BOOZE - The CURE for Asperger's?

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I'd echo the sentiment of the thread. Okay, "Cure" is too strong a word, but under the right circumstances, the booze can provide a brief period of enhanced tuning. A touch of inebriation brings me closer to actually living in my body, instead of the typical sense (in a social setting) that I'm a clumsy puppeteer standing on the outside. Of course, the "sweet spot" is elusive and short-lived, and it's no fun to become dependent or experience "too much of a good thing". So the utility of alcohol is limited. But as a medicinal tool, it's a good weapon to have in one's arsenal.

I am definitely more sociable--- but this does not mean that I am able to do it BETTER. Usually, everyone else in the area is also drinking, so they might just not notice my quirks/oddities as much and they might be acting unusual themselves. Also, I have done some amazingly stupid things while under the influence of alcohol, so I try not to drink mostly.

This is an odd statement, but i find it true. Why would alcohol have such a strong effect on one's perception of one's body? It's like a lot of the sensory mess goes away. I don't stim or anything, and it even feels natural to use gestures. Weird :S

I think that a lot of the effect might be observation bias. Interacting under the influence is much less nuanced and fairly simplistic IMO. It don't take too many social scripts to figure it out.

Act like an idiot: check!
...
Okay, we're good to go!

I can do that sober, people just don't like it

P.S. Anyone else think a topic on self medicating with booze belongs elsewhere?

Edit: actually I think I do stim and it just doesn't register. Score one more for the unreliability of self-observation!

Well, alcohol inhibits higher brain function and lowers inhibitions. It helps us to not overthink things and not second guess whatever we're thinking about saying - helps us function in the moment like I suppose normal people do. Or to put it in a more crude way, it brings us down to their level. That's my theory anyway.

alcohol is cool for awile, and i agree it can help some with aspergers including myself. just watchout for waking up and wanting a drink with your cheerios. thats when you know its become a problem

I have used alcohol for years and only recently just decided I dont like to have any more then a few. Anyways... Alcohol helped me at parties relax and be social, it takes away the inner akwardness I tend to feel sometimes around people espacally if they are new and their is alot going on. The problem is that I did not know my limit and had done some really stupid things as a result. So now, I rairly drink. Lastnight I bought a Hinekin mini keg and had a few friends over and I drank maby 4 glasses, and this was the first time I drank since New Years, both times I was well under the legal limit I feel.

Moderation can help us aspies stay social at gatherings and all, but it may be hard to stop for a variety of reasons, at least for me it is.

Agreed... Moderation is key. Despite my moniker and avatar, I rarely have more than a couple drinks in one setting. There's a fine line between feeling more relaxed and conversational, and being a sloppy drunk. IMO, being drunk is highly overrated anyway, and I usually make a point to cut myself off when I start to feel buzzed... Unless I'm actually trying to get drunk, which is pretty rare. The hangover and other potential consequences just aren't worth it.

If I'm at a bar or party and feeling pressured to continue drinking after cutting myself off, I usually switch to ice water, which looks just like a gin & tonic to the casual observer. But then, if the people around you are pressuring you to drink more, it's time to start hanging out with different people.

Last edited by Living_in_Gin on 14 Jan 2008, 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Alcohol makes me become more talkative but its in no way a cure for AS and it should not be used as a cure in my own opinion.

While there is nothing wrong with a lovely adult beverage every once and a while, using it as a cure for anything is not a good idea.

My rule of thumb is, if I really feel like I need a drink, then I don't have one. Yeah, I like the feeling that being a little drunk can bring, but it is not the real me and unless I want to stay drunk all the time, it is just a temporary feeling. Staying drunk all the time leads to job loss, medical problems that can include things like diabetes or cirrhosis of the liver, shortened life span, and moods that can make a person unpleasant to be around for long periods.

In some people, it can lead to loneliness and depression. To me, it is not a gamble that I want to take.

The downside to drinking outweighs the benefits of loosening me up. I smoke weed to self medicate and it works much better for me without addiction or health problems. Another advantage of weed is other can't tell if I self medicate, if I reeked of liquor folks would notice.

Ahhhhh.... scotch.... it's whats for dinner!

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I agree - I've had many situations where alcohol has helped me loosen up. I've even had someone who hardly knew me use my behaviour on one drinking night as proof that I don't have aspergers...

Though I have the same problem others have - not knowing when to stop and being unable to stand up - or blacking out. So, moderation.

The right amount of alcohol usually turns me into a charming and entertaining social genius. Too much alcohol can turn me into an emotional and social mess.

Caffiene and sugar work better and you don't wastes brain cell.

Caffeine just makes me jittery, and sugar just makes people fat and causes diabetes.

Drinking seems to dial down my aspergers (I stop stimming, am way less anxious, don't mind people touching me and have alot less trouble looking at people and processing what they say) but it usually kicks my ADHD into full force - which means I'm leaping around (literaly), annoying everyone and making stupid jokes. I have a good time but also make an idiot of myself. Course, I tend to do that anyway what with my horriffic social skills and the way I always mis-interpret grammatically inexact utterances.