I certainly don't know the answer to this question, however I am thinking that quite possibly is my stbxah case the alcohol is a "fix" for his abuse, at least temporarily, until he has had to much...when he is the phase between drinking and getting a buzz and the full on alcohol dementia coma. I have read many times that sometimes the alcoholism is a symptom of an underlying personality/mental disorder....which in my case I believe to be true. My stbxah is verbally, mentally, and has occassionally been physically abusive....but it does not always include the alcohol. When he drinks he escapes the madness in his head, which is why he drinks. That said, I think that some people just are abusers/abusive and some of them drink/some of them don't. I don't believe that being an alcoholic makes you become abusive. But....those are just my thoughts, and I only really know the situation I was in.