CactusJill

Oh, man... the personality change is the WHOLE REASON why I quit drinking. I was a binge drinker - could go days or even weeks without drinking but when I did I truly unleashed the hounds of hell on everyone around me.

I think, as others have said, some of it was letting out hidden resentments. For example, when I was drunk I would yell at my husband for being too stern with our son, which really did bother me but I mostly let go when sober. However, the strength of my reaction was waaayyyy out of proportion with my actual concerns. What I might have been irritated about when sober became the reason for a brawl when drunk.

Other times I just became enraged for no reason at all. It was like alcohol triggered me to become my own version of the Incredible Hulk. Scary. I never committed a crime when I was drinking, but it was entirely possible that I could have assaulted someone.

So, I am now sober. Again. Hopefully for good this time because each time the anger got a little worse and the bottom a little lower.

Mel12

At social events for years I would feel someone come up from behind and violently grab my buttocks and squeeze hard when no one was looking--it was my friend's wife, a kindly mother of two nearing 60, who did this to me like a psycho when she drank.

NoJimmy

Some peoples personalities remain very consistent when they drink, I unfortunately could be very unpredictable. Everything from being happy go lucky to my brain being completely cross-wired, causing me to act in ways that didn't seem to be rooted in earlier moods, thoughts or resembling any part of my (sober) personality. And like Dee, during my combined 5 years of sobriety, I never saw Mr Hyde one single time.
The issue isn't just our existing personality + booze, you've many many variables from a chemical standpoint. It's possible for alcohol to contributor to things like low blood sugar. It's not uncommon for low blood sugar levels to cause extreme anger in people, sober or not. I reject the idea all our drunk behavior is rooted somewhere in our personality, or the "real us".


Note: No matter the reason for our messed up behavior, we are responsible for our actions sober or not. And once we know we are capable of such hideous behavior when drunk, we have a responsibility to NOT take that first drink.

pmarch12

My friend's Aunt did this to me, and I kind of liked it. I was young, she was attractive. Another source of guilt. It's crazy how so many life instances are linked to getting wasted. If I had only known then... Or perhaps I did, and went through with it anyway. Life.

Aellyce

I could not agree with all this more. Like others mentioned, also for me one of the main reasons for wanting to quit is exactly this dreadful effect of alcohol. I'm really sick of all the shame and regrets regarding what I said and did when drunk. I think the idea about alcohol helping to be more open and truthful is a misperception of "normal" drinkers when they feel it helps lower inhibitions. But even for them, I don't think it does it in a way that could be considered bringing out their real selves, because alcohol really blunts judgment and cognitive abilities, which is not how they would be without it. I think what many people feels is that it lowers anxiety, but unfortunately it has many more other, negative effects as well that come in the same package.

readerbaby71

Wow, Kate, are you me?! Haha. I think I am my most authentic self when sober. I actually put a note on my phone to remind me of this whenever I feel like getting f-ed up.

babycat

Whenever I would hear someone say that the "true" you comes out when you are drinking, I can only roll my eyes and/ or laugh. Not that sometimes I would not get too open about things I should have kept to myself here and there but um, at the same time, you should see some of the "gentlemen" I made out with while drunk. I can most assuredly tell you I was not secretly pining for them at the start of the night.

KateL

As I just said on another thread, When I was drunk I believed I had special powers. I now realise that I can't move things with my mind or fly x

karate

I'm a mean drunk , I'll fight with anyone . And to whatever level they decide to take it to .

When I was drinking , I have be confronted with guns , I had no fear ,
Only blind rage and anger .

At the time I was drinking , I had anger problems also .

I'm sicker than most here .

I can be a lunatic sober , drinking turns off the part of my brain that says STOP

So I don't agree it's a 100% personality change , but it let out 100%
Of my bad traits .

I'd jump on a grizzly bear drunk , and at that time I'd swear I could kill him
Bare handed .

To summirize - it turns off all my inhibations .

They say a drunk mans words are a sober mans thoughts .

If I hate you drunk , I'll hate you sober too , but you are psysically safe if I'm sober
If I'm drunk , better get yourself a gun and shoot me .

I feel blessed God allowed me to get through it , without going to prison .

KateL

I see what you are saying but we are all a bit different. I was nothing like I am now when I was drinking. x

Aellyce

When I was very drunk, I would also often believe I had special powers and had weird grandiose ideas. And while in this state, subjectively I was enjoying it a lot and loved to tell others about my thoughts. Quite psychotic-like states. I do have a few mental illnesses running in my family though, including schizophrenia and other delusional disorders. So when I sobered up, often I would get very scared recalling some of those drunken perceptions, fearing that the alcohol might bring out hidden predispositions. But I never ever feel and think that way sober, and it sounds like I was not the only one with this problem, so guess it's just the alcohol.

KatieA

I once broke someone's teeth with a bottle. It was an accident, but I did that. I did drugs, got kicked out of bars, got in trouble with the police. Sober me would never cheat. Drunk me did. I wish I could forgive myself.

KateL

You should because it wasn't the real you. Alchol does something wierd to our brain chemistry.
xxxxx

MrTumble

Its silly. Alcohol is a drug, in the same manner that opiates and amphetamines and hallucinogenics - yet no one says that someone high on marijuana is showing their real personality, so why say it for alcohol?

Its just daft.

Pipping

I hate swearing and I cringe when I hear people use the f word or even worse the 4 letter c word. I particularly hate hearing people swear at work during meetings as I think it's unprofessional and unnecessary. When I was drinking everyone under the sun was an f- ing C and I took pride in shocking people with my foul language and did this solely to get attention. How utterly embarrassing for a 40 year old woman. This was not the real me, just some silly drunk insecure idiot trying to be 18 again. God alcohol is awful, awful awful.

karate

It could be it affects -US - different .?

KateL

I reckon, yeah x

karate

True story here ,The tractor in my avatar . I have another one newer and bigger I normally use .

I could start plowing in the field with a 6 pack ,drink 4 beers and be M-A-D , no one with me ,just by my self .

This was in the pre anger mgt. days though .