We’re at college. Sure, we may not be 21 yet, but that’s not stopping some of us from drinking. We knew what we were getting into coming to Main Campus. According to the 2012 Princeton Review, Penn State University Park is currently the 11th (greatest) party school in the nation, with University of Iowa (#2) and West Virginia University (#1) leading the list. Coming to Penn State, it’s easy to engage in underage drinking… and experiencing the psychological states and social interactions that follow.
There’s a reason that drinking has a connection to secret sharing. In my Biobehavioral Health class, we had a chapter on health behaviors. A section of this focused on drinking and the effects associated with it. According to my Health Psychology textbook by Richard O. Straub, alcohol induces a “sense of confidence and freedom from social constraints” and “is known as behavioral disinhibition.” This means that when intoxicated, drinkers are more likely to be aggressive, take risks, or engage in other behaviors that an individual would normally avoid.
And this brings us directly to secrets. When someone is drunk, he or she is more likely to bring up topics that they would otherwise not be inclined to share with a group, especially if those secrets are connected to current problems or emotions. Besides this, drinking is a time for making “secrets.” People do things they shouldn’t or wouldn’t normally do when they’re sober (that whole idea of disinhibition) and a lot of secrets, scandals and regrets come out of partying too hard.
My question is… has this ever happened to you? Have you ever said something you regret while at a party? Maybe is this one of the reasons you don’t want to drink: so you have complete control? What are some of the funniest things your friends have said to you while they were drunk?
Oh, and also, my blog is still going on. Don’t be shy! Post a secret.