Another study explored the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alcohol use, and violence (Blakey et al., 2018). This was a massive study of 33,215 individuals with no history of active military combat. 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. Most of these treatments come from the framework of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a diverse psychotherapy that focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and creating new, helpful patterns of thinking and feeling.
Psychological “Baggage” and Social Influence
BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. Additionally, there is evidence that chemical and biological factors play a role. People with higher levels of testosterone are more likely to be aggressive. Alcohol severely decreases cognitive function, which makes it harder to problem-solve, make safe decisions, and control aggression.
- Inhibiting factors set the threshold beyond which aggressive urges would result in aggression.
- Alcohol, like fatigue, diminished sleep, stress, and certain drugs, inhibits the activation of the prefrontal cortex, that part of our brain responsible for problem-solving, judgment, and overseeing and managing emotions.
- Instigating factors normatively produce an urge to behave aggressively (e.g., provocation).
- According to research compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol use is a considerable contributing factor to sexual assault.
- In some cases, you can’t change an angry drunk, and you need to make the decision that’s right for you and other members of the household, especially children.
- It’s OK to make choices that are good for your own physical and mental health.
2 Addressing Anger in the Treatment of Alcohol Problems
This scenario involves losing your sense of perception under the influence. As a alcoholism and anger result, you may be overly aggressive during a situation where you’d otherwise notice the cues that tell you to think more rationally. Luckily, that clarity can be beneficial, because it means that you have a chance to put your foot down and stop what you’re doing.
- The emphasis on addressing anger in AA notwithstanding, there is little empirical evaluation regarding anger management in alcohol and substance abuse treatment.
- Alcohol impairs cognitive function, which means it is more difficult to problem-solve, control anger, and make good decisions when drinking.
Angry Drunk Psychology: Why Does Alcohol Make Some People Abusive?
The Kelly et al. (2011) secondary analyses of the Project MATCH data indicate that attending AA meetings may reduce depressive symptoms, thereby improving drinking outcome. Taken together, this body of research emphasizes the role of emotions in general as important therapeutic targets in alcohol dependence treatment. The emphasis on addressing anger in AA notwithstanding, there is little empirical evaluation regarding anger management in alcohol and substance abuse treatment. Specifically, clients marked by higher anger did better at one- and three-year follow-up in the motivational enhancement condition than in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or the AAF condition (Karno & Longabaugh, 2004). That is, angry clients seemed to fare better in the less directive and structured condition than in the more structured CBT and AAF conditions.
- You’ll live in safe, substance-free housing and have access to professional medical monitoring.
- When someone has both a mental health and substance use disorder, they are considered co-occurring disorders.
- For example, if your loved one passes out in the yard and you carefully help them into the house and into bed, only you feel the pain.
Does a support group seem like it might be out of your comfort zone? Attending one-on-one therapy with a licensed therapist can help you work through anger issues in a more private setting. Scheduling an appointment with a professional who specializes in anger management may be more beneficial than participating in group therapy if you have social anxiety. An aggressive drunk may make poor decisions that lead to worse scenarios. Since your judgment becomes clouded when you’re intoxicated, a simple misunderstanding can quickly turn into a bar fight. Furthermore, an angry drunk may not feel like consequences matter, making it seem like a good idea from their perspective to create or partake in a dangerous situation.
In a support group, you can meet like-minded individuals who can help make recovery that much easier. If a health professional has diagnosed you with anger management problems, you may find these get worse when you drink. Alongside quitting alcohol, you could benefit from attending an anger management support group.
Getting Help for Co-Occurring Disorders
This is heightened when consuming alcohol, according to a 2012 study. This article discusses some of the facts behind the stereotype of the “angry drunk” and explores the connection between anger and alcohol. Research has shown that thought suppression may contribute to alcohol-related aggression. One study supporting this finding enlisted 245 men with a history of heavy episodic alcohol use (Berke et al., 2020). They completed surveys assessing their endorsement of traditional masculine norms, use of thought suppression, and both trait and alcohol-related aggression.