Anyone who’s lived with an alcoholic parent, partner or other close family member understands all too well what happens when their loved one’s personality changes suddenly as soon as they have a drink or two. Suddenly, the person they know and care for is a much different, angrier person — short-tempered, abusive and often violent.
This has an effect on the life of the person exhibiting this consistent anger. It makes people — even their closest friends — less willing to spend time with them. It can have a major impact on their family members’ quality of life and even be a detriment to the healthy development of any children they have.
There’s definitely a connection between the act of drinking and this destructive behavior, but its explanation hasn’t always been clear. According to Robert O. Pihl, a McGill University professor of psychology and psychiatry, “alcohol is involved in half of all murders, rapes and assaults. But the dynamics of this association are complicated, which is why any research that focuses on explaining this relationship is important for society in general.”
Fortunately, thanks to some recent research, we’re getting a better idea as to what this link actually is.