How alcohol changes people...

[david4wt]

I agree, I kind of felt this too but at the same time it didn't bug me that much because it didn't take up that much space of the show and I didn't feel a need for it either.
I kind of feel Glee did a better alcohol warning episode without being overly "Beer Bad, Milk good" about it 😉

I'm not saying that the whole series was a "alcohol, beware!" series...I'm just saying that it portrayed drinking alcohol like it was some kind of idiot behaviour! I'm sorry, but I really think that only someone who is a teetolare (and he never had any experience in this sense) thinks that!! 🙂

And Glee did even a worst job than Buffy, it seemed that when you get drunk you only make decisions you'll regret...well most of the time you just have fun!! But again, I don't think that Glee can be considered a good portrayal of real life social dynamics...AT ALL!

Btw, I don't want to seem as an alcoholic...I agree when you say that everyone should know their limit!!

 

[Living Dead Boy]

Often but not always. In some people being drunk can trigger a total personality change... where it really is not the person but more like being posessed. But yeah it is a good rule of thumb to be conscious and aware of what you say at all times. 🙂

Also, I appreciate the openness and candor here.

That may be true, Abbylicious. But in my experiences, it's always been like that. I got drunk to become less inhibited, and in that drunken state, I lost all sense of control. Like I generally try to be a calm, cool and collected person, but that meant I bit my tounge at times. One night me and a couple of close friends started to drink, and four or five drinks later, we started to bare our souls in ways I've never experienced before. It might be the most intense night of my life. I found out that one friend had a couple of months left to live, that one friend was repeatedly molested by her own father who was pretty close to us as well, and well, I realized that for the first time in my life, after all these years loving women (I still do), I was attracted to another male. We were brutally honest with ourselves and each other in ways that we didn't want to be until that night. But of course, it varies for certain people. 😉

 

[SlayerFest]

I think it would be a lot better if alcohol-use would be prohibited entirely, but since it's such an accepted thing in society, I guess that will never happen.

We tried that and...it led to utter chaos. Prohibition = badness. I think it's okay in moderation. But the age limit has to do with the fact that our brains aren't finished developing or...something. I think it's acceptable for adults to drink responsibly. Most teenagers that I know whose parents tell them not to drink, end up doing it simply because it makes them feel like a bad ass and then they get totally hammered at parties and it's not pretty. I also know some people (my age) whose parents aren't from this country and see no problem with their kid drinking at the legal age in their home country.

Usually, that makes them slightly less interested in drinking haha but of course that's not always the case. It totally depends on the person. But it's never a great idea to start smoking or drinking young. My grandma started when she was about 12 and...never stopped.

 

[sisterofmercy]

I don't drink that much for a student, but when I do I enjoy it. I've been allowed to drink since I was 15/16 at house parties or at christmas when my parents were around. They taught me about the consequences and their own experiences, which meant I was always sensible with my drinking. Of course I've had one or two instances where I've overdone it, but on the whole I treat it as a one off treat every now and then.

I think that they were a bit unreasonable in the way in which it was portrayed in Buffy though. They made a blanket statement that drinking was bad, when it's not really, provided you are aware of the consequences and of how you react to whatever alcohol it is you're drinking. In the hands of someone without that knowledge, alcohol can be very bad, but that's not the case for a lot of people.

 

[Ripper666]

I don't drink that much for a student, but when I do I enjoy it.

Yes I think that's a really important part too! Do you drink because you want to be part of something or because you enjoy these "fizzy"moments! At least I enjoy too! I mean of course it has something of fun when all of your friends are a little bit drunk. Then you make so funny things. But there is always a line which noone should overcross. Neither if you drink to be part of the party nor just because it's fun for you!

 

[Dagenspear]

I get overly nice and friendly when I get drunk, and I like to say nice things to people, so mostly when I'm PWI, the stuff I'll regret the next day was just over-the-top affection or similar. 🙂 There are worse things, I suppose.

I get that way too. I'm always so tense and easily agitated with people in real life, I'm very anti-social, and can't have fun at all. But, when I drink I'm happy and loose and not bothered by people. It's nice. I don't do it often though, mostly because I rarely have the money to splurge on my particular choice of alcohol. Lol.

 

[hazzard]

i think i'm kind of an exception for my age group (i'm 23) when i say that i don't drink and don't really have any desire to. the number one reasons being i just don't like the way it tastes and i don't like that it makes me less myself somehow, less aware of things and less present in my head. the only drinks i like really are the kind where you can't taste the alcohol.
i used to drink when i was younger, as both a social and a self-destructive thing. i had some really horrible experiences, and want to put that behind me forever. so why do something that i really don't like the taste of, adds empty calories to my diet, and i feel makes me less present in my head, which i hate.

also, december a year ago, my godbrother and his fiance were killed by a drunk driver. he was 24.

 

[Ripper666]

also, december a year ago, my godbrother and his fiance were killed by a drunk driver. he was 24.

Firstly I feel very sorry for them. I kind of understand when people get a little bit too drunk. Sometimes you just don't see how much you drunk this is not good at all, but it can happen. It happended to me too and I still read above that I am not the only one. But I can't understand that you drive a car after beeing drunk. There is no excuse for me! If you drunk to much and you makes the idiot of yourself in front of others it's your thing but it ends when others get hurt because of your alcohol concentration!

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I love drinking. I think you can't beat the craic on a night out with a few drinks (to go all Irish on your asses)

Can still have fun without alcohol, but there is something great about alcohol, some of my best memories (or pictures on facebook that tell me my memories) are out drinking with my friends.

I don't see the problem with alcohol if you use it responsibly. Drinking to excess isn't even fun, I did it allot when I was younger and always forgot nights out. Now that I'm a bit older I hate if that happens, cuz I always have such a good time when I'm out I like remembering it.

I love shots, tequila especially. Although I hadn't drank in so long the last while cuz I've been so busy, I went out last weekend, and 1 tequila down and I forgot a large chunk of my night, so we're mad at each other at the moment.

 

[Nix]

I like a drink now and again but I don't drink very often these days. When I do drink it's mostly Baileys which you will know if you follow me on twitter lol. I used to have a drink problem between the ages of 16 - 20 but then 4 detoxes later and a few years away from it all together I can now handle myself in a responsible way.

You have to be careful with drink and respect it. It is addictive and dangerous if not used responsibly. And never drink and drive.

 

[Jules]

I dont drink anymore. I drank when I was younger, not badly, but I've had lost weekends and hangovers I thought I'd never recover from.

For me personally I dont drink anymore because, for one I dont really like the taste of any alcohol and two I dont need to drink to have a good time. Im pretty much always the first to get up on the dancefloor even when I'm sober. My friends at work were shocked when we went on our Christmas works do because I was up all night dancing and all I'd drank were soft drinks. I also have a nice circle of friends who I go out with and I can have a laugh and a joke with them and feel comfortable with. They drink alcohol when were out but I stick to soft drinks.

 

[This Year's Girl]

I dont drink anymore. I drank when I was younger, not badly, but I've had lost weekends and hangovers I thought I'd never recover from.

For me personally I dont drink anymore because, for one I dont really like the taste of any alcohol and two I dont need to drink to have a good time. Im pretty much always the first to get up on the dancefloor even when I'm sober. My friends at work were shocked when we went on our Christmas works do because I was up all night dancing and all I'd drank were soft drinks. I also have a nice circle of friends who I go out with and I can have a laugh and a joke with them and feel comfortable with. They drink alcohol when were out but I stick to soft drinks.

That's great! I don't drink that often or "hard" anymore and I also have some close friends I can be that way around. I also like dancing, and can absolutely do it sober if it's with the right people. 🙂

In other case though, like at parties, when it's more people that I don't know I have found that people can get uncomfortable if it should happen I'm not drinking. Like they feel they have to "behave" to not make a fool of themselves in front of me, lol. I have solved this problem by drinking non alcoholic beer that looks like regular ones so people are fooled, mihihi.

 

[Kean]

If you drink or have sex in BTVS or ATS, not only can you expect to be punished, but by the end of your (usually heart wrenching and life altering) punishment you will know that you deserved it.

In the real world, I don't drink a whole lot. I just don't enjoy it all that much. And honestly, I'm old and hangovers kick my arse.

When I do drink I feel totally free...like I could do anything. And I'm chatty. Very very chatty lol

And I certainly have seen people do stupid, horrible or mean things while drunk. But it takes quite a lot to get to that stage. As has been said before, moderation is the key. It doesn't always turn out that way though 😉

 

[This Year's Girl]

I find it interesting that a lot of people found the alcohol scenes in Btvs and Ats to be about moral. I haven't really thought about it like that. I just thought it was refreshing that people drank at all, 'cause in most shows at this time it seemed like everyone was way more "alcohol is BAD BAD BAD".

I'm going to think about what you've guys have said next time I see a episode that features alcohol.

 

[strawberryeve]

The Romans had a saying, "In vino veritas" : in wine there is truth. I ran a bar/nightclub for many years and I can attest that drunk people may exaggerate but they do reveal their dark 'truths" a lot. (I can also say that 2-4am is not the prettiest time to be in a bar - people are definitely not at their best, lol)
I think the writers probably used alcohol to bring out truths they wouldn't otherwise be able to have the characters admit, it's an excuse for revealing, yet somewhat uncharacteristic, behavior.

---------- Post added at 10:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 AM ----------

That's great! I don't drink that often or "hard" anymore and I also have some close friends I can be that way around. I also like dancing, and can absolutely do it sober if it's with the right people. 🙂

In other case though, like at parties, when it's more people that I don't know I have found that people can get uncomfortable if it should happen I'm not drinking. Like they feel they have to "behave" to not make a fool of themselves in front of me, lol. I have solved this problem by drinking non alcoholic beer that looks like regular ones so people are fooled, mihihi.

I drank a lot when I worked in the industry, so many of my friends were drinkers. I would drink to reduce my inhibitions, to help me cope with my shyness around guys and (honestly) to drown my sorrows. Though for the record, sorrows don't drown, they sink but eventually surface again (like Angel, teehee).
I got very ill and to this day can't really drink anymore. It wasn't physically hard for me to quit drinking but it was socially difficult because alcohol is so much a part of life. I find the same thing, that people take it personally and don't trust me as quickly unless I'm drunk like them. It's kind of like they are in a vulnerable position when they are drunk and if you don't put your self in a vulnerable place too then you're not opening up. Like when we smile at a person - we show a vulnerability and expect that vulnerability to be returned in the form of a smile. Does that make sense?
I ended up just not going out anymore and finding new friends or different things to do with those friends, (like re-watch Buffy!!! 😎) And I don't have to worry about the health issues and the killer hangovers that come from drinking. My friends also know that I am a safe ride home and after a while they understood and respected my choice to not drink. It was hard to not always be invited out but I also learned who my true friends were. I do have a celebratory beer, champagne or glass of wine on occasion too, (especially if it's a good brand/brew/vintage 😉) but that's about all the drinking I do.

---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 AM ----------

[MENTION=10446]sisterofmercy[/MENTION]
haha! yes, the Romans stole everything! But the words are Latin and this was a popular saying in Rome. Do you know the Greek version?

 

[Ripper666]

It's kind of like they are in a vulnerable position when they are drunk and if you don't put your self in a vulnerable place too then you're not opening up. Like when we smile at a person - we show a vulnerability and expect that vulnerability to be returned in the form of a smile. Does that make sense?

This made sense for me! But exactly this is my stop sign. Once I was so drunk, friends had to help me walking home! And then I realized: In the future I won't be the one who needs to get carried home! I will be the one who watch the others puke and afterwars I will carry them home! I don't want to blame me anymore before others. Till today it worked!