changeschoices

An informal poll. I'm interested in whether people think such a thing as an alcoholic personality exists before one ever takes a drink, or if it's a result of alcoholism and the personality changes it can bring.

caboblanco

what's an alcoholic personality?

FeelingGreat

My own theory is that there are genes which predispose to addiction, but they may stay latent for part or the whole of a person's life, depending on the circumstances.
I don't apply this to all alcoholics, but I think it may be true of a great many. Once the 'beast' comes out of the box, moderation is not possible.

dayover

For me at least, personality first. I was irritable, discontent, anxious, depressed, and damn crazy all my life. I was rude, aggressive... and a down right cow, really.

I don't remember EVER not feeling this way. I started drinking and found momentary relief from the chaos, at a price.

Now that I'm sober I am finally finding out I can live a life without those character traits, and have a different personality

FeenixxRising

I not sure about personality; however, there is some research that suggests that some people are predisposed to alcoholism because their bodies do not process alcohol the way most people process alcohol. See the book Under the Influence for more information.

I suspect genetics plays a part, just as it does for diseases like diabetes. But what matters is that once a person realizes they can't control their drinking, they accept that stopping for good is the only solution.

Bostonsportsfan

This is true for me. I feel like being an alcoholic is a lot genetic. There's a ton of alcoholics in my family and once the beast was let out there was no stopping it.

seahorse661

In my case, definitely personality. I look back now and I was showing 'addict thinking' and decision making before I started drinking. Only now do I see that my thinking wasn't normal

BackToSquareOne

From the time I was a little kid I was always a "more is better type of person". I did most things to extremes way before I ever drank.

On the other hand I've known alcoholics all over the place as far as personality types go. Hard to say if there is an actual "Alcoholic Personality Type".

makomago

Alcohol is the symptom. The problem comes first.

BackToSquareOne

Here's an old thread I did on alcoholic traits and characteristics : http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...teristics.html

makomago

There is no evidence that addiction is genetic. Alcoholism and other addictions runs in families for a number of reasons, most of them stem from home (dysfunction) in one form or another but the commonality will be shame and abandonment.

Have a look at 'Family of Origin' and some of the step 1 work on family history as suggested in the big red book of ACoA.

The addiction/alcoholism can skip generations too... The effects from addict grandparent passed to parent who never drinks but has all the traits of an alcoholic; who in turn passes them down and this time junior does pick up a drink or drug.

Alcoholism/addiction is a family disease but not due to genetics.

This generational jump is where some people mistakenly get the idea of genetic links.

PhaseTwo

Alcoholics seem to have a lot of different types of personalities to me.

john44

I think there is a genetic component but circumstance and environment seem to play a large part too. How many muslim alcoholics are there? Not many. How many Native American alcoholics are there? A lot. Is it genetic or cultural?

And although there are many similarities in alcoholics and there are definite patterns to alcoholic drinking, over a wide sample size there are many differences. Many of the speakers that I've heard in AA say they know they were alcoholic from the first drink, usually in the early to mid teen years. They talk of dysfunction in the family from an early age. Fewer seem to be like me. No early family dysfunction, successful career, none of the feelings of not belonging, never "feeling different". I drank moderately/socially for many years without problems yet still became a raging alcoholic in my late 40s to the point of multiple rehabs, detoxes and hospitalizations.

The vast majority of the problems I experienced were due to drinking alcohol. When the alcohol is removed I feel better, think better, behave better. I've heard many alcoholics say, "When you stop drinking, that's when your real problems start". My experience couldn't be farther from that. So, in all, I don't think you can point the finger at any one factor that causes/promotes alcoholism. We're all different but we all have a common problem no matter how we got there.

Threshold

My experience.

Due to genetics (yes really) certain types of mental illness and carb processing runs in my family. I also grew up with abuse and neglect. I developed an addictive personality...in the sense that from very early childhood (toddler) I used certain behaviors and substances to escape my reality.

I purposely avoided drugs and alcohol because I knew from my own family history and personality that I was at a super high risk for alcoholism and addiction. In my 40's, a series of stress and circumstances led me to say "F it" and pick up. In very short order I was a full on addict/alcoholic, among a list of other addictive behaviors.

From several years of talking addiction, alcoholism and recovery with others with the same conditions, there seems to be some like me, with a genetic and/or personality issue, and others without that.

Alcohol was not my first addiction, or only addiction, just one manifestation of my underlying addictive personality, coupled with carb processing that made me more susceptible than the average person on the street.

Recognizing that some people have a genetic component isn't pointing blame at anyone, or suggesting that someone can't quit.

Progroupie

I learned in a DUI class that certain personalities are more prone to alcoholism based on pretty minute factors. For instance if you're outgoing and a people person you may crave the company of being at a bar or party.

Br00ksie

Addiction, IMHO is definitely a heritable trait. My father is an addict, and I was addicted to EXACTLY the same substances that he went to rehab for (weed, alcohol, pain pills). My maternal grandfather also died of sirhossis of the liver. My paternal great-grandfather died in an alcohol-related accident.

I had an additive personality early, and became addicted to cigarettes at the age of 14. I also started drinking then, but because binge drinking was the "in" thing to do I didn't see it as a problem until much later.