Does being drunk give you confidence?

Alcohol has long been associated with lowering inhibitions and giving people “liquid courage.” The disinhibiting effects of alcohol can lead people to feel more relaxed, sociable, and yes – confident. But does being drunk truly give you real confidence? Or is it an artificial boost that can lead to reckless behavior?

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How does alcohol affect confidence?

Alcohol is classified as a depressant drug, meaning it slows down functioning in the central nervous system. Alcohol interferes with neurotransmission in the brain, leading to changes in behavior, cognition, and emotions. Several factors contribute to alcohol boosting confidence and sociability:

Lowered inhibitions – Alcohol suppresses activity in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for judgment, reasoning, and impulse control. This allows people to act with less restraint.
Release of dopamine – Alcohol triggers the release of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in pleasure, reward, and desire. This provides a mood boost.
Decreased anxiety – Alcohol reduces activity in the amygdala, the fear center of the brain. This leads to less anxiety in social situations.

Impaired risk assessment – Alcohol makes people focus on the potential rewards of an action, while ignoring the potential risks or negatives.

In essence, alcohol allows people to feel more relaxed, stimulated, and focused on potential positive outcomes. This provides a short-term boost in confidence that may not reflect actual skill or competence.

False confidence vs. authentic confidence

The confidence induced by alcohol is considered “false confidence” for several reasons:

It is temporary – Any boost in confidence fades as the alcohol wears off and inhibitions return.
It can lead to overconfidence – People may overestimate their abilities or downplay risks when drunk.
It doesn’t reflect growth – The confidence only appears under the influence, not from facing fears or developing skills when sober.

It can result in regretted actions – Lowered judgement under the influence can lead to behavior a person may regret.

In contrast, authentic confidence comes from within and reflects actual abilities and self-efficacy. Some characteristics of authentic confidence include:

Comes from experience and growth – Confidence builds through facing challenges, learning skills, and expanding comfort zones while sober.

Allows calculated risks – Confident people can take risks without needing liquid courage, carefully considering the hazards.
Provides steady self-assurance – Confidence remains stable and doesn’t depend on substances or praise from others.
Aligns with values – Actions taken represent the person’s actual character and interests.

Can alcohol enable real confidence?

Alcohol may enable displays of confidence, but it does not cultivate real confidence. In some cases, drinking may provide experiences that contribute to increased confidence when sober. For example:

Social situations – After frequent social gatherings involving drinking, people may feel more comfortable in social settings while sober.
Performance – Performing or speaking in front of others while intoxicated can build confidence to do so without drinking.

Risk-taking – Taking risks under the influence may shift someone’s sober comfort zone and allow for more boldness when sober.

However, relying on alcohol to repeatedly access confidence creates a psychological dependence. It prevents people from learning to generate self-assurance from their inner resources. Using alcohol as “training wheels” can be part of the journey to gaining confidence, but the training wheels must eventually come off.

Is liquid courage always bad?

Liquid courage has its drawbacks, but is not universally negative. Context matters. Some potential benefits of liquid courage include:

Increases fun in social settings – Lowered inhibitions can increase laughter, bonding, and enjoyment for people in moderation.
Provides a mood boost – Small amounts of alcohol can temporarily improve mood for some people.
Enables risk-taking – This can benefit people who are extremely risk-averse and hold themselves back. Short-term alcohol use can help explore new experiences.

Reduces stage fright – A drink or two can calm nerves regarding performance anxiety or public speaking for some without causing intoxication.

However, there are clearer lines where liquid courage becomes more hazard than help. Potential downsides include:

Impaired judgement – Increased risk-taking without consideration for consequences.

Dangerous behavior – Aggression, excessive risk-taking, accidents under the influence.
Addiction risk – Relying on alcohol to function or using more to chase confidence.
Substituting for growth – Not developing natural confidence and using alcohol as a crutch.

Developing healthy confidence

Lasting confidence is built through experience, not substances. Some ways to develop true confidence include:

Set incremental goals – Build skills in manageable steps instead of giant leaps to experience successes.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable – Push past comfort zones and anxiety in small doses to grow.

Change negative self-talk – Counter self-doubt and negative thinking with affirmations.
Recognize strengths – Identify abilities, skills, and qualities you have that enable confidence.
Visualize success – Imagine handling challenges smoothly to reinforce confidence in your abilities.

Find purpose and passion – Pursue meaningful goals that motivate you to keep growing.

While embracing discomfort is part of gaining confidence, take it slowly. Move too far too fast and anxiety may increase rather than decrease. Have compassion for yourself in the process.

The risks of relying on liquid courage

Using alcohol to access confidence comes with short-term gains but long-term risks. Potential dangers include:

Alcohol abuse or addiction – Both psychological and physical dependence can develop.
Poor decision making – Lowered judgement leads to risky behaviors with lasting consequences.
Stunted personal growth – Avoiding developing natural confidence and self-efficacy.

Physical and mental health issues – Excessive drinking has many associated health risks.
Regretted actions while intoxicated – Things said or done while “under the influence” are often regretted later.

Some people dig themselves into a hole by repeatedly using alcohol to feel comfortable socially. They fail to nurture sober social skills, then feel like they need alcohol to function. This creates a vicious cycle of dependence.

Tips for avoiding excessive liquid courage

If you want to avoid relying too heavily on liquid courage, some helpful tips include:

Set limits on drinking – Stick to low-risk consumption guidelines, pace yourself, and set a designated limit.
Identify your motivations – Understand the reasons you lean on alcohol, then work on those areas sober.

Create accountability – Have trusted friends keep you accountable about alcohol use.
Avoid drinking triggers – Be cautious in situations that may lead you to overconsume.
Try alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Build social courage sober – Progressively expose yourself to social situations without drinking.
Own your actions – Don’t blame bad decisions on drinking. Take responsibility.

Seeking counseling or support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can also help for those dependent on alcohol for confidence.

Healthy and unhealthy use of liquid courage

Responsible liquid courage used on occasion may be harmless for some people in moderation. However, it becomes unhealthy when used frequently or excessively. Some differences between healthy vs. unhealthy use include:

Healthy Use	Unhealthy Use
Occasional light drinking in social settings	Drinking daily or binge drinking regularly
Drinking within low-risk guidelines	Drinking to intoxication and impairment
Using alcohol cautiously to explore new experiences from time to time	Relying on alcohol to function or take any risks
Taking responsibility for actions while drinking	Blaming bad drunken behavior on alcohol
Not allowing alcohol use to escalate over time	Needing increasing amounts of alcohol to function
Occasional drinks to relax in moderation	Drinking to cope with stress, anxiety, or boredom

Pay attention if your drinking patterns shift over time to requiring larger amounts of alcohol or drinking in more high-risk scenarios. Intervene early before unhealthy dependence sets in.

Is using liquid courage laziness or wisdom?

Arguably both, depending on how it’s used. Some examples of wise vs. lazy use:

Wise – Having a drink to relax before public speaking to calm nerves and speak more smoothly. But also preparing diligently beforehand instead of just relying on alcohol.
Lazy – Consuming large amounts of alcohol before any date or social event to avoid doing the work to develop natural social confidence and skills. The drink becomes a crutch.
Wise – Occasionally pushing past fears through well-considered risks fueled by moderate drinking. But not making it a habit or going overboard.

Lazy – Drinking excessively as an excuse to do something reckless or dangerous that avoids addressing the underlying issue when sober.

Moderation, self-control, and self-awareness separate wise use of liquid courage from simply lazy avoidance of doing the real inner work and taking responsibility for choices.

Does drunk confidence transfer when sober?

Sometimes, but not always. A little liquid courage can provide positive experiences that increase sober confidence. However, the confidence boost usually doesn’t directly transfer from drunk to sober states. Reasons why include:

The confidence was chemically induced, not organically developed through skill building.
Alcohol lowers inhibitions and allows for risks you may not take when sober.
You don’t learn tools to manage anxiety and self-doubt without the alcohol.

Someone may second-guess choices made while drunk once sober again.

Having the experience of taking a successful risk or navigating a nerve-wracking situation due to drinking may indirectly bolster confidence when sober. But simply expecting confidence to automatically carry over from drunk to sober usually backfires.

Does drunk confidence indicate skills you already have?

Not necessarily. Confidence arises in a drunk state due to physiological changes alcohol causes in the brain lowering anxiety and boosting dopamine. This disinhibition reveals parts of oneself that are normally kept hidden but does not necessarily reflect existing skills. Reasons why include:

Alcohol impairs judgement and risk assessment, rather than improving skills.
Drinking boosts overconfidence beyond actual abilities.
Social rewards received while drinking may skew perceived social skills.

Lowered inhibitions may reveal latent aspects of personality, but not competence.

Skills like creativity or sociability may flow more freely with alcohol’s reduction of anxiety and restraint. But the competence required to demonstrate these skills sober likely needs further development through practice.

Does drunk confidence help build sober confidence?

Occasionally using liquid courage can help build sober confidence, in moderation. Potential benefits include:

Pushing comfort zones and discovering capacities beyond those limits
Learning to take risks and apply abilities in new areas
Receiving positive feedback from drunk successes that boosts sober self-assurance

Becoming accustomed to situations previously faced with anxiety

However, relying too heavily on alcohol as the sole source of confidence prevents organic growth of skills. You may end up psychologically dependent on drinking to feel comfortable. Occasional mindful use of liquid courage paired with putting in sober work can balance risks and rewards.

Conclusion

Alcohol can provide short-term boosts in confidence by lowering inhibitions. However, this “liquid courage” effect is temporary and does not reflect the growth of genuine self-efficacy. While momentary confidence from drinking has some benefits, frequent reliance on alcohol for confidence can be psychologically and physically unhealthy. Lasting confidence arises from expanding comfort zones and developing natural skills when sober. Overall, liquid courage is best used cautiously and intentionally, not as a long-term crutch.