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Some people are friendly drunks, whereas others are hostile, potentially endangering themselves and others. The difference may lie in their ability to foresee the consequences of their actions, according to a recent study in the online Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
thenewgreen · 4360 days ago · link ·
Pretty short read.
I've often wondered about why certain alcohols effect you differently? We all know someone that doesn't drink "tequila" because it makes them aggressive, or some equivalent. I have a friend that gets in fights if he drinks too much "brown liquor", so he keeps away from it. lucky_cabbage I think you know who I'm referring to. Is this just in your head, or is there a chemical reason? If you get a moment, check out this fantastic song by timothy monger called when i'm a happy drunk
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thenewgreen · 4360 days ago · link ·
Thanks for the laugh... though somehow, I doubt you're kidding.
My wife says I should not drink vodka because it makes me an angry drunk, while rum is fine. I don't know any data behind this and think it's more subjective than anything else. I think behavior would be more based off of the subject's current psychological state rather than what type of poison he's consuming.
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thenewgreen · 4360 days ago · link ·
We each have different constitutions regarding how our bodies physiologically respond to certain foods and drink. It doesn't seem implausible to me that vodka may have a different impact on your behavior than rum. They have two different chemical compositions, why shouldn't they have different impacts on you?
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Well the thing is, an alcohol molecule is an alcohol molecule. It doesn't matter what the fermentation process is, you will get an ethanol. Vodka for instance is just ethanol, water and impurities. I think the issue lies in the Ethanol itself since it's considered a psychoactive drug. Plus individual differences per person can be attributed to the levels of metabolic enzymes in the body that break down the alcohol.
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thenewgreen · 4360 days ago · link ·
Could it have something to do with the "impurities" and ancillary ingredients outside of alcohol? I agree that it likely has more to do with the psychological state of the person at the time of consumption. Who knows, maybe when you're already worked up you crave vodka. Could it be a case of the chicken and the egg? What came first the agitation or the vodka?
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The thought of the impurities had occurred to me as well. I don't think there is any real way to know for sure without proving that the same impurities are in every vodka bottle, and vise-versa for rum, tequila, and neutral spirits. But I do think that psychological state has a lot to do with what type of drunk you are.