Booze in the Bedroom: When Your Drinks Have You Down Bad
One sip, two sips, red sip, blue sip! Booze in the bedroom: it’s the quickest way to meaningless sex. However, liquid courage can turn into liquid consequences. Let’s explore how alcohol interacts with your libido!
Beer > Bros: alcohol is the ultimate wingman. Any delicious drink of alcohol tells you that making a move on that one person from class is a good move, so it must be! If push comes to shove and you find yourself in between the sheets, alcohol is the ultimate equalizer! Who needs sensitive nerve endings when you could have alcohol’s numbing embrace? A 2023 study done by BMC Health found a “significant correlation between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of sexual dysfunction,” such as decreased sexual stimulation, vaginal lubrication, difficulty reaching orgasm, erectile dysfunction, and more. In the words of a SLU sophomore: “What a buzzkill! Pour me another one?”
Alcohol can be a wonderful tool to forget your sexual encounters as well! Thanks to alcohol, you wake up with a mystery on your hands. Instead of a “whodunit” case, you get to solve the “who did I do it with” case. Was a condom used? Were they into it? Now, that is something not even Sherlock Holmes can solve! “Liquid libido can be a slippery slope, but I love to hit the slopes!” recounted a member of the Alpine Ski Team. Feel like dancing on a table? Go for it! A couple more drinks? No problem! Suddenly, you don’t remember who you took home or if all parties gave consent. Intoxication blurs lines and lowers inhibitions, leading to a night someone will remember or wonder about for the rest of their life. What a sobering thought… where is that liquid depressant again?
Speaking of depressants, say goodbye to those pesky neurotransmitters in your brain! Who needs them to ward off anxiety and depression? After all, alcohol can do that, right? With the help of alcohol, be prepared to feel better after a single drink, as “alcohol affects the part of your brain that controls inhibition, leaving you feeling more relaxed, less anxious and more confident” as found by the Mental Health Foundation!
What goes up must come down, but you’re in luck! As soon as feelings of regret, anger, depression or anxiety resurface, alcohol will be there to drown your sorrows. What a good friend! “Fireball has been there for me through thick and thin; I’m closer with them than anyone else,” stated a SLU Senior. Talk about a lifelong friend!
Once the night is over, the gift of alcohol keeps giving. You may have scored, but did you win? Alcohol can help you hit the jackpot, whether it is STIs, unintended pregnancies or regret — Oh My! Luckily, the chances are in your favor when you can’t remember the night! After a drunken rendezvous follows a day of “hang-xiety,” migraines and, of course, sleeping problems – exactly what the Doctor ordered! Mimosas anyone? “I always say I sleep too much, so I use alcohol to stay up all night and go to class irritable!” said one SLU student.
Over time, alcohol will be there through it all: relationship break-ups, unemployment, financial difficulties and more. In your times of need, alcohol will be there to steer your health in the right direction – like “high blood pressure, liver disease, cancer,” you name it! How thoughtful, I’ll raise a glass to that!
All jokes aside, people can have pleasurable sex while being under the influence. However, too much is too much. It’s okay to pick it up another time, if you choose, and others should respect those boundaries. It is important to ask yourself: “Am I sober enough for sexual activity?” and “Will I have a fulfilling sexual experience right now?” Remember to prioritize your pleasure and engage in healthy behaviors surrounding substances if there is a chance you will engage in sexual activity! Cheers!