Question
Hi there and thanks very much for your question! Short answer - alcoholics generally experience a full range of emotions but will often conceal many of the more vulnerable emotions (fear, sadness, disappointment, loneliness) and they will drink to numb these emotions. Depending upon the individual, you may see a sharp mood swing when they drink. Of course alcohol remains a depressant (we forget sometimes that alcohol is a drug). So the feelings of sadness may be repressed/stuffed and yet they remain and build up, often resulting in depression. It's easy to miss depression when it's masked by anger or concealed/hidden by other behavior/emotions. Please let me know if I can offer other information.
Very best, Jim
About the Expert
Jim LaPierre
LCSW, CCS
Brewer, United States of America
Specialties
Anger Management, Gay Lesbian Issues, Spirituality, Divorce, Compulsive Disorders, Trauma and PTSD, Life Coaching, Addiction or Substance Abuse, OCD, Mood Disorders, Parenting, Domestic Abuse or Domestic Violence, Anxiety or Fears, ADHD, Impulse Control Disorders, Relationship Issues, Women, Loss or Grief, Eating Disorders, Depression, Finding Your Purpose in Life
License
my_license #LC9830