why does my mom (who’s an alcoholic) ….?
January 9th, 2010
my moms an alcoholic and I was wandering why it was that some days she was just drunk, not really mean or mad, but not very nice and caring; while other days she’s very mean and rude. she wont like to talk and always gives you a mean look.
why are her moods so different day to day. Me and her got into somewhat of a small argument after she had about 2 glasses of wine. Did this cause why shes acting like this? Is it my fault ?
Different alcohol will perform differently on the brain and hormone levels and cause different “Mood swings” my mom can drink wine, and even light beer and be happy go lucky….let her get some whisky or strait vodka and she is meaner than a snake…also things around her can play a role on her mood like financial problems, relationship problems, etc.
Different drinks and different amounts of drinks will cause different behavior. If she had 2 glasses one day and 5 glasses another day, her moods will be different. There are several stages in alcohol drinking that change your moods.
First of all, the way your mom behaves is most certainly not your fault.
Often times, people who are alcoholic fall under the category of what’s known as “dual diagnosis” — this means that they fit into two diagnostic categories: alcoholism/addiction and some other disorder, often a mood disorder or a personality disorder. So some other disorder could account for your mom’s erratic moods, but there’s really no way to tell with the small amount of information you’ve given us.
It is also entirely possible that emotions associated with alcoholism are contributing to your mother’s behavior. Without a doubt, alcoholic/addicts can behave very erratically, especially as they flow in and out of sobriety.
To answer your question specifically, it could have been the wine that led your mom to act the way she did, but there’s no way to tell, and I imagine that she’s acted in such a way even when she hasn’t had anything to drink. If anything, one would think that a sober alcoholic would be more irritable due to the effects of acute withdrawal on mood.
I hope that helps! Just remember, the way she acts is not your fault. I don’t know how old you are, but if you are a teenager, see if you can find your way to an Alateen, a support group for teenage family members and friends of alcoholics. If you are older, try going to Alanon. At the meetings of these groups, you will meet people who have very similar stories to your own. You will also learn strategies to deal with your mother, and ways to cope with what she puts you through as she is suffering from this brain disease that is alcoholism.
Good luck!