Question by Musicalrain: I think my dad may have a personality disorder, or is his behavior caused by alcohol withdraw? Help?
I’m a freshmen in college and I missed school today because I had to take my dad home from work and he was acting a bit mental. He has a cold and I think he’s using it as an excuse for not being able to control his emotions. He scared me a lot today and I think its about time my family and I take more serious action. My parents have been having troubles recently and my mom left my dad for a day and he promised to stop drinking. I believe he’s been sober for about 2 months. His mood shifts dramatically sometimes and I don’t know why. Little things tick him off and he throws a temper tantrum. For example, today I was in the van with him and he all of a sudden got really mad at me for closing the bathroom door loudly while he’s trying to sleep. I wasn’t talking to him cause I didn’t know what to say to him and he stopped the van ran out of it yelling and kicked a mail box. Then he came back in and said we’re going home. We got down the street and then he said that he will take me to school. We got into the parking lot for his work and when he came out of the van he said he was feeling really sick (remember he says he has a cold), he leaned on the van and was coughing like he was going to throw-up. He sat down in the lot against the van and was bobbing his head around like he’s really sick. I got my phone out and said that I’m calling mom cause I donno what to do. He stood up and said that he’s ok. We got into his work (I didn’t want to leave him alone and go to school) and I was really scared and started crying. In his office he was still bobbing his head around like that and I called my mom. I asked her if I should take him to the hospital and she told me that he always acts like that, over exaggerating so you’ll feel bad for him. Well I wasn’t totally convinced and I wanted to go to school cause I have a bio quiz today. I told him I’ll get someone to drive me and he got all up set and started crying saying “no I’ll take you, what are you doing to me? Mom’s going to be really mad at me…” Then he went out to check on the floor (he’s a supervisor) and I had to keep arguing with him that I’ll take him home and I can make up my quiz. I was starting to feel really scared and angry and I didn’t know what to do with him. I finally got him to take a sick-day at work and go home. Right now he’s in bed. I gave him some pain-killers cause he said he had a really bad head ache and had felt light headed. And the thing is this morning he was perfectly fine! He just was complaining this morning that he wanted to take a half-day cause he didn’t feel good! He told me he’s real sorry and that the cold pills messed him up. He used to act similarly when he used to drink but never had mood swings or whatever so quickly. I think he’s manipulating to get attention or sympathy or whatever and you have to treat him like a baby or he gets pisssy. I don’t know what in the world his problem is but I’m getting real sick of it real quick. I don’t know if he always acted like this cause I’ve just been noticing recently and have had to deal with him first hand only a handful of times. Can someone suggest something? Cause I’ve tried asking him to go to therapy but he won’t and my mom wants to leave him. They have trust issues and a lot of stress. What do you think his problem is? Any ideas? Sorry this is so long! Thanks in advance for the help!

Best answer:

Answer by ExeneC
Did he quit cold turkey and on his own? Physical withdrawal symptoms have passed, but he is still psychologically addicted and thus prone to extreme anxiety, emotionalism and mood swings. His manipulative behavior is due his disease which remains untreated. He would probably greatly benefit from therapy or at least a 12 step program; it’s extremely hard and unnecessary to beat addiction on your own. He might be annoying you, but try to be loving and supportive. See if you can take him to an AA meeting.

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