What Is Drunk?

Photo by Ben Valenzuela on Unsplash

We all know what drunk is, don’t we? Most of us have been drunk at some point, and plenty of us have been drunk more times than we’d care to admit.

We’ve experienced the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes after a couple of glasses of wine, the sudden confidence that makes us think we’re hilarious, and perhaps even that unfortunate moment when standing up reveals that our legs aren’t quite as reliable as they were before that fourth glass of bubbly.

So, you know the feeling of being drunk, but have you ever stopped to think about what being drunk actually is? I mean, really thought about it?

We know alcohol makes us feel different. We know it can make us more talkative, more relaxed, more emotional, more adventurous, and occasionally a great deal more ridiculous.

We also know that if we drink enough of it, we can end up slurring our words, losing our balance, forgetting entire conversations, throwing up, or waking up with anxiety-inducing gaps in our memory.

But why?

What exactly has changed between that first sip and the moment you’re telling a complete stranger in the ladies’ loo that she’s the most beautiful woman you’ve ever met?

Is being drunk a feeling? Is it a chemical reaction? Is it your brain producing something that makes you happy? Is it parts of your brain…