It happens to almost everyone who drinks. You wake up, the sunlight feels like a physical assault on your retinas, and then the "dread" sets in. It’s that cold, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you try to piece together the blurry highlights of the previous night. Specifically, you’re obsessing over the things I said when I was drunk.
Maybe it was a confession of love to a semi-stranger. Maybe you decided that 2:00 AM was the perfect time to explain your complex theory on why Shrek 2 is the pinnacle of Western cinema. Or, more painfully, maybe you brought up a deep-seated resentment that you’ve spent three years trying to bury.
We tend to dismiss these moments as "just the booze talking." We laugh them off—or hide under the covers in shame. But if you look at the actual neuroscience of what happens when ethanol hits your prefrontal cortex, those ramblings aren't just random noise. They are the result of a very specific, very predictable chemical hijacking.
The chemistry of the things I said when I was drunk
The human brain is basically a high-stakes balancing act between "go" and "stop." Under normal circumstances, your prefrontal cortex acts as the adult in the room. It’s the CEO. It evaluates consequences, manages social cues, and reminds you that telling your boss their haircut looks like a medieval peasant's is a bad career move.
When you start drinking, the ethanol begins to mess with two primary neurotransmitters: GABA and Glutamate.
GABA is your brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. It’s the "chill out" chemical. Alcohol increases GABA activity, which is why you feel relaxed after that first beer. On the flip side, alcohol suppresses Glutamate, which is responsible for brain excitability and information processing.
The prefrontal shutdown
As you keep drinking, the prefrontal cortex—that CEO we talked about—basically clocks out for the night. It stops monitoring your output. This leads to what researchers call "alcohol myopia." You lose the ability to see the "big picture" or the long-term consequences of your actions. You become hyper-focused on the immediate present.
That’s why the things I said when I was drunk often feel so urgent at the time. You aren't thinking about how you'll feel on Monday morning. You are only thinking about the intense emotion you are feeling right this second.
Is it "In Vino Veritas"?
There is an ancient Latin proverb: In vino veritas. In wine, there is truth. People love to use this to justify the idea that being drunk reveals your "true self."
But is that actually true?
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It’s complicated. Dr. Kevin Strang, a neuroscience professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has noted that alcohol doesn't necessarily reveal a hidden truth as much as it removes the filters that keep us from saying things we think but don't actually believe.
There’s a massive difference.
You might have a fleeting, intrusive thought that your best friend is annoying. In a sober state, you weigh that against ten years of loyalty and realize it’s just a passing frustration. When you're drunk, that nuance disappears. You say "You're annoying!" because the filter is gone, not because it’s your definitive "truth."
The emotional amplification factor
Alcohol is an emotional magnifier. If you're a "happy drunk," your brain is likely leaning into a dopamine spike. If you're a "sad drunk," the depressive qualities of the substance are hitting harder.
This magnification explains why the things I said when I was drunk often sound so melodramatic. You aren't just "kind of bummed out"; you are experiencing the greatest tragedy in human history. You aren't just "happy to see someone"; they are your soulmate for the next twenty minutes.
Why we experience "The Hangxiety"
If you’ve ever spent the morning after a night out Googling "how to delete memories from other people’s brains," you’ve experienced Hangxiety. This isn't just psychological guilt. It’s a chemical rebound.
As the alcohol leaves your system, your brain tries to overcorrect for the suppressed Glutamate. It floods your system with excitatory chemicals. This makes you hyper-alert, anxious, and prone to over-analyzing every single syllable of the things I said when I was drunk.
Your brain is literally in a state of physiological panic.
- The GABA crash: Your "chill" chemicals are depleted.
- The Glutamate spike: Your "anxiety" chemicals are red-lining.
- The Cortisol rise: Your stress hormones are peaking.
It is a perfect storm for regret.
Dealing with the social fallout
So, what do you actually do when you realize you've said something potentially damaging?
The most common mistake is "the over-apology." This is when you send a three-paragraph text at 9:00 AM explaining your childhood trauma as a way to justify why you were loud at dinner.
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Stop.
Most people are far less concerned with your behavior than you are. They are usually busy thinking about their own awkward moments. A simple, "Hey, I think I had a bit too much to drink last night, sorry if I was a bit much!" is almost always enough.
When it’s more than just a slip-up
Sometimes, the things I said when I was drunk point to a real problem. If you find that you are consistently aggressive, cruel, or dangerously honest every time you drink, the issue isn't the alcohol—it's the underlying emotion that you haven't processed sober.
Alcohol doesn't create personality traits out of thin air. It just gives existing ones a microphone.
If you find yourself repeatedly apologizing for the same types of comments, it might be time to look at why those specific thoughts are sitting in your subconscious in the first place. Are you suppressing anger at work? Are you unhappy in your relationship? The "drunk you" is often just the "sober you" without a safety net.
How to minimize the damage in the future
If you want to avoid the dread of wondering about the things I said when I was drunk, the obvious answer is to drink less. But beyond that, there are physiological ways to keep your prefrontal cortex from completely collapsing.
- Hydration is non-negotiable. Water slows down the absorption of ethanol. It gives your liver a fighting chance to keep up.
- Eat a real meal. Food in the stomach, specifically fats and proteins, slows the rate at which alcohol enters the bloodstream. This prevents the sharp "spike" that leads to blackouts or loss of verbal control.
- The "Phone Away" rule. If you know you're prone to emotional late-night texting, put your phone in a drawer or give it to a friend.
Actionable steps for the morning after
If you are currently reading this while nursing a headache and cringing at your sent messages, here is your game plan.
First, drink a glass of water with electrolytes. Your brain is physically shrunken right now due to dehydration; you cannot think clearly until you rehydrate.
Second, do not check social media yet. The "digital audit" only increases your cortisol levels.
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Third, wait until the afternoon to send any apologies. Your brain needs to balance its Glutamate levels before you can communicate like a rational human being again.
Finally, remember that one night of rambling doesn't define your character. We are all messy, chemical-driven organisms trying to navigate a world full of fermented liquids. Give yourself some grace, learn the lesson, and maybe leave the deep philosophical debates for a time when your prefrontal cortex is actually on the clock.
The best way to handle the things I said when I was drunk is to acknowledge them, apologize if necessary, and then move on. Ruminating on it only prolongs the chemical stress. You can't change what was said, but you can certainly control how much power you give those words today.