Impairment

For all those who may unfortunately stumble across this note, what I have to say may not settle with you. For that I apologize, even though I have no problem expressing a truth. I just need to vent out my thoughts.

      The purpose of this note is to express my understanding on impairment. For all those who don’t know what it means to be impaired or to impair, it means to diminish, damage, or weaken. To function poorly or incompetently. In today’s society and culture it has become not only normal but good to impair oneself. To impair our minds. We do this to "cool off", "relax" or my favorite, "loosen up". We do this through psychoactive drugs (drugs that alter and impair ones reasoning and judgment process). Under this category of drugs that act as impairers and distorters are drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and more. If looked up, alcohol is the first substance listed under psychoactive drugs. DO NOT GET ME WRONG. There is nothing wrong with alcohol in and of itself (physically, socially or morally). In fact it is a blessing, much like talorham-egg-and cheese (love them!). It is a beverage and should be treated as such. However, the way we in society treat the concept of alcohol is so obviously wrong and yet even the best of men go blindly to it.

      Alcohol is a gift (like everything else). It is a beverage with the purpose of being enjoyed, whether it be socially, personally or recreationally. I myself love the opportunity to sit down, relax, and enjoy a beer or two with a couple friends. However, the difference is I see it for what it is. A beverage to be enjoyed. I love apple juice, but I would never drink thirteen bottles of apple juice in one sitting. So why would I drink thirteen beers in one sitting. Its common sense. This with the assumption that I don’t have the intent of drinking retardedly excess amounts of a substance just to screw my head up. (which will be getting into the meat of my point next).

     People have a lot of different definitions for the term "drunk". With the truth in this, one can almost say the truth in its definition is subjective. It's really not. Being "drunk" is to be in a state of mind that is not your own, normal. That is to say, when your mind is impaired, by means of substance, to the point where it has effected your rational thought process (the way you think), your judgment process and, in turn, your ability to thoroughly choose as a result, even in the slightest way. The reason, in science, that we have the classification of “psychoactive” drugs is so that we may distinguish between other drugs. Drugs such as caffeine or nicotine that act as “stimulants”. Stimulants are arousers and exciters. They, quite literally, stimulate the mind and in turn enhance ones physical well-being.  “Psychoactive” drugs, on the other hand, are impairers. These are the drugs that Distort one’s mind. They impair ones reasoning and judgment process. Your reasoning and judgment is self-obtained through experiences and the lessons the individual has come to learn in their life. In them lies subjective and individualized strengths that enable us to have the ability to choose how we want to think, act and speak, regardless of social influences and how the individual may desire to think, speak or act. This defines free will. Being stimulated by caffeine is not the same as being impaired by a “psychoactive” drug.  So when people list the steps to impairment by saying "happy, buzzed, tipsy, drunk, smashed", what they mean to say is "drunk, drunk, drunk, drunk and drunk". If you drink enough to effect the way you feel, think, speak, or act in the slightest way, (that is to say, if you are effected by alcohol in the slightest way) you are impaired and therefore you are drunk. Granted, there are different levels in impairment and therefore, different gravities. But just because something is less of a larger amount does not mean it holds no gravity. It just means it holds less. That’s like, (assuming one believes drugs to be immoral), saying that smoking crack is wrong but smoking weed is not, because it’s not as large of an effect. Obviously this is untrue. Just because the effect is less does not mean the gravity disappears all together. For the effect is what holds the gravity and by saying it’s just a little effect is the same as saying it’s just a little gravity, so treat it as such.

      The physical, scientific, and moral truths on the matter are absolute. However, the obtaining of this state is strictly subjective. One might have a sip of wine and be flat out retarded whereas I would have to have several beers in order for it to have an effect on me. Both states are the same in that an effect has taken place and therefore hold the same amount of truth in terms of science, body and morality. However each state was obtained differently. If the one that becomes impaired by a sip of alcohol rightfully aims to not impair oneself, if necessary, that persons obligation would be to never have a sip of wine (or build up a tolerance so he or she can enjoy an alcoholic beverage every once in a while) ... and I never more than just a few beers to be safe. As for the reasons one might not want to impair one's self? Well it's quite obvious.

   When you are impaired, as explained, your reasoning and judgment process has been damaged and distorted. This is not just a theory. It’s fact. You can find it in neuroscience (biology of the mind) under psychoactive drugs. Your reasoning and judgment allow you to act on those obtained strengths that give us the ability to choose to go against natural inclination. With those impaired and damaged you would find yourself thinking differently, speaking differently and acting differently then you normally would with these traits fully intact. You can’t deny this, the evidence is why we even have the word "drunk". (you act differently)
  
        Therefore, when you are drunk, you are literally being a different person. One would commonly argue that drinking makes them more of who they are (it emphasizes their personality). But then again, we are defined by our strengths, not our inclinations. At the very core, we are all the same. We are all inclined to act on our pride, our desires, our selfishness and however else we desire or feel. What gets in the way of that? Our rational thought, our judgment process. The strengths we personally obtain to act against those inclinations are what makes us individuals and different from all the rest. With this, we have the ability to choose what we think, say or do, regardless of what we are inclined to do. It enables free will. You have the ability to not do what you want to do and to do what you do not want to do. When you are drunk, those strengths are damaged. Your rational and judgment processes are damaged. Therefore it impairs your free will. You no longer have as strong the ability to choose how you think, speak or act. You are just weaker and therefore it is easier to act more on your natural inclinations (your instinct). So when you are drunk, you are not more of who you are, you are less. You are more of an animal and more like everyone else. Why would you want to even do that in the smallest way. Unless you hate yourself and would rather be a shallow, unguarded, retarded machine. And even if so, can you honestly define it as objectively rite?

Its like putting your middle finger up to God and saying "F you and who you made me to be and who I have fought to become. I'm going to mindlessly drink much more of this stuff than is logically normal just so I can be different and act as if I have none of the strengths I, through your help, have obtained."

    One could also argue that the only wrong, in excessive drinking, morally speaking, is the actions one commits while under the influence. This only more solidifies my point in that: why would you commit these “actions” unless you were drunk? But the actions, in and of themselves, hold their own moral gravity even in regards to the fact that one is intoxicated. The intent to intoxicate oneself is where the wrong originated and therefor it is the intoxicating that hold the moral gravity in and of itself. (Regardless of how ones actions are judged after that)

     Because of these obvious truths, I don’t know what irritates me more. Those who just don’t care and drink however much they want no matter what... Or those who claim that they have an understanding that getting "drunk" (to their definition) is wrong but there is nothing wrong with getting a little bit buzzed or tipsy. (Like the example with smoking pot and doing a stronger drug) It is the Same thing. Just different levels of impairment. Obviously one can be more "wrong" than the other, but that does not mean a lower level of such holds no moral gravity. Why cant we just chill with our beer or two, our glass of wine, our mixed drink. Why does it have to be a goal to drink a lot more than anyone would normally if alcohol was not involved, just to damage and impair who you have grown to be. It’s sad. Not to say I have not had my fair share of "fun" and am without flaw when it comes to this matter in my personal life. But we all mess up. The difference is knowing an obvious wrong and trying against it, regardless of stupid past (and possibly present) mistakes.

    It hurts to see GOOD people go so blindly to this without a care. Many of them my friends. They live for Christ and yet they insult him every week and think nothing of it. I have gotten to a point where it is hard to find a good person with mutual understandings of this issue involving morality. I am extremely blessed to have a couple of my best friends hold an understanding of this close to their hearts. But even so, in a world so large, with so many amazing people, most the time I feel alone in this. No matter where I turn; left, my friends from high school  getting drunk and acting like jackasses; right, my family and my brothers having parties with the simple and insecure intent of getting together and getting wasted. Everywhere I turn I am let down and there is no hope for a good person to be found who understands this. That would be a great support. Even though, most every night i can, I have a beer or two with my two best friends who share this mutual support, it still for some reason is not enough to block out the hurt of being disappointed everywhere i turn with everyone I meet, have met, have known, am getting to know and am already friends with, blindly taking part in their shallow fun with no thought on it.

If anyone, and i mean anyone, has a mutual understanding on this matter, please comment below. Even though the matter itself is not such a massive one, the support would really help.....