Akshay Kumar has a strong reputation as a teetotaller who is particular about fitness, but he has a few old drunk memories. On Salman Khan's show 10 Ka Dum he admitted he is a light drinker for whom even a glass of wine on a birthday is enough. And while some people dance, sing, get angry or fall over when drunk, the actor starts cooking, returning to his days as a chef in Bangkok. "I come back to my roots," he said.
He is not alone. Many people become impulsive after a drink and return to old habits or long-forgotten passions. The Indian Express asked Neha Cadabam, Executive Director and Senior Clinical Psychologist at Cadabam's Hospitals, why.
Why creativity and nostalgia surface after a drink
Alcohol momentarily lowers inhibitions and quiets the "inner critic" that keeps impulses in check, making people more attuned to their emotions and spontaneous urges. "When that happens, old passions or comforting activities like music, art, or even late-night cooking may resurface because they are linked to positive memories or a sense of self-expression. In a way, alcohol removes the 'shoulds' and brings out the 'wants' that we often suppress in our structured, responsible adult lives," she said.
Why forgotten hobbies in particular
The brain stores emotional memories differently from factual ones, and alcohol affects the limbic system, the emotional centre of the brain, making buried feelings, nostalgia and sensory memories easier to access. "A person might suddenly feel drawn to an old hobby not because the alcohol created a new desire, but because it temporarily lowered the mental noise that usually drowns out those emotional cues. Essentially, it gives forgotten joys a chance to be heard again."
Rare, occasional and regular drinkers
"For someone who rarely drinks, this experience can feel more pronounced because their brain is not accustomed to the altered state that alcohol brings. They may feel a stronger release of repressed emotions or creativity," she noted. Occasional drinkers experience a milder version. "Regular drinkers, on the other hand, often build a tolerance, meaning the psychological 'release' becomes less distinct over time. What starts as a liberating feeling can eventually become habitual and emotionally numbing rather than expressive."
A release for disciplined lives, with a caveat
People with highly structured or perfection-driven lives tend to suppress spontaneity, and alcohol in moderation can momentarily lower those rigid boundaries. But only occasionally, she cautioned. "If a person starts relying on alcohol as their only outlet for release or creativity, it can indicate a deeper imbalance between control and self-expression that might need to be explored in therapy or self-reflection."
Support at Cadabam's Hospitals
If a drink has become the only way you let go, it is worth asking why. Cadabam's Hospitals offers confidential counselling and specialist care for alcohol dependence, helping you find healthier outlets for the parts of yourself that need expression. Our team is here to help.