Is addiction a personality flaw — or a misunderstood medical condition? Why the idea of an “alcoholic personality” is outdated, stigmatizing, and scientifically wrong.
By Gaby Guzek, Author, Sobriety Coach
Is There Such a Thing as an “Alcoholic Personality”?
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Susie Wiles, the White House Chief of Staff, described Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic personality.” Politics? Let’s leave that at the door. As someone tuning in from Europe, I’m not here to weigh in on U.S. leaders. What caught my attention—and honestly, bugged me—was this idea of an “alcoholic personality.” Does that even exist? Spoiler: from years of sober coaching, I’d say no.
Think about it: alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder as we call it clinically, is a disease. It’s not some baked-in personality quirk. You wouldn’t say someone has a “diabetic personality” or an “asthmatic personality,” right? That just doesn’t fly. In my five years coaching folks through sobriety, I’ve seen alcohol bring out wildly different sides in people. Some finally let the tears flow, releasing emotions they’ve bottled up for ages. Others—often those with undiagnosed ADHD—turn surprisingly calm and “normal,” like the booze quiets the inner storm. Then you’ve got the ragers, the melancholics, or the over-the-top impulsive types. Wiles mentioned alcoholics being “exaggerated” when they drink, but that’s far from universal. Alcohol doesn’t create a personality; it tweaks what’s already there, in messy, individual ways.
The bigger issue? Tossing around terms like “alcoholic personality” drags us back 50 years in addiction science. We fought hard to shake off the old stigma that addiction is a moral failing or character flaw. Modern research paints a clearer picture: it’s a mix of brain chemistry, learned behaviors, environment, and genetics. Framing it as a personality thing lets us off the hook from digging into the real causes—and makes it tougher for people to seek help without shame.
This is exactly the approach we champion at Bye Bye Booze. On our YouTube channel “Not Shaken, Not Stirred,” we break down addiction with solid science, minus the judgment, to help you build a happier, sober life. Got thoughts on this? Drop a comment below, share with a friend, or spread the word on social media. Let’s keep the conversation going and bust these myths for good. See you next time!
Read the transcript for “Does Trump Have an Alcoholic Personality?”
Hello everybody, welcome to another reel from Not Shaken, Not Stirred, from ByeByeBrews, your channel for a happy and sober life.
Today I need to get something off my chest. I read the news this morning and stumbled across a quote from Susie Wiles.She is head of staff at the White House. She spoke to the magazine Vanity Fair and there she describes Trump as having an alcoholic’s personality. I’m not talking politics here.It doesn’t really matter if you like him or if you hate him. As a European, I don’t have to have an opinion about him at all.
My thing is the quote of an alcoholic’s personality. This is something that really bothers me because I’m a coach, a sober coach now for five years and I haven’t seen anything like an alcoholic personality. Alcoholism is a disease so you could just as well say so this person is a diabetic’s personality or asthmatic’s personality.
I have seen people drowning in tears when they drank because alcohol finally made them let go of their feelings. I have seen people becoming totally normal and quite under the influence. Why? Because usually they are knowingly or unknowingly ADHS people.
I have seen ragers under alcohol. I have seen emotionals. I have seen melancholics. So why does she say there’s something like an alcoholic’s personality? She continues and says that alcoholics are usually quite exaggerated when they drink which is just not the case. Why is it then that this puzzled me so much?
It is basically that we’re falling back like 50 years in research and the time that we were all fighting against the stigma that addiction has anything to do with your character or your personality. As long as we prevail thinking that in the end it’s just a personality thing, we don’t get the grip on what addiction really is. And this is what we talk about here on Bye Bye Booze on our channel on YouTube.Not shaken, not stirred. We are taking a very scientific approach into the whole field of addiction and I’d love to see you again.
I’d love to see your comments on this reel and I would really appreciate if you forward it to friends or post it on social media.
See you next time!
FAQ – Is There an Alcoholic Personality?
No. There is no scientific evidence for a distinct “alcoholic personality.” Alcohol use disorder is a medical and neurobehavioral condition, not a personality type.Is there such a thing as an alcoholic personality?
Alcohol affects existing traits, coping strategies, and brain chemistry. Some people become emotional, others aggressive, withdrawn, or seemingly calmer. Alcohol amplifies patterns — it does not create a uniform personality.Why do people behave so differently when drinking alcohol?
No. Modern addiction research clearly shows that addiction is not a moral failure or character defect. It is influenced by neurobiology, learning processes, environment, and genetics.Is addiction a character flaw?
Because it reinforces stigma and outdated beliefs. Labeling addiction as a personality issue discourages people from seeking help and distracts from evidence-based understanding and treatment.Why is the term 'alcoholic personality' harmful?
Alcohol use disorder is understood as a chronic, treatable condition involving brain reward systems, stress regulation, and habit formation — not personality traits.What is the scientific view on alcohol use disorder today?
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Gaby Guzek
Formerly affected, bestselling author, coach & co-founder of Alkohol Adé
She has made it her mission to spread awareness about the neurobiology of addiction, helping those affected shed feelings of guilt and shame.