Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. was in private practice for more than thirty years. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the states ...Read More
Alcohol and Personality Changes?
My husband is mean and verbally abusive to me when he drinks. Insults belittling and very hurtful things come out of his mouth. I actually am so appalled that I freeze while his bitter insults act like knives that are stabbing me. He uses sadness and losses in my life as weapons against me. He tells me how he was so much happier before he met me and that I am a terrible mother and that everyone thinks that I am not good enough for him. Are these his true feelings that are coming out when he drinks?
Reactions to Alcohol
It is important to state that individuals react differently to alcohol. There are people who become “happy drunks.” They are people whose aggression is not released when they are drinking, even if they may become more outgoing. The way a person reacts to alcohol seems to depend on such things as their genetics, constitution, neurological system, and many other imponderable factors. In contrast to those who are the happy drunks are those who become rageful when they are drinking. How quickly they become rageful also varies according to the same variable factors mentioned above. For some, rage can begin after one drink while for others, it may take many drinks. For those who experience this release of aggression after drinking the speed of the onset of their belligerence may depend on their recent mood and stress level.
In the recent months, we have received plenty of questions and comments about alcohol abuse. All of the posts mention feelings of shock about the way the writers have been treated by their spouse or significant other when they have been drinking. In many of the cases, writers ask if it is true that alcohol consumption can cause personality changes and if the rageful comments made by the inebriated individual can be true.
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Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
Among the major symptoms that a person may be addicted to alcohol or suffering from alcoholism are:
- They are unable to remember what they were doing while drinking.
- For those individuals, the memory of their obnoxious behavior seems to be and probably is erased.
- There is a marked inability to resist the impulse to drink and, in fact, to look forward to or think about drinking all during the day.
These are only a few of the symptoms that a person may have a problem with drinking. A few other symptoms are:
- Drinking early in the morning.
- Experiencing a craving for alcohol.
- Hiding bottles or drinking secretly so that family will not know what is happening.

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Mixing Alcohol with Other Drugs
One of the most dangerous factors involved in drinking, besides the well-known one about the dangers of drinking and driving, is mixing alcohol consumption with medications.
The Bottom line
In my opinion, things said by a drunk while they are drunk, should not be taken seriously.
- For those individuals, the release of aggression is so powerful, after they have started drinking, that their comments and behavior are irrational. I am aware of the ancient Roman saying that “In vino veriatas.” I do not agree that what is said while drinking is truth.
If you suspect or even question if you have a drinking problem it is important to go for help. Among the types of help available are: Alcoholics Anonymous, Rational Recovery, Detox and additional treatment programs and now there is even medication that, after recovery, can remove the impulse or craving to drink.
What are your comments about this important issue?
Allan N. Schwartz, PhD
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