Unleashing Hidden Emotions: How Alcohol Breaks Internal Barriers

In a state of intoxication, a person seems to acquire the ability to reveal everything that is normally hidden behind the strict confines of self-control. Alcohol actively interferes with the functioning of the central nervous system, disrupting the usual mechanisms for filtering thoughts, and suddenly suppressed emotions and ideas that remain locked away during sobriety burst onto the scene. The feeling of lightness and loss of boundaries allows a person to say things they would ordinarily prefer to keep silent.

The effect of alcoholic beverages is manifested not only in the loss of physical coordination but also in the disruption of the thought process. When the inner “brakes” vanish, moral principles and prohibitions give way to unrestrained impulses, allowing an uncontrollable flow of words. It is precisely this effect that causes a person in a state of intoxication to reveal all their hidden feelings and thoughts, even if later they feel remorse over these words.

Thus, alcohol acts as a catalyst, erasing conventional barriers and encouraging the expression of the deepest feelings and ideas. Understanding this characteristic helps not only to comprehend the mechanism of self-expression in an intoxicated state but also to analyze how important internal “brakes” are for maintaining harmony with oneself and others.
What circumstances can lead a person in a state of intoxication to say more than they are later willing to admit?

A person in a state of intoxication often says more than they are later willing to admit due to a whole range of factors related to alcohol’s effect on the central nervous system and the self-control mechanism. When intoxicated, all the “brakes” shatter: the ability to filter thoughts and restrain impulses is lost, leading to thoughtless expression of even those feelings and ideas that remain hidden when sober. As noted in one of the sources, “After the first stage of merriment comes the second, when a person begins to lose control over themselves. Alcohol affects the central nervous system, and a person in a state of alcohol intoxication cannot coordinate not only their movements and speech but also their moral and ethical principles with their actions. … As a result, a person is completely devoid of ‘brakes,’ and all the vices they manage to hold back when sober immediately manifest themselves.” (source: 10_49.txt)

Additionally, the loss of the ability to control speech leads the intoxicated individual to be unaware of what should be said and what is better left unsaid. This is well illustrated by the following description: “The drunk does not know what should be spoken or what should remain unspoken, yet their mouth is constantly open; there are no locks or doors on their lips…” (source: 9_44.txt). This emphasizes that alcohol prevents the prioritization in expressing thoughts, resulting in even suppressed or shameful ideas suddenly being articulated.

Thus, the primary circumstances contributing to a person in a state of intoxication saying more than they are later willing to admit are:
1. The disruption of the thought process and loss of self-control caused by alcohol.
2. The removal of internal prohibitions and moral principles, allowing the manifestation of “vices” without the usual censorship.
3. The inability to assess the consequences of what is said when the usual order of thoughts is disrupted.

Supporting citation(s):
“After the first stage of merriment comes the second, when a person begins to lose control over themselves. Alcohol affects the central nervous system, and a person in a state of alcohol intoxication cannot coordinate not only their movements and speech but also their moral and ethical principles with their actions. … As a result, a person is completely devoid of ‘brakes,’ and all the vices they manage to hold back when sober immediately manifest themselves.” (source: 10_49.txt)

“The drunk does not know what should be spoken or what should remain unspoken, yet their mouth is constantly open; there are no locks or doors on their lips…” (source: 9_44.txt)