In a post pandemic world it can sometimes feel like there is no shortage of social opportunities for a night out, whether that is a celebration event or a weekend opportunity to party. However, over-indulging in alcohol or drugs on a night out can present many risks and hazards. You are at greater risk of being victim to sexual attack, getting caught up in road accidents or having your drinks spiked. When you are drunk or high you are more likely to make poor decisions. Having your wits about you means being able to accurately assess risk when out in pubs, clubs and mixing with strangers. Drinking to excess can also increase your risk of suffering from alcohol overdose which can potentially lead to permanent brain damage.
How can overindulgence damage your mental health?
Maintaining good mental health involves adhering to a good sleep regime, enjoying a healthy diet and undertaking a robust physical exercise schedule. These wellbeing foundations are the very things that suffer when you get drunk and suffer from hangovers. You are more likely to have sleep problems, to binge eat and also to feel lethargic following drunken episodes.
You might also end up feeling guilt and remorse when you take it too far. Having blackout sessions might increase your anxiety about what really happened when you were out mixing with strangers. Suffering from professional reputational damage might also fuel your worry about who saw what when you were drunk. Who might you have offended? Were you at risk of physical danger and subject to sexual attack?
Prolonged abuse of alcohol over the longer term can increase your risks of developing psychological disorders, including anxiety and depression as well as dementia, brain damage and cancers.
How can overindulgence damage your relationships?
Alcohol impacts the part of your brain that controls inhibition. This explains why you may feel more relaxed, less anxious, and more confident after starting to drink. But this can lead to poor decision making when on a night out. Going too far when drinking can be detrimental to the maintenance of romantic relationships as partners may develop mistrust. Overindulgence can trigger unease and fear in others close to you as they worry about what might happen when you start drinking.
The disinhibiting effect of alcohol can help you feel euphoric when the music sounds better in the club and when you might lose your sense of social awkwardness. However, this can be quickly followed by the onset of negative feelings such as anger, rage, guilt or sadness when the euphoria or oblivion passes. If your partner is not in the same state of drunkeness there can be a lot of conflict in your relationship.
Why don’t some people seem to know their limits?
Some clinicians believe that abuse of alcohol is the onset of what might be called a disease, that of alcoholism. This is founded on the belief that some people have an allergy to alcohol. Over time they eventually lose control once they start drinking.
The disease model is disputed by other clinicians who see alcohol abuse not as a disease but as a way that people seek to self medicate. People are seeking emotional comfort from difficult feelings and states of mind such as worry, loneliness, past traumas, unhappy employment and unsatisfactory relationships. This type of drinking could involve binge drinking episodes and can be a response to stress and tension. This behaviour could be seen as a form of escape.
Why do some people surpass their limits even though they’re aware of the harms?
Some people struggle more than others to emotionally regulate themselves. This could be because they have certain mental health conditions, which might be termed ‘comorbidities’. For example, anxious people might use alcohol to self-soothe their tension. Neither condition actually causes the other but they can often exist together.
Proponents of the disease model of alcoholism would argue that once an alcoholic triggers their allergy to alcohol, by taking the first drink, they effectively lose personal agency in regulating how much they drink. They might know the consequences of their actions but feel a form of powerlessness that prevents them from making better choices.
For advice if you still want to have fun, but want to stop taking it too far, see my quoted tips in the Metro article Why do I find it so hard to honour my limits with alcohol?
Noel Bell is a UKCP accredited psychotherapist based in London and can be contacted on 07852407140.
