For more than a decade, I relied on alcohol to feel less awkward on dates, more confident in bed, and even to psych myself up to try something sexual that I’d never do sober. The thought of dating or hooking up without so-called liquid courage was so terrifying that it was part of the reason I stayed active in my alcohol use disorder—despite the many negative impacts drinking had on my life. All those years, I thought post-happy-hour hookups were helping my sex life, but it turns out they were actually hindering it.
