Traits of Alcoholics
Traits of Alcoholics
Alcoholics are all individuals. They come in many shapes and sizes, ages and stages of life. They are rich or poor, male or female, mean or friendly.
However, in spite of so many differences, there are also many traits that alcoholics share in common. This is because alcoholism is a disease of the brain. Like any other addiction, alcoholism operates by triggering the midbrain, a part of the brain responsible for survival and the fight or flight response.
Once the midbrain has been affected, by addiction, behaviors of the individual begin to change. A once honest person becomes a regular liar. Lies are used to cover up drinking and drinking behaviors.
Once social individuals, even those who had behaved very sociably while drinking, tend to become more isolative as they seek to drink more and to hide the frequency and amount they are drinking.
As alcohol becomes the primary coping mechanism, alcoholics slowly lose the ability to self-soothe with real coping skills like taking a walk, talking to a friend, or listening to some music. Instead, they drink if they are bored, stressed, angry, embarrassed, sad, or even happy or excited.
In addition to the dishonesty, isolation, and poor coping, alcoholics also tend to be manipulative. They will use guilt, coercion, or other means to manipulate others to get what they want. They can be very subtle or completely obvious in this behavior, but manipulation of any sort is usually aimed at protecting their ability to drink.
Finally, alcoholics are obstinate. They will fight anyone who gets in the way of their drinking. Even if they don’t fight openly, they will passively aggressively do what they need to do in order to keep drinking. For loved ones of alcoholics, these traits can be a sign that the ‘occasional drink’ has become an addiction, and he or she needs help. Call now to get the help you or a loved on desperately needs 1-877-593-6777.
