“Yes, I am an aggressive drunk”

Alcohol and I – an anonymous writer tells us about her troubling alter-ego…

Alcohol changes people. It certainly changes me, for the better and for the worse. I would say I’m an aggressive drunk. Not aggressive in the sense that I would assault someone or act violently (although I have on instances crushed shot glasses with my bare hands, accidentally broken a glass on my friend’s foot, and almost knocked out my teeth by bumping into a wall due to hysterical laughter). What I mean by aggressive drunk is that I would say anything to anyone and act in a way that I never would if I were sober. No one can keep me down and I refuse to listen to anyone; I just abrasively talk over them.
After a couple of shots kick in, the normally shy me can easily converse with total strangers. I make dozens of friends when I am like this (many of whom I don’t remember the next day). I usually end up enjoying the party singing and dancing loudly and blissfully with complete strangers. This is the good point. After a couple more shots I start to completely lose my inhibitions.

Some say that people are honest when they drink – I disagree. It seems to me that people just become delusional…

I am aggressive in that I impatiently want everyone to do as I please and act like a total diva- I once tricked a stranger into singing ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers, with me promising he could share my cab, but didn’t follow through- I just needed someone to sing with me!

I usually have a filter that stops me from blurting out stupid things, but it completely disintegrates with a few drinks. Some say that people are honest when they drink – I disagree. It seems to me that people just become delusional, and what they say shouldn’t be taken seriously – I certainly don’t often agree with what I’ve said when I remember the next day.

Photo: Christian Senger/Flickr

Unfortunately, I tend to accidentally offend people by blurting out stupid things. Guys are usually the victims here; drunk me often repels every decent male in the vicinity with comments like, “Are you gay? You’re wearing too much perfume!” Hopefully something they won’t take personally – or won’t remember.

Luckily, my friends are always there to save me and have stopped me from making a few mistakes that I would really regret – like getting with a stranger who under the flashing lights of Smack was a ten, but is really a two (that may have actually happened once or twice…).

Guys are usually the victims here; drunk me often repels every decent male in the vicinity…

Yes, I have been escorted out of a club, and sometimes need my friends to make sure I don’t accidentally kill myself while crossing the street, but surprisingly I’ve never done something I regret too much. Usually my drunken state provides my friends with the night’s entertainment.

I don’t know if being an aggressive drunk in the way I am is really such a bad thing. I usually have fun! My friends however, may disagree. The best advice I can give myself or anyone else who might turn into an aggressive drunk is to know when to stop drinking and keep your behaviour in check – no one likes to look after a liability every night.