Twill

My dear friend is 36. He says he started drinking at age 12, not a little, but a lot.
He has been in many, many fights over the years, all under the influence. It appears that at a point, he changes from a happy drunk to a 'want to fight' drunk. I have been with him 5 or so times now and experienced the snap. It makes no sense to me but when he snaps, he suddenly tells me how much he hates my kids, my parenting, my advice, my music and everything about me. He tries to engage me into a fight. I leave, usually crying, and he usually goes into hiding for a week or more.
I am wondering if this is a sign of a failing liver. Since the liver processes the alcohol out of the blood, is his so damaged that its like a surge of alcohol that causes the sudden bazar behavior?
Is this a sign of any extensive damage? I have seen people gradually get angry drinking, but he changes in an instant from happy to full of rage.
I talked to him about AA and he said, "AA is for quitters and I am not a quitter".
I could be his mom, and we truly have a wonderful intellectual friendship. I don't know what to do with him.

Johnston

Simple series of blood tests should answer your question.

Doug39

My father was a severe alcoholic and he would change from a happy drunk to a sad drunk to an angry drunk to a violent drunk at any moment.

Their was no rhyme or reason.

My father also started drinking as a young teen and drank for 40+ years. He quit at age 58 because his health was bad. He is now 76 and a miserable angry dry drunk.

He never got any help for his drinking or for why he spent his life self medicating.

I think the behaviour changes are all in the brain - not the liver.

suki44883

Alcohol kills brain cells. I agree that behavior is brain based. That's not to say he may not have liver damage, and a blood test would reveal that, but his liver isn't going to cause him to become an angry person.

EndGameNYC

Despite our portfolio of delusions, alcohol typically brings out the very worst in all of us, if only because we can't or won't stop when we get to that happy place where we can be charming, engaging and lots of fun to be with.

Twenty four consecutive years of heavy drinking would take a toll on anyone...physically, emotionally and spiritually.

awuh1

I don’t have a definitive answer to your question but I do have an opinion. I don’t think that the problem is biological. I think that certain people just have moods than can change in an instant. This is much more apparent when they are drinking because they express these emotions with little inhibition. Alcohol makes what is already there that much easier to see.

The anger that is expressed by many alcoholics is often a sign of depression IMO and was one of the reasons for the excessive consumption of alcohol in the first place.

Mags1

My dad, we called him Jekyll and hide, when he drank was happy and nice, then would snap, and he was scary. It usually happened after whiskey, which I'm pleased to say he didn't have all that often. I don't think he remembered everything either.

IOAA2

Hi. sorry for situation your in. These behavior patterns don't usually change unless alcohol is abstained and from your post that's unlikely.

"I don't know what to do with him."

IMO run, as things perhaps in a short period will get worse. Sorry but active alcoholics are tough to deal with in general.
I'd suggest Al Anon meetings for you and your sanity.

BE WELL

Xpylej

There are lots of possible causes for that... some people are just naturally short-tempered, some people are angry drunks...

I don't think liver damage would cause behavior issues like that, although extensive liver damage CAN cause increased ammonia (among other chemicals) concentrations in the brain.

Another real possibility is caused by drinking from such an early age of 12. There is crucial brain development that takes place up until the mid-twenties, particularly during adolescence, and alcohol can screw that development up.