Psychological Effects of Party Culture on You

Welcome to the illusion of “Party Culture”.

I am calling it an illusion because the benefits of partying are far less than how it affects us psychologically.

We reap the benefits of partying only when we are conscious and stay within our limits.

But do we?

No. Most of the time when we want to go to parties or attend someone’s party, we are unaware of how our emotions are playing with us.

We think parties provide us with space to make connections, help us reduce our stress, and escape routine and boredom in our lives.

However, parties are not just that. You must be aware of how parties impact you.

Let’s look into what constant partying does to your mind and emotions.

1. Temporary Euphoria

What happens when you are out there having fun at a party? You feel euphoria—intense excitement and happiness.

You love the atmosphere, loud music, and bright lights. In those moments, you dance, laugh, and forget your everyday life in those moments.

You feel a sense of joy and freedom and experience that your stress, worries, or personal responsibilities are drowning. You may feel like the outside world doesn’t exist anymore.

You just love the social experiences you are having in those clubs, pubs, or discos. However, then something happens. You sense your euphoria is fading. Why? Because music has stopped, your friends have left, and you have returned home.

You may even feel an emotional dip afterward.

As you return to your routine life, you start missing that euphoria. You crave more and eagerly look for the next partying opportunity.

You want the same high again, as soon as you can.

But your pursuit of constant partying can distract you from other important areas of life. You may ignore the need of proper rest. You may don’t give enough time to your relationships. Or, you may pay no attention to your personal goals.

2. Anxiety and Depression

Yes, people do get affected by anxiety and depression in social settings like parties or group gatherings.

Once you arrive at a party scene, you start comparing yourself with others. You start overthinking how others see you.

You may worry you are not as attractive as other people around you. You may think that you are not funny enough. You may feel your outfit is not that cool. Even, you may think you don’t fit in.

It happens with many of us and this constant worry or fear of judgement is called “Social Anxiety”.

Depression is the aftereffect of a party. Once the party ends, excitement and noise go away. Many people sometimes feel lonely, empty, or sad.

There could be many reasons behind it. Maybe you compare yourselves with others who seem to be having a better time than you. Maybe you realize you are not as financially strong as others. Maybe you live a lonely life and miss the fun and companionship of the party at home.

Over time, such repeated letdowns can contribute to a lingering low mood or hopelessness.

3. FOMO (Fear of Mission Out)

Many people become a part of party culture because they don’t want to miss out on things or events at parties.

Because of FOMO, you fear or worry that you may miss out on the fun, excitement, gossip, or incidents. You don’t love the idea that others are having a great time without you.

You don’t like it when you miss a party and the next day people tell you how they enjoyed or what fun things they did or what you missed.

Such social experiences make you feel pressured to attend every party or outing. You neglect your priorities like you may need more rest or your important personal goal is not getting enough attention.

This can lead to stress and burnout. And in some cases, you can overspend than your budget allows.

And you are doing all of this to avoid feeling left behind.

4. Social Pressure

If you are going to parties because others are asking you to do so, you are a victim of social pressure.

Maybe a friend of yours is influencing you. Maybe a peer is requesting you. Maybe a family member is exerting pressure on you.

Let’s say your social circle thrives on partying here and now, you can’t avoid those parties. Because there is an unspoken rule that everyone should participate.

If you don’t attend those parties, you may feel guilty or worry that they would consider you “uncool”.

Some friends or family members may guilt-trip

you by saying things like, “Come on don’t spoil our mood,” or, “You are no fun”. Hearing these comments over and over can wear you down. It can make you feel bad if you opt-out.

Sometimes, when you say you are not interested, you feel the tension in the atmosphere.

So, to avoid arguments or awkward silences, you force yourself to attend. Even when you’re tired or not in the mood.

Although social pressure starts outside of you, it can directly affect your mental state.

5. Burnout

Burnout happens when you feel mentally and physically drained from too much partying.

In the burnout stage, you don’t feel excited about going out. When someone wants you to attend a party, you feel like it is another chore. You won’t find anything fun in it.

It is because you say “yes” to every party request and invite. You ignore the warnings your mind and body give you.

Burnout has a bad impact on you. You find it hard to sleep, feel constantly tired, or catch colds more easily.

6. Guilt or Remorse

Guilt or remorse happens when you say or do something that you normally wouldn’t.

One can witness this in many parties where people can’t control themselves when they let loose.

You may do something embarrassing, tease a friend too harshly, or reveal a secret you were supposed to keep.

The next morning when you recall what happened last night, you feel bad. You know that’s not who you are. This leads to feeling guilt or remorse.

You feel regret and worry about the fallout when you have hurt someone’s feelings, damaged a relationship, or embarrassed yourself in front of a group.

Guilt or remorse doesn’t let you live an easy life. It creates a loop of negative thoughts like, “I should have left earlier” or “Why did I say that?” This mental replay can lead to stress, anxiety, or even mild depression if you don’t address it.

7. Low Self-Esteem

You suffer from low self-esteem when you often feel less than others. You believe that you are not good enough.

In parties or social gatherings, you show signs of low self-esteem when you constantly worry about how you look, what you say, or whether you should be there.

You may compare yourself with a stylish person out there and think their outfit is better than you.

You may worry that people won’t like you or make fun of your dance moves, so you stay on the sidelines.

You may go out of your way, like spending too much money or pretending to be someone you are not. You do it just to get a positive reaction from others.

Over time, these thoughts and actions can become a pattern that keeps your self-esteem low.

8. Strained Relationships

Sometimes partying can impact you harder like when you strain your relationships with those people who don’t live this lifestyle.

When you do constant parties, you may be missing important family dinners or movie nights with friends. Over time, your friends or loved ones may feel that you are ignoring them. They may think you prioritize your parties more than spending time with them.

Due to parties, you can feel tired or groggy the next day. You may find it harder to check or reply to texts or calls. You may even don’t feel like engaging in casual chats.

So, when people feel they can’t reach you or talk to you, they feel bad or frustrated. Such communication gaps can create misunderstandings in relationships.

9. Disconnection from Reality

You disconnect from reality when you feel like the normal, everyday world isn’t quite enough anymore.

You believe in party culture more and crave more of it. You become so used to the buzz, the bright lights, the loud music, and the thrill of constant excitement that everything else seems boring.

Once you are at a party, you feel an intense rush. And when you come home to a quiet place, you notice there is no loud music, no exciting crowd, no dancing, no group of friends around. This shift can feel jarring, almost like the “real world” is dull compared to that party.

If in the long run, you chase that party feeling too much, you lose interest in your daily life priorities and important life goals. You struggle to appreciate calm moments.

You become so focused on intense social highs that you start to lose touch with the simple, everyday parts of life that keep you grounded and balanced.

10. Increased Risk of Substance Dependence

Suppose you arrive at a party. All of your friends or peers around you are drinking, smoking, or using drugs. How do you feel?

You may feel the peer pressure and an urge to join in. You don’t want to feel left out, so you try “just a little,” thinking what’s the harm in it.

If you keep using such substances on weekend parties, you can become dependent on them. Because you keep craving that feeling of relaxation or excitement more and more, that you had while using a substance.

What starts as “only on weekends” can turn into “every night,” especially if you rely on it to feel relaxed or have fun.

Apart from substance dependency, you feel drastic highs and lows in your mood. Once the temporary highs fade, you may experience sadness, anxiety, or irritability.

Over time, you may turn to substances to handle everyday pressures. A difficult job or relationship issues? Let’s drink, smoke hookah, or do drugs. Substances become your go-to coping mechanism.

So, Should You Become a Part of Party Culture?

There is no doubt party culture can be a thrilling part of life. Because it offers exciting social connections. Your friendships are fostered further. You get a chance to have fun and relax. It gives you opportunities to escape from daily routines.

However, party culture also brings with it challenges as we have discussed in the above points.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Personal Comfort: Are you comfortable in loud and crowded settings? Do you feel fine that there is no personal space on crowded dance floors? Are you comfortable with smoke-filled places and scents of alcohol in the air? If you are comfortable with everything, go ahead.
• Mental and Physical Health: Do you feel fine after partying? Does your “energy levels” affect you drastically? What about your sleep quality? Do you remain calm, peaceful, and happy after partying? If you remain mentally and physically healthy, keep having fun.
• Boundaries: Are you aware of your boundaries at such events? Can you stay within your boundaries when there is potential peer pressure around alcohol, drugs, or social expectations? If you respect your boundaries and don’t break them while partying, there is no harm in having some more.
• Balance: Can you include parties in your routine without sacrificing other important aspects of your life? Like relationships, work, studies, personal goals, or hobbies? If you can keep a balance, have fun partying.

Best of luck!

Main Photo Credit: Photo by peter bucks on Unsplash