“House” gets it wrong: being drunk DOES change who you are, IF you have alcoholism.
“Being drunk doesn’t change who you are; it just reveals it.”
So said Dr. Remy Hadley in the 5th Season episode of “House,” entitled “House Divided.” Many reviewers loved the episode, which was described by one (who thought it was the best “House” ever) as “House” meets “X-Files” meets “Twilight Zone.” Unfortunately, it contained one of the great myths of alcoholism.
Olivia Wilde’s character Hadley, also known as “Thirteen,” repeated what most non-alcoholics believe, because the statement is true for non-addicts. However, for that 10% of the U.S. population with the disease of alcoholism, the statement is a myth: the effect of the chemical on the brain fundamentally changes the personality (think: Jekyll and Hyde). And that small fraction is by far ...
