If an intoxicated person becomes upset because the bartender refuses to serve them, help from a friend might calm them down. If no one can defuse the tension, they may become an aggressor, escalating the situation to a violent drug addiction treatment one. When alcohol suppresses these regulatory functions, it can affect how you express your thoughts and emotions, including anger. Anger is an intense emotion you feel when something has gone wrong or someone has wronged you.

The Relationship Between Anger and Aggression

This is called alcohol myopia, and it’s another reason why people are quick to anger when they drink. In other words, whatever you’re feeling before you drink will likely be magnified once you’re drunk, and because your decision-making is impaired, you’re more likely to act out that anger. Researchers have studied the connection between anger and aggression for years. However, it’s about more than getting easily upset or having a short fuse when you drink alcohol.

Addiction Destroys Dreams, We Can Help

Look into treatment options, express your concern for them, and share resources when they aren’t angry and under the influence of alcohol. It might be your instinct to fight fire with fire, but staying calm is imperative to convince your loved one to seek the help they need. Now that you understand anger, aggression, and alcohol use disorder individually, putting it all together will make a little more sense. At Smarmore Castle, we do not just specialise in addiction treatment, but work with patients to resolve underlying issues, such as anger, as well.

• These feelings can lead to a lot of stress and upset in a family.
• Chances are, you’ve either seen this in your friends or you’ve seen it in yourself.
• A person may become very tense and have difficulty winding back down.
• Anger can give you the courage to speak up about injustices and fight for what you believe in.
• Most programs help set up your aftercare once you complete the inpatient portion of your treatment.
• It was found that those scoring lower became significantly more aggressive than those who had higher ratings on the CFC.

How to Deal with Anger and Alcohol Addiction

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. One study published in a journal called Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience sought to explore factors that make some people more aggressive when they drink. Anger is an emotion made up of many different feelings like dissatisfaction, displeasure, hurt, and frustration.

This can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations which can lead to increased anger and frustration. Dr. Carlos Todd PhD LCMHC specializes in anger management, family conflict resolution, marital and premarital conflict resolution. His extensive knowledge in the field of anger management may enable you to use his tested methods to deal with your anger issues. By enhancing assertiveness and interpersonal effectiveness, individuals can cultivate healthier relationships and reduce reliance on alcohol as a coping mechanism.

• That could lead some people, for example, to turn to drinking to cope with stress caused by these issues.
• In addition, alcohol may reduce the risk of one condition (such as cardiovascular disease) while increasing the risk of another (such as cancer).
• If you’re taking an MAOI, you should consult with your doctor to understand what’s safe to eat and drink.
• Alcohol has long been considered a “social lubricant” because drinking may encourage social interaction.

People with co-occurring disorders should receive alcoholism and anger specialized treatment. The treatment should target both the person’s mental health and substance use disorder as two parts of a whole. Drinking helps someone escape their negative emotion of anger, and feeling angry lets them avoid the fact that drinking has become a problem. The two feed off one another and can be  dangerous to their health and well-being. In summary, heavy drinking or chronic drinking alters brain chemistry in the short and long term.

Take the First Step Towards a Healthier Life

Additionally, even people not struggling with a substance use disorder can experience anger and these other emotions. “Hangxiety” is a term used to describe a feeling of nervousness or unease after drinking alcohol. Usually, these symptoms of irritability or a sense of apprehension begin about eight to 12 hours after drinking, as the effects of alcohol wear off.

Low Regard for Consequences

An earlier study found that alcohol use enhanced aggression primarily among individuals who showed a heightened disposition for such behavior (Eckhardt and Crane, 2008). They were directed to engage in a task with the potential to trigger aggressive verbalizations, with those who consumed alcohol showing significantly more such behavior. Carmen Chai is a Canadian journalist and award-winning health reporter. Her interests include emerging medical research, exercise, nutrition, mental health, and maternal and pediatric health. She has covered global healthcare issues, including outbreaks of the Ebola and Zika viruses, anti-vaccination movements, and chronic diseases like obesity and Alzheimer’s. Chai was a national health reporter at Global News in Toronto for 5 years, where she won multiple awards, including the Canadian Medical Association award for health reporting.

• A small 2015 study published in Translational Psychology investigated the role of this variation in impulsive and aggressive behavior while intoxicated (10).
• This means people who are constantly angry might take advantage of alcohol’s presence to unleash their emotions.
• There’s a reason for this, and it’s not as simple as “alcohol makes you mad.” At Serenity Lane, we care deeply about everyone in our Oregon communities, and we don’t want to see them controlled by alcohol or anger.

Consequences of Being a Mean Drunk

Sometimes you might be sad, sometimes euphoric, sometimes nostalgic, and sometimes angry. Because alcohol changes the chemistry of the brain, it disrupts your thinking, judgement, and emotional response. Alcohol also affects the frontal lobe and other cognitive functions, lowering your inhibitions and fear of consequences. Understanding the link between anger and alcoholism involves recognizing how emotions influence human biology and the negative impact of anger on our lives and relationships.

General differences in how people’s bodies handle alcohol

Less cognitive function also means that you may misunderstand something and, in turn, overreact. However, it can be harmful and destructive if you cannot control your anger. “Later on in the night, you may find someone crying or becoming overly emotional, and this is because, as the alcohol wears off, there is a big drop in serotonin below baseline,” Tietz explains. But effects to other neurotransmitters, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamine, may also be involved. Alcohol can impair the OFC, and disrupt communication between the OFC and the amygdala.