alcohol/mood

[liquidspace]

Following on from a similar question, WHY does alcohol make people feel different ways? Is it people's TRUE personality that comes out when they drink. I.e., when some people get nasty and aggressive, is that their REAL personality, and when other people get silly and giggly, is that their real personality etc?

[Catso]

One of the classic consequences of drinking is said to be the lowering of inhibitions. So there is probably something in what you say. The real, uninhibited aspects of personality come to the fore as we lose the ability to 'hide' them.

Having said that, I think that would probably only apply to a certain level of intoxication and I would say beyond that, alcohol itself starts to change the personality.

See Wikipedia for details.

[Kialouanne]

To be honest if that was true then I must be a really bad Jekyl and Hyde character. I have stopped drinking a lot because I could never control how I was going to feel when I was drunk. If I was happy you couldn't meet a nicer person that me as a drunk...but wo-be-tide anyone who upset me as other times I am a very nasty person in drink.

[Catso]

But doesn't that just confirm what I said?

People control their emotions (when sober) because if everyone reacted like you describe, life would just be impossible. Everyone has the J&H in them (BTW I thought that was one of the points of the story) but they 'tone it down' just so as to be able to get on with people.

[alijangra]

I think alcohol greatly magnifies the worst traits that we have which normally we control.

[liquidspace]

I kind of ask this question because my ex bf was/is an alcoholic. He's a nice guy off it but really nasty when drinking. He gave up drinking for a while but has just started again and been admitted into a hospital (for mental problems) as he was thinking of killing himself. Its just a shame he cannot give up for good at the moment.