The Relationship Between Recovering Alcoholics and Anger

To learn more about alcohol use, alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, and anger management problems, get in touch with Nugent Family Counseling Center. Schedule your appointment with our anger management counseling experts now by giving us a call, or request an appointment online today. However, the anger management experts at Nugent Family Counseling Center want our patients to understand that some triggers and behaviors, including alcohol use or abuse, increase the risk of angry blow-ups. Studies show that there are strong correlations between drinking alcohol and anger levels increasing.

Sometimes, little things like being unable to deal with or express a specific feeling can lead to an angry outburst. As a result, there’s a lot of trial and error throughout your recovery, including finding the best anger-management techniques for you. However, this relationship is a bit more turbulent when it comes to recovering alcoholics and anger. In general, expressing appropriate emotions is a skill that addicts struggle with early in their recovery. Nevertheless, it is important to remember to support your ongoing recovery and long-term sobriety; learning how to identify, deal with, and control anger is paramount.

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By perpetuating such behavior, people can end up damaging meaningful relationships — yet another effect of alcohol-based aggression. Many people may naturally become angry or upset alcoholic rage syndrome when consuming alcohol, but it’s not necessarily their fault. Sometimes, people with alcohol use disorders have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol due to specific genetics.

Anger is typically defined as a strong feeling of displeasure, hostility, or annoyance. These intermittent, explosive outbursts cause you significant distress, negatively impact your relationships, work and school, and they can have legal and financial consequences. Anyone struggling with anger and their relationship with alcohol is encouraged to reach out to the ARC team today. With a free and confidential consultation, our compassionate staff can help you understand your options for treatment so please don’t hesitate to get started on your road to recovery.

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Also, feelings of grief or memories of traumatic experiences can trigger it. Someone who experiences passive anger may appear calm and have difficulty expressing their feelings. Intermittent explosive disorder is a chronic disorder that can continue for years, although the severity of outbursts may decrease with age.

If you or your child has been diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder, you’ll need to see your healthcare team regularly to make sure your treatment (talk therapy and/or medication) is working. If you’re concerned about your child’s risk of developing intermittent explosive disorder, talk to your healthcare provider. Certain medications may increase the threshold (level) at which a situation triggers an angry outburst for people with intermittent explosive disorder. A therapist or psychologist helps you take a close look at your thoughts and emotions. Through CBT, you can unlearn negative thoughts and behaviors and learn to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits. Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is usually the main treatment for intermittent explosive disorder, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

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Blackouts are dangerous events, as the individual basically loses the ability to be cogent or aware of their actions. In most cases, the individual will pass out from intoxication and sleep off the effects of the alcohol, but in the morning may remember nothing about a specific period of time from the prior night. This point is easier said than done, but you can achieve it with help from a treatment program. If you think about it, a crucial part of being aggressive when intoxicated is lacking self-awareness. Those who don’t think about the consequences of their actions are more likely to adversely affect themselves and others. Additionally, when you don’t reflect on mistakes you’ve made, you’ll probably repeat them.

• This article discusses some of the facts behind the stereotype of the «angry drunk» and explores the connection between anger and alcohol.
• Sixty-eight percent of the dependent and abstainers’ perceived anger as negative emotion and 76% in control perceived it as negative.
• Alcohol abuse can have some very disconcerting and unpredictable effects.