Author: Charles Frank

Alcoholism & Anger Management: Mental Health & Addiction

According to a review from 2017, alcohol is more likely to cause personality shifts related to negative emotions, but that doesn’t mean anger is the most common emotional experience while drinking. Many newly sober people begin drinking again to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal. Therefore researchers are trying to develop medications that will return balance to the body’s stress-response system to alleviate alcohol withdrawal symptoms and help prevent relapse in recovering alcoholics.

Childhood Stress

“But the dynamics of this association are complicated, which is why any research that focuses on explaining this relationship is important for society in general.” John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Instead, each participant randomly lost the game about half the time and was led to believe another person was delivering shocks to them during each loss. So, someone may not be able to grasp the bigger picture of a situation. Instead, they may zoom in on a particularly small thing and have an overly aggressive response (2).

  1. Drinking alcohol can make us act in ways we wouldn’t normally, including being angry or aggressive.
  2. When they come out, others notice them because they’re not a part of the everyday social experience.
  3. The HPA axis, the system that deals with stress response, has been traced to symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
  4. People who are more focused on the present than the future are more likely to become angry and aggressive under the influence of alcohol, for example, Science Daily publishes.
  5. People who are the closest to the alcoholic who struggled with anger often get the most abuse.

Addiction Treatment Programs

It’s equally important that psychotherapists highlight this interaction both with clients who consume alcohol and those in relationships with them. Additionally, this information should also be taught in schools to expand their understanding and hopefully reduce the prevalence of alcohol-related aggression. Mental rigidity and alcohol consumption have been explored as contributing to domestic violence.

The Effects of Alcohol-Related Aggression

Alternative solutions may involve setting drink limits, avoiding alcohol when you’re already having intense emotions, or opting to have emotional conversations when you’re sober. In summary, heavy drinking or chronic drinking alters brain chemistry in the short and long term. For these reasons, some people may exhibit nervousness, outbursts, aggression, and even violence while intoxicated or during withdrawal. In rodent studies, glutamine is linked to heightened agitation and aggression during alcohol withdrawal (7).

Lifestyle Quizzes

If you have been the victim of violent or aggressive behaviour, report it to the police. Call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger, 101 it it’s not an emergency, or you can report crime to the police online. Drinking alcohol can make us act in ways we wouldn’t normally, including being angry or aggressive. The hormone cortisol plays an important role in the body’s response to stress by increasing energy through increasing glucose levels and by increasing nutrient supplies through mobilizing fat and protein metabolism. Drinking too much alcohol can cause some general life stress, such as losing a job, causing relationship problems, or causing legal problems.

In a 2017 report, researchers shared their findings of the relationship between alcohol and dating violence. The study included 67 undergraduate men who were currently dating someone. A lack of impulse control can make a person unable to resist the sudden, forceful urge to fly into a rage or act aggressively. There are a number of cognitive, neurobiological, and social factors that can influence how alcohol affects aggression.

Impulsivity, alcohol, and rage

Here you can find useful links and phone numbers to get the support you need. Research has found that people who have a positive, optimistic outlook and have good problem-solving and coping skills tend to deal with stress effectively. Some examples of general life stressors include major changes like moving, starting a new job, or getting married or divorced. Illness, a death in the family, or problems at home or work can also be significant causes of stress. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Violent behavior may occur in as much as 50% of people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Some people are more prone to trouble controlling their anger while drinking than others. People who are more focused on the present than the future are more likely to become angry and aggressive under the influence of alcohol, for example, Science Daily publishes. Self-awareness is important for everyone’s mental health, but it is especially necessary for people with AUD and anger issues. Understanding your emotions and making smart decisions about alcohol consumption is the best way to avoid problems.

One study found that chronic alcohol use decreases the function in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in impulse control. The link between alcohol and anger has to do with alcohol’s ability to remove your inhibitions and disrupt your emotional regulation. When you drink alcohol, parts of your brain that manage anger are suppressed, making it more likely for angry feelings to bubble to the surface. Alcohol factors into nearly a third of all murders in the United States. Plus, alcohol-related rage and aggression are tied to intimate partner violence, verbal and physical abuse, sexual assault, violent crimes, verbal and physical altercations, and more (1). Alcohol has a closer association with aggressive behavior than any other mind-altering substance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).