Even the people who care about them the most can be unable or unwilling to continue to tolerate the abuse. Drinking enough alcohol to become intoxicated increases aggression significantly in people who have one particular personality trait, according to https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/anger-and-alcoholism/ new research. People with anger problems are most prone to becoming angry drunks, but it may not be obvious to others that someone has an anger problem. If you have a problem with silently harboring anger, you may likely let it spill out while drinking.

The important thing is to trace the steps back from your outburst and identify what sets you off. To stop being an angry drunk, you must first identify and accept that you have a problem. Maybe you’ve heard from friends or a significant other that you become angry or hostile while drinking. Once you’ve accepted that you have a problem, you can begin to understand and remedy the situation.

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However, long-term alcoholism can cause serious mental and physical health complications, so it should be treated as soon as possible. Even though alcoholism can come with dangerous risks, full treatment and recovery is possible. You can get help for alcohol addiction if you are ready to make changes in your life.

Often, it takes months (or even years) before someone finds themselves physiologically and psychologically dependent on alcohol. Because of this, it’s not always easy to figure out whether or not someone you love has a “problem,” let alone exactly when it began. Additionally, it can be hard for people to spot the signs of AUD in themselves.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

Psychotherapy is the core treatment element in most alcohol rehab programs. Therapy sessions will be offered in both one-on-one and small group formats. CBT is used to help the alcohol focus on making important behavioral changes. When the time comes that the alcoholic is ready to enter a treatment program they will participate in a variety of different therapies. Rehab will begin with a detox, where the toxins from the alcohol are expelled from the body.

Many people enjoy alcoholic drinks as a way of relaxing, sometimes to reduce the tension of socializing or to quiet an overactive mind. By contrast, some individuals’ alcohol consumption contributes to their anger, hostility, and even aggression. In his case, he was already predisposed to anger arousal before he had his first drink. 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. Oftentimes, anger is rooted in attempts to control our circumstances and other people. When a situation doesn’t match up with our preconceived expectations, we can get easily frustrated.

Getting Help for Co-Occurring Disorders

If you start to experience any of these emotions, that can act as a key signal from your body that it’s time to practice some basic self-care. You may also want to monitor your sugar intake because sugar highs and lows can increase irritability. It can cause problems with the heart, leading to high blood pressure and stroke. Heavy drinking will also have an impact on the liver, leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver.

Addiction recovery starts with a drug rehab center in San Antonio, TX, that can help you with withdrawal management. You will be able to move forward in your recovery process once you safely remove alcohol from your system and begin to learn about the importance of sobriety in your life. Do your loved ones tell you that when you drink, you turn into an angry person? Good news is that once you begin to understand why drinking makes you feel angry, you may change your drinking behavior and experience less anger. Essentially, drinking makes us less likely to withhold our reactions when we’re angry or annoyed. One of the most common misconceptions about seeking treatment for anger issues or alcohol use is that you’ll need to leave your family, your work, or your friends.

Dealing with Being Angry While Sober

Practicing an anger management technique can help you recognize when you’re angry and gain a sense of control before taking action. A key component of managing anger in sobriety is practicing coping skills. Healthy coping skills can help you work through uncomfortable emotions without turning to alcohol or expressing anger in unhealthy ways. Breathing exercises, journaling, and other distress tolerance skills can help you calm down long enough to be able to express anger in a more effective manner. Mindfulness techniques are also highly beneficial for managing emotions and remaining in the present. Lastly, learning to set boundaries with others can minimize triggers, and allow you to process anger on your own, instead of taking it out on others.

But in real life, a person who loses control of their emotions when they drink is anything but entertaining. People spend years in therapy and in treatment for issues of their own that are caused by the consequences of this behavior. It’s possible that you were angry before you started drinking and alcohol is magnifying those feelings. It is also possible that excessive alcohol consumption is causing a depletion of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a role in mood regulation. Finding wellness through treatment at Serenity Lane doesn’t just mean finding recovery from AUD. It means identifying your triggers for anger and finding out why you’re self-medicating with alcohol.

An increase in anger after trauma and the use of alcohol to cope with PTSD symptoms were stronger predictors of physically aggressive or violent acts than a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD without anger. People who struggle with anger management often also abuse drugs or alcohol. Studies show that there’s actually a close relationship between feelings of out-of-control anger and aggression and alcohol use or abuse. Sixty-eight percent of the dependent and abstainers’ perceived anger as negative emotion and 76% in control perceived it as negative. Majority of the dependent and abstainers attributed it to personal reasons (persisting irritation, frustration, negative attitude toward the alcohol users, decrease communication with others).

This area of the brain is responsible for solving problems, managing emotions, and making sound judgments. With some insight into factors that can cause rage or aggression while drinking, you can take steps to avoid certain behaviors. They found that people with HTR2B Q20 tended to be more impulsive and aggressive under the influence of alcohol. They were more likely than those without the variation to have a history of outbursts and fights while drinking, as well as to have been arrested for driving under the influence.

Whether they drink one or one too many, they typically don’t struggle with feeling intense anger while they’re drinking. However, others discover that when they drink, they struggle with feeling angry or experiencing anger outbursts. They may fly off the handle, become verbally or physically abusive, get into arguments with their significant other, friends, or strangers, punch walls, throw things, and more.