Hi all,
I have recently had the very disconcerting experience of finding that someone I thought I knew is a completely different person when he has been drinking, and it is very clear to me that he has the potential to hurt someone, either himself or someone else.
What I am struggling with is: How and why does this happen? What explains how this scarey and dangerous transformation can take place?
Also, why does this only happen with some people? What is it about the people themselves that makes this more likely to occur?
I know there will be many of you out there who have experienced this first hand, maybe with a partner or family member, and I would really appreciate your insights. What have you learned from your experiences of this?
Also:
If you have experienced this yourself, what are the danger signs that indicate to you that someone might be like this?
And, how can such a problem be overcome?
thank you : )
Replies
Don't worry - I'm not going to hang off him trying to 'help' - I know he has to help himself and there is nothing more I can do to help unless he wants this.
I agree with what you say about unresolved issues, and I think this is true in his case. I think maybe there are personality aspects too eg impulsiveness? If the underlying cause is unresolved emotional issues, my question (which maybe no-one can answer) is then "could this issue be overcome through counselling, CBT etc, sufficiently for the person to then be 'safe' when drinking?"
In your case, I would be interested to know if you are still like that? And if not, what has changed?