That Binge Intoxication!

This is not that piece of article that tells you to stop drinking or condemn you for drinking alcohol. I have indulged in alcohol myself; abused it as horribly as you can ever image. I am not proud of it to any extent. I am ashamed and somehow regretful of the experiences. Nonetheless, now I can proudly say that I have had my lessons and binge drinking is one thing we ought to discuss. I think we have to talk about it somehow and see what we can take from it. In this article, I hope to share with you my views, observations and experiences. 

Whiskeys were my first favourite alcohol type, then ciders, then sweet red wine, then beer and dry red wine. The wine types of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinotage are currently the only alcohols I would drink and I throw in bits of tequila shots sometimes. I do not have a favourite anymore. The way I feel about alcohol is not the same anymore. Actually, the way I look at alcohol has never been a constant perspective. It has changed depending on my life circumstances, age and mainly the kind of company I had. However, I will not blame anything on anyone; I have always had the free will of choice. 

My first exposure with alcohol was at home. My late mother would have her friends over. They would have a barbecue and there was usually alcohol for the clique, beer to be specific. They had this kind of hang out like every three months. They hung so long and could go up to around midnight. Somehow, I liked their sessions. There was no chaos, no fights, no broken glasses nor bottles. I also do not remember any sort of falls or blackout during their sessions. Their hangout sessions were always in harmony; full of laughter and many stories I cannot remember. I had a different kind of exposure out of home gatherings. The observations I have made at public drinking spots usually involve older man pursuing women. Most of these pursued women look somewhat overly intoxicated. One could tell from the looks on their faces, the awkward movements they make and even from the tone of their voices. They also dance very provocatively. For the men; both intoxicated and not I have observed them handing out money notes to anyone who asked. At public drinking spots including festivals/bars/pubs/clubs/cafes/concerts, I have seen how people easily spend and give away money. You would think they just plucked it from trees. It is also very evident in homes and communities that excessive drinking affects financial discipline negatively. We observe it in homes were food and other essentials lack as money is rather spent on alcohol. I think that from a young age I knew that excessive alcohol influenced one's behaviour into perfectly absurd ways. I learned from a young age that anyone especially the opposite sex could take advantage of you in anyway.

Binge-drinking may lead to violence and aggressive behaviour and acts. A simple misunderstanding may result in a fistfight. You gulp gallons of liquor, wine or beer and engage into the self-defence of slapping any person who stares at you. You suddenly experience a strange confidence and odd guts to handle anything. For some reason your excuse would be that you thought they were making sexual advances on you. It is possible that earlier before you got drunk one of the people gathering with followed you into the toilet and forced himself/herself on you. They could not leave you alone until you slapped them hard in the face. 

In the year 2019 I remember some female Namibian rape victims came out on social media. They exposed their rapists and shared their trauma. I observed that many of these cases involved alcohol consumption. This is just one of the many horrible and traumatising experiences that can happen through binge-drinking. Rape and other sexual harassment acts happen at all types of gatherings including private and public. Sometimes victims are the only ones intoxicated and preyed on by sober people. Whether offenders use a condom/femidom or not we do not know, and one could contract an STI/D. Women are very likely to fall victim of unplanned pregnancy.

Many abominable situations derive from binge drinking. In most cases it does not show instantly until you notice patterns of troubling scenarios. It manifests in sooner or later behaviour, actions and even in one’s appearance; hence lifestyle. You would find yourself in troubling communication situations, at school, home, work, outings and even in relationships with friends, partners, family or total strangers. It clearly influences reasoning and the entire state of mind. Worse things can happen, but we always have a choice from the start. 

Alcohol in general is not a bad thing. The way we use it matters. It matters that we have it in volumes our bodies and minds can accommodate. Some of the most healing and exciting memories I have created in my life have been with the intake of alcohol. Wines and dines, Ladies' Indoors mended from broken-hearts and just gatherings where we laughed and discussed all sorts of things including constructive talks. I also totally do not recommend binge drinking or any form of self-harm to deal with any stress or celebrations. 

In conclusion there is a saying that goes as "Too much of anything isn't good". According to philosophy, Epicurus advocated living in such a way as to derive the greatest amount of pleasure possible during one’s lifetime yet doing so moderately in order to avoid the suffering incurred by overindulgence in such pleasure. A wine glass before bed has not gotten me in suffering yet. Hence, life is good when you have your alcohol moderately. Talking about alcohol struggles could help many people in different ways. It is a topic for all alcohol users and non-users. It affects us all and everything around us. Oh well, always drink responsibly!