It is possible that Brian's abnormal nature as a dog with human qualities may leave him with underlying identity issues, however. These issues may manifest as narcissistic personality disorder in Brian. The character has a strong sense of entitlement and feels superior to others. Yet his outcomes are seldom successful and this may in fact reinforce Brian's underlying feelings of inferiority. The fact that he is superior to other dogs but as a dog is inferior to humans is a potential root cause of narcissism but there is insufficient evidence for a full diagnosis. Brian's behavior patterns represent abnormality in that he at times finds his drinking becoming an obstacle to achieving his goals, and because his drinking is a mechanism by which to medicate his underlying issues. At no point does the drinking actually help him address those issues, so the issues become unresolved. When he has addressed his unrequited love, for example, he is unable to effectively come to terms with it and ends up drinking again. His drinking has also caused problems with associates at times, especially friend-of-a-friend Glen Quagmire, with whom Brian has come into conflict in the past. These conflicts at times come from the insensitive remarks Brian makes when he has been drinking. The repeated pattern of difficulties that Brian has with respect to his drinking indicates that his abnormal behavior is related to one or possibly multiple psychological issues.

It is conceivable that if Brian had more responsibilities, his drinking would impede upon them. His relative lack of responsibilities as a dog makes it more difficult to render an effective diagnosis, but when he gives himself responsibilities such as writing, he does fail in them. In addition, his behavior should be classed as abnormal because he has clear underlying issues that cause the symptomatic drinking. This allows for better diagnosis...

The alcohol abuse appears to be his mechanism for dealing with issues of stress and relationship issues. He has unrequited love and this impacts his ability to deal with the world normally. He also has a unique complex stemming from having a position in life of being superior to other dogs, but inferior to other humans. This condition borders on narcissistic personality disorder but does not fit the criteria perfectly. This situation, however, may be at the root of his relationship problems, and ultimately contributes to his abnormal behavior.
The character's drinking impacts on his ability to either deal with his underlying problems or to function effectively in society. Even in his limited role in life, he is unsuccessful, often because of his substance abuse. His role in the show is as a complementary character and sometimes voice of reason, a role that is contradicted by his substance abuse. As the show has progressed, Brian appears to have become less capable of dealing with others, spending more time on political ranting and engaging in conflict than on building meaningful bonds with the other characters.

Works Cited:

DSM-IV: Narcissistic personality disorder. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from http://allpsych.com/disorders/personality/narcissism.html

DSM-IV: Substance abuse. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from http://allpsych.com/disorders/substance/substanceabuse.html

DSM-IV: Substance dependence. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from http://allpsych.com/disorders/substance/substancedependence.html