Originally Posted by
goldengirl3 
Is it just what the alcohol does to the brain?
Pretty much. And it can either be ridden out which can take a very long time, ridden out with support like a support group, religion, sports, etc or medicated. (Or a mixture of all, whatever works.) It's not a personality fault or spiritual deficiency it's neurochemistry.
That's not to say that some alcoholics aren't just asshats, but that is true of all people everywhere.