Self-Medicating Social Awkwardness with Alcohol

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I find if I am invited out to social situations, I actually need a glass of wine or two to reduce my anxiety levels enough to get out the door and go.
I find that I can also communicate better most of the time, if I have a few drinks, depending on the situation.
Not always tho'.

It doesnt hold up that other people being drunk is what makes drinking work. Ive been around drunk people and they will still pick up on aspie "traits" anyway, if i am sober.

A pint or two (average 4.% volume beer) seems to alleviate most of my social anxiety issues. It doesnt solve the facial expressions issue, (reading them or making them) though luckily most drinking is done in loud premises, so the volume and tone of voice issues arent a problem so much.

Basically, a shot of whiskey for "medicinal purposes" is about the right amount.

If someone could isolate the social deinhibitor aspect of booze, without the falling over, vomiting, etc, then aspies would be on a roll

are rats similar to people though? ive always wonderd how a study on rats or mices for that matter would have the same effect on humans?

I do this a bit. A drink or two can take the edge off my reticence and help me get involved in the conversation. And being a little drunk is a good excuse for anything odd in one's behaviour. I never get violent or embarrass myself. I do spend the next few days wondering if I said anything stupid, but then I do that anyway ;P The alcohol slightly increases the chance of saying something stupid, but only because I've said more things.

I used to get a kind of "foreign-accent syndrome" when I got really drunk. I'd start talking with a British accent, which would morph into Scottish and then Irish before shifting back to my usual Australian as I sobered up. The weird part was I never knew I was doing it until someone pointed it out, and even when I knew I had a hard time stopping. It hasn't happened for a while - I think I'm getting too old to get that drunk ;)

Edit - I can relate to the subject of being tired-drunk. Sometimes I'll start giggling at nothing, and that's when my boyfriend will say, "You're tired, aren't you?" And I'll just keep giggling :P

ya, i know little about rats but mice and humans are very much alike, and are because of that the prefered animal to do testing on as they have the best relation to humans.

I have a schizotypal friend who sometimes binges on hard liquor, specifically rhye whiskey. He's otherwise the most sober person I know, and he says that it's the only 'downer' he's ever gotten any enjoyment out of (including mary jane, which he hates). He also seems to have an affection for ephedrine, which worries me occassionally.

When i did go out, i would drink to get drunk as opposed to drinking for pleasure as this was the only way to deal with social situations. Back then i'd never even heard of Aspergers so i'd just assumed i was socially inept and the only way to get round that was drinking. The only trouble was when i got drunk i would turn in to this whole other, very catty person and behave exactly like those people i can't stand so i stopped drinking.

I don't think it's a coincidence that i stopped socalising when i stopped drinking.

i goto partys sometimes. i like to smoke weed more then drink alcohol. but weed is more anti-social. i had a few ppl i used to get high w/ who where cool, we just 'chilled' they call it. but the ppl i know now, are not like that. they always wanna talk and talk and talk, do bs, go places and do crap. i hate that.
when im drinking, i am more social, but i dont talk as clear. i mess up on a lot of words. and because of this ppl think i am way drunker then i am.
i guess if i worked on that, i could pull it off.

another thing that makes me more social is going to MMA. after working out, grappling, sparring, i feel different. working ur mussels makes them release some chem thats like a drug. and the fact ur fighting makes u enter like a dif state of mind. its awesome.

I've started drinking socially in the last year or two, and I think there's several bonuses...

- most people around you are drunk, so they don't notice your oddities so much
- drinking alleviates social fear. At least for me. After several stiff ones I worry a lot less about talking to strangers.
- drinking provides a good excuse. "Sorry, I'm usually better at talking, but I've had a few too many". (I've said this 5 minutes after getting to the club. Lying sucks, but she was cute!)
- watching drunk people is a good learning lesson. People forget their little quirks when they're drunk, they boil down their social behavior to a more base level, and therefore it's easier to observe and learn what base behaviors work and which don't.

mmaestro- thanks for redirecting me. This is what I was looking for.

Works for me.

I doubt I get better at socialising when I drink, but I am more willing to do it. And that makes it worth it.

You're still the same person regardless. People judge others on many different levels. Your drinking most likely has very little to do with any social success.