An Alter, or just a Drunk

I'm just wondering if I have an Alter. For the last year eventime I drink I black out. People tell me I am not the same person when I drink. I get Violent and do and say things I would never do. I REMEMBER nothing of any of this. I have even been arrested and told I was belligerent and combative. Woke up in jail an Remer nothing.

Please tell me what you think. Thank you

It might be both. I guess the question might be, do YOU feel the urge to drink? Or is it a feeling that you don't want and just come up in your brain?

Hi Krinkle, welcome to PC!

Do you have other parts or is it like you are wondering if the person you are when blitzed would be considered an other part?

Alcohol lowers all inhibitions, and if a person has walls up on their behavior- whether real or imagined, when drinking, those walls come crashing down and a person will behave differently... that doesn't mean a person has "alters", it's more like a sober person/drunk person thing.

The more a person drinks, the more a person's thinking and decision making is affected causing one to behave differently and to do things that they normally wouldn't do.

Switching alters generally doesn't take alcohol to happen, but it can be a trigger for some. Switching occurs when dissociation is triggered to happen, something (anything trauma related) a person's mind tries to avoid associating with which leaves room for an other part to become to fill in the void and handle what caused the dissociation in the first place. DID/OSDD is a lifelong living condition since early childhood caused by a trauma related incident.

If you feel that this is a possibility, only a specialist dealing with trauma related memories can sufficiently diagnose and treat you. I hope this helps.

My guess, and emphasis on the word 'guess', is that no, you do not have an alter. I am an alcoholic in recovery now for twenty-three years and your behavior closely matches the behavior of many people with drinking problems.

That said, perhaps considering stopping drinking might rectify the problem.

many people react to alcohol different. if you only black out from drinking (which happens in people who drink too much at a time or maybe have an intolerance to it which causes it), then it's most likely not an alter/dissociative related. also, if you don't have other issues in general or other symptoms you notice outside of only when you drink, again, it's probably alcohol related.

it's a common effect of alcohol to cause memory issues as alcohol alters your perception as well as behavior. that is why for some people who are quiet without drinking, they might talk more when they drink. other people might become jerks or even violent and aggressive when they drink. people often do things out of character when under the influence of drugs or alcohol that they don't have memories of.

if alcohol is causing you problems, i'd suggest seeing a professional about it, esp. if you've been arrested.

my guess not a diagnosis is no not an alter. my reasoning is that the new diagnostics state the problem can not be because of a substance like alcohol. therefore if the problem only happens when you have been drinking the treatment providers must diagnose it as an alcohol related problem. here in my location when diagnosing DID or OSDD treatment providers require a person to be clean and sober for at least a year with no alcohol related problems.

my suggestion for actual diagnosis contact your or a treatment provider in your off the computer location. they will be able to tell you the differences between alcohol related dissociative like symptoms (other wise called residual affects, side effects from drinking) and actual dissociative disorders.

Krinkle1973, you might want to go into therapy to discuss it. I'm not even sure what is the process when you know the criteria in DSM-5 still states if I'm not mistaken that you need to know not have those particular addictive habits to dx. I'm not even sure why, but there are reasons. If I was a therapist and you told me that I would suggestion some type of program for you as a starting point. Are loved ones concerned about behavior while under the influence is one of the questions during intake?

Thank you all so much. I just thought maybe the alcohol was a way that an Alter got out
I'm going to a Smart Recovery meeting tommorow.
I do have severe deralization and depersonlization. Which is why I was bing drinking. I haven't drank in 18days. Every time I think I want to drink I think about all the bad things- that have happened

Congratulations on the 18 days!

If this happens at other times and in other circumstances, where you don't remember anything, it could be an alter who drinks heavily. But if drinking is the only instance of the amnesia, no it's not an alter.

An alter or split is not usually diagnosed when substances are involved. But many ppl do have an addict alter. Also " simple splits" meaning having a personality that is usually the "flip side" of your daily self is common in BP and many PDs. If you are dual diagnosed and this "persona" comes out at times you are sober and even if you are somewhat aware of what's going on but feel like you are stuck watching yourself act in a way you normally wouldn't and can't regain control even when attempting to... that is some ppls experiences of a "split alter" It is a form of dissociation but is generally regarded as an extreme symptom of a mod/per. Disorder...but then again CPTSD is not considered a DD, but can be very simular to DDNOS. .. so categories shmatagories! What's most important is that you talk to someone about your drinking and try to regain control cuz regardless of the cause blackouts or DA can be extremely dangerous! Goodluck and GodSpeed!

yes, here in my location there is a difference between an alter that drinks and having dissociative problems because of drinking.,

from the original posters post...

For the last year eventime I drink I black out. People tell me I am not the same person when I drink. I get Violent and do and say things I would never do. I REMEMBER nothing of any of this. I have even been arrested and told I was belligerent and combative. Woke up in jail an Remer nothing.

if this was going on my own locations standards.... the key words ....for the last year... would point to not having DID because DID begins in childhood before the age of 5 according to my locations statistics/mental health demographics. if this was DID it would not have just started in the last year.

then the treatment providers in my location would also focus on the wording "eventime I drink I black out" this is a very common symptom that goes along with alcohol use.

add to this the diagnostic criteria for my location....

E. The Symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g. Blackouts or chaotic behavior during alcohol intoxication) or another medical condition (e.g. complex partial seizures)

since the posters original post states....

For the last year eventime I drink I black out.....

that knocks out having DID \dissociative type alternate personalities. in my location.

Im not saying people cant have alters who drink what Im saying is what treatment providers would look at in my location to determine whether the orignal poster if in my location would be called DID alter.

sharing a funny story here.. i know someone who did have alters who were drinkers....me. I say funny because every single time that alter took control I appeared to be drunk despite not having a drop one night I was with my now mother in law. we were having a religious charged conversation with my now wife and now mother in law, just out of church, still on the church grounds I looked up and my mother in law had a totally shocked and mortified look on her face. my now wife had her hand over her mouth trying not to laugh, i asked her what happened and she said one word...thelma. Thelma was my party hearty love the drinking, smoking, bar scenes. out of no where my speech and language had changed to the very drunk thelma telling a very adult rated story,

my point with me it didnt matter where and when I was be it work, be it a church or home, and no drinking needed to be done, just something triggering is enough to make an alter like this take control and i would know it after the fact because there was lots of stories about inappropriate behavior at the wrong times.