The journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology reports on studies showing that alcohol can increase aggression in both men and women, but more so in men. Alcohol impairs a person's executive functioning, making it harder for them to think clearly and make rational decisions.
Direct Effects of Alcohol.
Alcohol may encourage aggression or violence by disrupting normal brain function. According to the disinhibition hypothesis, for example, alcohol weakens brain mechanisms that normally restrain impulsive behaviors, including inappropriate aggression (5).
Alcohol-related aggression also often occurs in a context of chronic alcohol consumption and dependence. Various studies have estimated that up to 50% of alcohol-dependent men display violent behavior (between 16% and 50%, depending on age and the degree of severity of violence investigated) (e7– e9).
However, for some, alcohol can cause anger and aggression, which can become a real problem. Those struggling with anger management issues become unpredictable and unsafe, and even the smallest issues can cause them to lose their temper.
Other Common Alcoholic Personality Traits
Others will be irritable, anxious, and aggressive both when they drink and when they go through alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol dependence can also make a person impatient and easily aggravated. Additionally, you might notice impulsiveness or other erratic traits.
There is a strong association between antisocial personality disorder and alcoholism. Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of regard for laws and authority. People who have antisocial personality disorder engage in dangerous behaviors, lack guilt and display low impulse control.
Don't become angry
Even so, maintain a sense of peace and patience. It may help to find a friend you can vent to about your anger. However, try to avoid targeting your spouse with those feelings. It may help to continually remind yourself that what you're really angry at is the disease, not your spouse.
You may know about the dangers of blood clots and high levels of fats and cholesterol in your body. Alcohol makes both things more likely. Studies of heavy drinkers also show that they are more likely to have trouble pumping blood to their heart and may have a higher chance of dying from heart disease.
Additionally, those who already have difficulties with executive functions and impulse control are more liable to become angry, aggressive, and violent when their self-regulatory skills are further impaired by alcohol, ABC warns. Alcohol dependence can be closely tied to aggressive behaviors.
Popular wisdom holds that our true desires and feelings tend to come to light while we're drunk. Although drinking alcohol can definitely lower your inhibitions, there's no evidence to suggest that alcohol necessarily unlocks any deep-seated feelings or desires. Still, alcohol can change who we are, in some ways.
Yes, sometimes people mean what they say when they are drunk. But most of the time, people say whatever comes to mind when drinking without any concern if it's genuinely how they feel. Alcohol lowers inhibition and makes people feel talkative, extroverted, and emboldened.
Alcohol abuse can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior, both during intoxication and during withdrawal. At times, these symptoms and signs cluster, last for weeks, and mimic frank psychiatric disorders (i.e., are alcohol–induced syndromes).
The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
“Heavy drinkers report a lot of pleasure from a drink of alcohol. That's why we think drug treatment could be effective – if we can block that high, eventually they'll learn that drink isn't worth it anymore,” said Mitchell.
Chronic severe alcoholics average 38 years of age. They begin drinking around age 16 and develop alcohol dependence later, around 29 years of age. This group has the highest rates of drinking, consuming alcohol on an average of almost 248 days a year and binge drinking on 69% of them with a maximum of 15 drinks.
Alcohol affects the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which can lower your inhibitions, especially when in a setting like a bar. Someone who tends to be aggressive and antagonistic toward others when sober is much more susceptible to having these traits magnified when under the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol affects emotional reactions and worsens anxiety. Also, alcohol may cause a loss of emotional control. Furthermore, alcohol may cause unpredictable mood swings, decreased inhibition, a false sense of confidence, increased aggression, feelings of worthlessness, and suicidal depression.
Alcohol increases irritability and decreases inhibitions. With this combination, there is a chance you could be more mean or aggressive toward others. Alcohol clouds your judgment and leads to communication problems. This is especially true if the other person is also under the influence.
Alcoholic narcissists tend to refuse help because they are entirely convinced that they are in the right and entitled to do what they want. For this reason, to effectively help your loved one, you may need to consult an interventionist to have a better chance of convincing them to get treatment.
Research also shows that while excessive alcohol consumption does not produce behavioral conditions, drinking can exacerbate the symptoms of a mental illness. Roughly one third of individuals struggling with alcohol abuse also suffer from a mental illness.
Additional Alcoholic Personality Traits
Often someone who is abusing alcohol will also display the following signs and become: Insecure. Sensitive. Impulsive.