Paris Jackson went on a podcast six years after sobriety and said alcohol didn’t just change what she did, it changed who she was

Paris Jackson recently opened up about her six-year sobriety journey, explaining that quitting substances was essential to reclaiming her true self. As detailed by TMZ, Michael Jackson’s daughter appeared on Jack Osbourne’s “Trying Not to Die” podcast to discuss how her past battle with addiction brought out a side of her she found morally ugly. She candidly admitted that alcohol fundamentally altered who she was, transforming her from the kind person she was raised to be into someone vindictive.

Paris revealed she is now six years sober, a significant milestone. She also disclosed that she went through treatment multiple times for drug and alcohol use before things finally clicked, and that she now recognizes the same patterns of constantly reaching and clinging for something to fill a gap in other addicts.

The science behind Paris’s experience points to alcohol’s direct impact on the frontal lobe, the area of the brain associated with personality development and executive functioning. Dr. Thomas McDonagh, a clinical psychologist, notes that alcohol also disrupts the brain’s neurotransmitters, boosting the activity of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, while decreasing glutamate, which is excitatory. The result is that brain functioning becomes more inhibited than usual, which is why behavior and mood can shift noticeably after a few drinks.

Alcohol’s effect on identity goes deeper than most people realize

Long-term drinking carries far more serious consequences than most people account for. Dr. McDonagh notes that chronic alcohol misuse can compromise abstract thinking, problem-solving, and the perception of emotion. While some brain function can recover in the first few months after cutting back, memory issues and other deficits can be long-lasting for certain individuals. For social drinkers, he estimates three drinks or fewer per day appears to be the safest threshold to avoid permanent mental functioning problems.

Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, executive director at the Volpicelli Center for Addiction Treatment, explains that long-term heavy drinking affects the brain in two main ways: nerve cell activity and alcohol-related brain damage. As alcohol increases neurochemicals that suppress nerve cells, opposing neurochemicals activate to excite them, eventually producing tolerance. When a chronic heavy drinker stops, a rebound occurs and nerve cells become hyperactive, which can manifest as irritability, broad behavioral changes, and an increased stress response.

In severe cases, this can shift someone’s temperament dramatically and may lead to withdrawal seizures, hallucinations, and paranoid thoughts. The issue of substance use in professional environments drew separate attention recently, amid a story about NFL coach’s alleged cocaine use surfacing through a former player.

There is also the matter of alcohol-related brain damage. As alcohol is metabolized, it creates acetaldehyde, which Dr. Volpicelli describes as essentially a poison to the body, causing inflammation that destroys cells promoting healthy nerve function. A 2018 study suggested that consuming more than two drinks per day could cause brain damage, and the effects can profoundly alter a person’s ability to concentrate, make decisions, plan, or relate to others.

On whether alcohol reveals a person’s “true” personality, Dr. McDonagh does not think so. He argues that behavior under intoxication reflects the frontal lobe’s impairment rather than some underlying authentic self, and suggests stress responses are a better indicator of character. Dr. Volpicelli offers a different view, arguing that alcohol may bring out traits already present, simply making them more pronounced. Amid wider public discussions about drug safety and health regulation, Paris’s account remains a personal illustration of what addiction does to identity over time.

Paris marked six years of sobriety and credited the process with helping her rediscover the person she was before addiction. Resources for those struggling with alcohol use include Alcoholics Anonymous, NAMI support groups, and the SAMHSA Helpline.