“I realize that I have to reassess my relationship with alcohol and how I communicate with people under the influence of alcohol. It is obvious that this is in contrast to how I experience myself.” Atle Antonsen stated this on his Facebook page after Sumaya Jirde Ali reported him for racism. In October, Bernt Hulsker (45) was sentenced to a suspended prison term for hate speech and reckless behaviour. He, too, explained that he had drunk too much. Neither Hulsker nor Antonsen believe that they actually have racist attitudes. So how does alcohol actually affect our bodies? – Depending on your personality From the moment the first unit is down, your brain changes and you feel more relaxed. Jørg Gustav Mørland, division director for forensic toxicology and drug research at the National Institute of Public Health. Photo: Privat – The brain changes from the first, lowest blood alcohol level you have. Alcohol has an extensive effect on a number of different processes in the brain. I don’t think most people are aware of that. So says Jørg Gustav Mørland, divisional director for forensic toxicology and drug research at the National Institute of Public Health. When the alcohol is absorbed into the blood and transported around the body, it will affect the brain and the control centre. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB – When the blood alcohol level exceeds 1.0, aggressiveness often occurs. But not for everyone. Because this depends on what state the brain was in and how it worked before you started drinking. – Again, it depends on your personality, your background, and perhaps things that have happened in the immediate time before you have an intoxication, or what happens during the intoxication. – Otherwise, I would never do it. The higher the blood alcohol level, the less control you have. – There is a lot going on in our heads – all the time, a lot of it is not conscious at all. There is a lot of unconsciousness that can be activated, among other things, by drugs. The filter that we usually have disappears little by little when we consume alcohol. The control filter we otherwise have is also part of us, points out Mørland. – Then you can say that it may not be entirely you, what comes to the fore, but there is a lot of the way you are on a daily basis, as well as in the past, only that you are a little less inhibited and often a little happier. – And then there is perhaps something that should not have come up, and which you would never have let out if you had been completely sober. – It is terribly difficult to say exactly how and when you drink. Alcohol plays on what is already going on in the brain and can change it in different ways, albeit with certain main guidelines. Drug researcher and psychologist Fanny Duckert agrees with this. She says that the answer to whether or not you are yourself when you drink is not clear cut. – When we drink, we see worse, hear worse, we become less sensitive and less self-critical. But we get a completely different contact with what we have inside. The threshold for letting things go is very much lower, and that means we can do things that we would otherwise never do. Duckert nevertheless emphasizes that alcohol cannot create something that is not there. – What you come up with when you’re drunk has some basis in you, even when you’re sober. BOUNDARIES: Fanny Duckert also points out that in Norway there have been old traditions that “the drunk is to blame”, but that they are now on their way to drawing up some boundaries. Photo: Stig Jaarvik / news – You are responsible regardless In Norway, alcohol is described as a huge social problem. Psychological specialist, Kari Lossius, believes that alcohol’s influence is underestimated. – Alcohol is very underrated. It is quite a dangerous drug. The problem with alcohol is that the more you drink and the higher your blood alcohol level, the worse your judgment becomes. Psychological specialist, Kari Lossius. Photo: Private – Drunk people are not particularly interesting and okay to be with. In these Christmas party times, it is very important that people count alcohol units and get home on time. When consuming alcohol, some people become very happy, others become sad or aggressive. And how we react is individual. – We react differently. It’s not like it’s the right personality that comes out, but it’s you who does it anyway. Even if you do things you deeply regret, it is you who must take responsibility for your actions. – It’s not like the alcohol is to blame for what you do. Whether you are drunk or sober, you must take responsibility for what you do. – You are responsible anyway. Jørg Gustav Mørland also believes that ultimately you have yourself to thank. – It’s probably mostly you. You are responsible for how drunk you get. No one is forcing you to drink. You should look at your own drinking habits. Secretary General of Occasionally, Ragnhild Kaski, encourages people to think about their alcohol consumption. – There is something that can be explained by the fact that you have drunk alcohol, but you shouldn’t use it as an excuse for the stupid thing you might have done. Ragnhild Kaski, General Secretary of Av og til. Photo: Bård Gundersen – If you have done something drunk that you regret or often experience that you are becoming a person you do not want to be, it is a good starting point to look at your own drinking habits. Kaski has the following advice for anyone who is entering the Christmas party season and wants to limit alcohol consumption: Keep track of how much you drink Decide in advance Drink every other day without alcohol
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Why do Atle Antonsen and Bernt Hulsker go out on a “drunk” binge? – news Nordland
