We love to create labels for things in order to identify ourselves. We are this kind of person when we do that. We are that kind of person when we do this. New research published in Addiction Research & Theory concluded that when people drink they become one of four characters: Mary Poppins, Ernest Hemingway, Nutty Professor, or Mr. Hyde. Of course, Ernest Hemingway is not a fictional character, but a real author.
Identifying the type of ‘drunk’ we become when we consume, or abuse, alcohol can help us confront our drinking patterns. Through treatment and recovery for alcoholism, we learn about the way that we drank, why we drank the way that we drank, and what happened to us when we did drink. For us, the line might be blurry between who we are sober and who we are under the influence of alcohol. Many who love us, support us, and stand by us tell us otherwise. Many who have developed alcoholism in their life hear sentiments like “You’re a different person when you drink”, “I don’t like who you are when you drink”, “You’re mean when you drink”, “You’re no fun when you drink”. Our personal tales of alcoholism may not have started that way, or we might have jumped right into our alternate alcoholic identities. Examining these identities inspires our recovery and sobriety. The more we can learn about who we were as alcoholics, the more we treasure who we are and who we are becoming in sobriety. We don’t want to go back to being Mary Poppins, Ernest Hemingway, Nutty Professor, or Mr. Hyde. We don’t want to go back to drinking.
Mary Poppins was defined by her cheery and sweet disposition, her elegance and grace. Self-described as “practically perfect in every way” there didn’t seem to be a flaw about her. Drinkers who take on this persona often fall into the category of a ‘high functioning’ alcoholic. Their personality might even seem to improve when they drink, though they are already so ‘wonderful’. However, dependency on alcohol is still dangerous and will eventually lead to a turn for the worse.
Ernest Hemingway, the famous author, was known for drinking copious amounts of alcohol without ever truly seeming drunk. Some people are able to consume large quantities of alcohol and not change much. Such individuals have a high risk of alcoholism as their denial might be great. A high tolerance is often a sign of alcoholism.
Nutty Professor is a character first brought to life by the comedian Jerry Lewis, then resurrected by Eddie Murphy. A nerdy, introverted man suddenly develops into an outgoing, charismatic man and he thrives on his new identity. Many people abuse alcohol for the way it makes them feel- helping them ‘shed their skin’ and step outside of themselves.
Mr. Hyde is the notorious counterpart to Dr. Jekyll, the evil and monstrous alter identity. Alcoholics Anonymous, the primary literature for the 12-step group of the same name, famously describes the alcoholic in this way. With one drop, the alcoholic completely changes his demeanor, often for the worse.
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