Alcohol

Alcohol, the most prevalent and socially acceptable drug in America’s culture, is often called “liquid courage,” or “truth serum” due to the state of lowered inhibitions in the inebriated brain. There are not many other drugs that get you to cry while telling a group of disinterested people about the cat you lost when you were three. Cups be filled while guts be spilled!

Alcohol affects the entire brain and is responsible for slowing some neurotransmitters and stopping others completely (Gateway Foundation 2020). The change in brain chemistry produces a few effects like lowered inhibitions, decreased ability to make solid judgments, increased impulsivity, and increased emotional sensitivity, just to name a few. All of these effects make a person less aware of their surroundings and less aware of what other people are thinking and doing. I’m sure jumping on top of the bar and taking your shirt off sounded all well and good in your drunk mind, but the bouncer and other patrons certainly disagreed!

Under the effects of alcohol, you’re likely to reveal aspects about yourself that you wouldn’t normally because of your lowered inhibitions and heightened sensitivity to emotion. For this reason, people often view alcohol as being a way to expose the truth. According to the Gateway Foundation (2020), it is likely that heartfelt emotions expressed under the influence of alcohol do have validity and truth to them, however, this is more likely due to the fact that alcohol would also inhibit one’s ability to be successfully deceitful or conniving. Whatever comes out may only come out because the person is unable to hide the truth.

An inebriated person may also act out of character in response to perceived aggression. It’s part of the reason why reality tv shows are funny to watch. The cast goes out to a club or bar, gets really drunk, and some drama happens. This kind of response is less likely to happen when a person is sober, so is the reaction truth, or an unfiltered defense mechanism?

The attention one gets when they act out is gratifying and encourages non-characteristic behavior. People will make up or exaggerate stories to make themselves seem more interesting. This is due to something called negative affect, in which an inebriated person does not notice or think about the positive or negative consequences of their actions (Gateway Foundation 2020). Inhibited negative affect therefore makes it very easy to lie and to not care about the consequences of that lie. That is when drama starts to happen, which very often leads to verbal and physical altercations.

It’s easy to dismiss a group of drunk people whom you may never meet again, but what about someone close to you? The social view of alcohol being a “truth serum” has a devastating effect on personal relationships. Lies, verbal altercations, and violence are all possible, even if that person is close. If your partner tells you something like, “only listen to me when I’m drunk,” or in any way expresses that alcohol makes it easier to tell the truth, then it’s time to have a serious conversation about your relationship.

We are all quite familiar with the negative effects of alcohol--how many people die in car accidents from drunk driving, how many college parties and hazing initiations go wrong, how many abusive relationships are endured by people struggling to find real meaning in their lives. It’s time for alcohol to be treated with a certain weight of responsibility and for it to stop being seen as a “truth serum,” because the truth is already inside you.

Reference

Foundation, G. (2020, December 11). Is Alcohol Really a Type of "Truth Serum?": Drug Rehab. Gateway Foundation. https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/addiction-blog/alcohol-truth-serum/.