Alcoholism & Anger Management: Mental Health & Addiction

When you drink alcohol, those inhibitions are lifted, and if you’re feeling angry, you’re more likely to express it and do so in an exaggerated way. Over time Ryan came to better understand factors that contributed to his drinking, including his anger and increased aggression when drinking. Therapy assisted him in recognizing how past wounds contributed to his vulnerability to both anger and alcohol alcoholic rage syndrome use. After much consideration, he eventually joined an alcohol treatment program as I helped him grieve his wounds and manage his anger. 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.

• Learn the key to weakening your desire to drink without the constant struggle or the feeling of missing out.
• The journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology reports on studies showing that alcohol can increase aggression in both men and women, but more so in men.
• People with an addiction often develop rigid routines that revolve around uninterrupted access to alcohol and other drugs; they may be irritated by schedule changes and blame their frustration on others.
• For recovery to be successful, you have to deal with any mental health issues or trauma that contributed to your substance abuse problems.

What Makes a “Crazy Drunk Person”?

Within AA, for example, it’s sometimes used to refer to people who aren’t “working the program” or trying hard enough. Plus, labeling someone in recovery as any kind of “drunk” generally isn’t helpful. One potential challenge involves “dry drunk syndrome,” a slang term that originated in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It refers to traits and behaviors often seen with alcohol use that persist into recovery.

How ‘Dry Drunk Syndrome’ Affects Recovery

Many people whose behavior changes drastically with drinking have a hard time believing it when they’re sober. But the best choice for you and the people around you is to enter treatment and work to become a better person. Essentially, drinking makes us less likely to withhold our reactions when we’re angry or annoyed. Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem.

• According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) alcohol more so than any other substance is a contributing factor in cases of rape, murder, spousal and child abuse, and assault.
• Try talking to your treatment sponsor, accountability partner, or member of a peer support group.
• This doesn’t mean rageaholic symptoms aren’t real, or that the uncontrollable flashes of anger you experience aren’t significant.
• Furthermore, the cost of addressing the consequences of violent behavior, such as medical treatments for victims and providing support services, can be a significant burden on public resources.
• But it’s also important to cultivate patience as they work toward making changes.
• Some studies highlight the impairment caused by alcohol consumption on processing emotional faces.

Learning Center

Try to nurture feelings of patience and self-love, especially on the days you feel those emotions the least. Taking care of your health can help you weather all kinds of challenges more easily, including urges to drink. If you suspect you might be dealing with this syndrome, try not to be too hard on yourself.

• Take up gardening, start collecting an item you’re truly interested in or fascinated by, learn how to build things and focus on the creative project.
• Another factor is stress, because alcohol can alleviate distressing emotions.
• As the prefrontal cortex gets impaired, making rational decisions becomes difficult, leading to the destruction of relationships.

And cutting down or stopping has lots of other benefits too, for your physical and mental health. Extreme emotions that are usually hidden from others, like anger and sadness, may be more noticeable when you drink because you’re less able to conceal and manage them. When they come out, others notice them because they’re not a part of the everyday social experience. A big part of recovery and your new sober life is making your physical health a priority. Try healthful recipes, join a gym, take up a sport, try yoga (which can have mental benefits as well as physical ones).

Some folks assume that people showing signs of this syndrome are about to relapse and drink again, but this isn’t always the case. While the phrase “dry drunk” is controversial, the set of symptoms it refers to are a normal part of recovery for plenty of people and nothing to be ashamed about. In addition, you can visit The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), a domestic violence prevention advocacy group with a list of resources for relationship abuse help.

In other words, for some anger that they would normally control when sober manifests itself once alcohol disrupts the brain chemistry. In addition, research discovered that the effects of alcohol on aggression are more pronounced in people who think more about the “here and now” than about the future. When we aren’t concerned about consequences we may be more likely to act out in the moment. Alcoholic Rage Syndrome, also known as alcohol-induced aggression or alcoholic anger, is a distressing condition that plays a role in answering the question, why are alcoholics so mean?

Try to remember this isn’t necessarily a situation they chose to be in. You might even feel like they’re taking a step backward, not forward. But remember that this phase is a fairly normal part of recovery, and it won’t last forever. The important thing is to find a recovery program that works for you and stick with it. If one approach doesn’t feel right, take a step back and consider a different one. Keep in mind that these hobbies might not feel quite as enjoyable during the early stages of recovery.

Knowing your limits and sticking to them can also help prevent episodes of anger when you drink. Alcohol affects your brain and impairs your decision-making and self-control. This can lead to changes in behavior, making you more likely to get angry or act aggressively. I made a joke that upset him and he started yelling and calling me names. I have learned that when Tom gets like that, it’s best to just agree with him. Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy.