Clink, glug, glug.
It’s always interesting to hear what’s happening to us when we’re drunk so this Buzzfeed article about the effects that alcohol can have is particularly good reading.
They interviewed Kevin Strang, a faculty associate in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, and asked him to explain the mysteries of being drunk.
The findings are pretty interesting.
Getting drunk can make you better at things like darts, pool or card games.
The science says that after a few drinks “peripheral thoughts and worries” go away.
This makes you more able to focus on the task at hand and therefore improve your abilities.
The trick is knowing your limit though, there’s a fine line between winning and falling over.
Getting drunk makes you myopic
Myopic means “you can only focus on what is happening immediately in front of you.”
While this can result in some impressive skills in the area that’s closest to you, it also means you’re so focused on being “in the moment” that you don’t factor in things like how you will feel tomorrow or any repercussions to your actions.
This is the reason why you experience that carefree vibe which makes you feel like you’re on a temporary buzz but it also contributes to the morning after fear so maybe watch out for that one.
Getting drunk makes you more generous
It has been proven that drunk people are more generous than sober people. Then again, we all have that one mate who wouldn’t even spend Christmas so this isn’t always the case.
What is it then that links those few jars with loosening the purse-strings?
It’s because certain parts of your brain become obsolete with a few pints and you won’t be thinking about your wallet as much, unfortunately this is a short term concern though and you’ll probably regret spending all your money on shots the morning after.
Guaranteed.
Getting drunk makes you more able to tolerate pain
Getting drunk basically works as an anaesthetic, numbing any pain.
Alcohol makes it harder for your brain to receive pain signals and as Dr Strang says “It physically blocks the signaling between neurons that make pain.”
So there you go folks, getting drunk can make you fearless, impervious to pain, talented and incredibly generous…
Unfortunately the effects are short-lived and with excessive alcohol, these things can result in you being very poor with a God-awful morning after fear.
Always drink sensibly!
Hat-Tip to Buzzfeed
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