- A drink helps you unwind at the end of the day.
- It can also help you form friendships and relationships by relaxing you and reducing anxiety.
- But too much alcohol also has a negative impact on your relationships.
- For instance, it can increase aggression, and make sex less enjoyable.
Alcohol is a curious thing. Some reports say a small amount could make you live longer, while other studies say there is no safe amount at all.
One thing's for sure, though — alcohol certainly affects our behaviour. So much so, some people report feeling completely different when they've had a drink.
It's a staple of our social lives, often being referred to as a "social lubricant," but alcohol can also be damaging to our relationships.
Here are 11 ways alcohol can affect your friendships, romantic connections, and sex life — for better or for worse.
1. It makes you more confident
Research has shown that alcohol suppresses psychological inhibitions, which may mean the anxiety and nerves associated with making a move on someone are reduced. It can also make you more confident in other ways.
"Body image concerns or worries about pleasing a partner or reaching orgasm can be relaxed with a glass of wine," said sex therapist Laurie Watson in a blog post for Psychology Today."Alcohol may also make erotic talk seem easier. Focusing on performance suffocates a man's instinct to initiate, and a small amount of alcohol can reduce his fear of a poor outcome and increase his sexual courage."
2. You take more risks
Lower inhibitions and an extra dose of confidence mean you're more likely to take risks. This could mean going up to the person you fancy and making a move, or making your feelings for someone clear.
Research has shown how when drinking, the brain has decreased sensitivity in regions involved in detecting threats, and increased activity in regions associated with reward. This means you may be less able to tell the difference between a threatening and non-threatening social situation, leading to more risky behaviour. For some, this can mean accidentally starting brawls. For others, it can be declaring their fondness for someone.
3. In the moment, it can reduce stress
Alcohol is a sedative and a depressant. This means it affects the central nervous system, and in moderation can make you feel more relaxed. In the short term, drinking lowers the stresses of life, because you feel less bothered by everything you have to do.
This stops you obsessing over your responsibilities so much, lessening anxiety, and allowing you to live more in the moment. This is pretty important for connecting with someone.
"Alcohol's depressant properties slow down the neurons in our brain temporarily, lowering pressure and tension from our worries," wrote Watson. "And optimal sex requires us to focus on the sensations in the body letting go of our stressors and endless to-do lists."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider