only ever eaten it once, and I was too drunk to remember the experience)

• Boldly hold someone’s hand

• Make the first move

• Be a top

• Ordered that ridiculous thing online

• Gotten pizza that far into the evening

• Slept with somebody specific

• Been late to the gathering for no real reason

• Introduced myself to someone new with confidence

• Touch someone without consent

• Deeply sob in public

• Text that person I haven’t seen in a while

• Sing karaoke

• Dance in public

• Watched that kind of porn

• Heckled that play

The list could go on.

Why is it that when drinking has you doing things we wouldn’t do sober, but don’t cause harm, or caused more harm to you than anyone else…how come we only talk about liquid courage as if it’s positive? It’s liquid courage when you give someone your number in a way you never would sober. You’re evil, abusive, manipulative if that same liquid gave you the courage to do something that caused harm.

When you’re drunk? When you’re on drugs? It’s easy to do things that are mean, cringey, shameful, embarrassing, uncalled for, harmful and not even understand, realize, or be conscious that what you’re doing is *wrong*. When you drink and use substances nearly every day of the week, it makes sense that your mental health is worse. That you’re more irritable and readier to snap, because you’re ignoring every part of you that feels overstimulated; burnt out; exhausted. Whether you hook up with someone you wouldn’t have sober isn’t necessarily harmful to you - maybe you never would have sober because you didn’t have the confidence. Your self doubt kept you from even considering it. OR you wouldn’t have slept with them sober because you found them unattractive

You don’t like the smell of their breath

You don’t want to hurt their ex if they were to find out

And absolutely none of these scenarios is anyone even considering that harm could be happening that way.

Am I making sense?

Are you getting there?