Coffee and alcohol = cheating?

[Password is Taco]

So, I've noticed as a socially anxious person that whenever I drink some caffeinated drinks or alot of alcohol. I feel like i can say anything and all the stressing about me looking/sounding like a fool is gone (i believe everyone knows this already )


There is one problem though. It seems impossible to be that same carefree person without alcohol or caffeine, but i think it's okay to use coffee as your advantage when you have the chance to, don't you think?

 

[sorandom5454]

Personally coffee and nicotine just adds to the stress so I can't relate to that. But yeah, I think coffee is harmless enough (given that you don't drink very big amounts of it) and if it helps you.. great Alcohol is another story but I think you know that already. I used to drink a lot cause of my social problems and though it helped for the moment, it only lead me down down.

That is not to say one shouldn't drink at all. I mean, even a lot of people without any social problems uses alcohol to their advantage in order to loosen up a bit at gatherings and parties. As long as you got it under control and it doesn't become something you need in order to function normally.

 

[Password is Taco]

Personally coffee and nicotine just adds to the stress so I can't relate to that. But yeah, I think coffee is harmless enough (given that you don't drink very big amounts of it) and if it helps you.. great Alcohol is another story but I think you know that already. I used to drink a lot cause of my social problems and though it helped for the moment, it only lead me down down.

That is not to say one shouldn't drink at all. I mean, even a lot of people without any social problems uses alcohol to their advantage in order to loosen up a bit at gatherings and parties. As long as you got it under control and it doesn't become something you need in order to function normally.

I actually can engage in conversations with people after a cup of coffee.(Hell I even cracked a joke today, thats so not me lol) so it really has given me a huge confidence boost.

I tend to get addicted to anything really easily so i avoid using alcohol on a weekly basis.

 

[Saucer]

Yes, I can certainly say that alcohol loosens the tongue of me aswell, even makes my friend who has had a stutter since his childhood be able to speak clearly!

However it really is a double edged sword since relying on alcohol doesn't always turn out that well and considering your addictive nature it makes me happy that you can see that property in yourself and that you avoid using it regularly. Doubly good since most people with social anxiety tend to also fall into depression at one point or another and alcohol really doesn't help much in that scenario.

I can honestly say that I feel abit jealous of you for getting such an effect out of coffee!
Do not think for a moment that you are cheating because you use it to your advantage, hell, that's what caffeine is for anyways right? To boost your abilities? Too bad that it looses effect in regards to your tiredness if you drink it alot...

 

[perfanoff]

I feel like I'm much more sociable if I am extremely tired and taken some coffee/energy drink.
I guess being tired drops my guard down or whatever it is.

 

[J.P.]

Alcohol makes me more cheerful (and stupid), but I feel sick pretty fast.
Caffeine doesn't help me, only makes me more alert, and eventually go to the bathroom.

 

[LonelyInAtl]

Johnny Walker Blue has given me the nerve to actually talk to women before....

 

[perfanoff]

Reminds me of that Indian guy in The Big Bang Theory who can't say a word to women except when he's been drinking

 

[bodafuko]

I'm the same way with one caveat. 100% of the time I don't care what people think of me. 99% of the time, a drink or a snort makes me super-sociable. It's the other 1% that is a concern. I can go from laughing, smiling and joking to off-the-deep-end in seconds. Caffeine makes me aggressive. Well, all stimulants do actually.

 

[perfanoff]

[video=youtube]

 

[LoneKiller]

Using alcohol or any drug as a tool to be more sociable is not a good thing. You can't rely on drugs for your happiness and courage in the social scene. It can turn into a dangerous habit. I'm aware that coffee isn't considered as dangerous as other drugs, but caffeine is a strong drug. Try to be social without resorting to any kind of drug.

 

[Password is Taco]

Using alcohol or any drug as a tool to be more sociable is not a good thing. You can't rely on drugs for your happiness and courage in the social scene. It can turn into a dangerous habit. I'm aware that coffee isn't considered as dangerous as other drugs, but caffeine is a strong drug. Try to be social without resorting to any kind of drug.

I agree you shouldn't heavily rely on any drugs to be more talkative. However, I see no harm in drinking coffee every once in a while in order to get you going. I mean i honestly feel more confident in myself after a "successful" conversation with my co-workers or after a group assignment at school where i actually took part in the discussion and wasn't just sitting there quietly.

I think If i continue to boost my confidence, I'll eventually be confident enough to do all this without any drugs.