New Insights: How Anger Fuels Alcoholism and What Treatment Centers Are Doing About It

Beckley, WV – Hope for Tomorrow published a blog post breaking down the role anger plays in an alcohol use disorder. Anger is a natural human emotion that can be useful, but it can also lead to aggression and violence. Aggression and anger don’t always go hand-in-hand. Anger is brought about by an unsatisfying situation that makes someone feel threatened. Aggression is a response that intends to harm someone. A person can be angry without being aggressive, or they can be aggressive without being angry. An alcohol use disorder is a condition that requires proper treatment and can come with many different signs, including not being able to cut back on their alcohol intake, drinking more than intended, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when they don’t drink. Putting these ideas together will make more sense when they are understood separately.

“Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. That means it slows down the way your brain works – especially in your frontal lobe. This part of your brain is responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, and impulse control. With these processes slowed down, it’s harder to control your emotions and behavior. That’s especially true if you already have trouble managing your anger, or you’re already feeling tense and irritated before you start drinking,” the blog post states.

Additionally, there is an idea called “alcohol myopia,” which is that alcohol only allows a person to notice the most obvious cues and overlook the more subtle ones. This can lead to someone experiencing anger and aggression. On top of that, people with an alcohol use disorder often drink to cope with pain. This pain could be a source of anger and aggression. Chronic drinking can lead to damage to the parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and impulse control, which might make someone more susceptible to anger.

Many risk factors are associated with both alcohol use disorders and becoming angry while drinking. These include not learning to properly express and manage emotions, being in a social circle that encourages heavy drinking, high stress levels, and unaddressed trauma. Other factors known to lead to alcohol-related aggression include binge drinking, thrill-seeking tendencies, and pre-existing concerns with managing anger. There is evidence that domestic violence tends to be more likely and more severe if a partner, especially a man, drinks heavily. With that said, it is important to keep in mind that alcohol doesn’t necessarily cause domestic violence. Many people with an alcohol use disorder are not violent at all. Alcohol just exacerbates relational conflicts and negative emotions, making it more difficult to control those emotions and the behaviors associated with them.

“If your loved one addresses their troubling relationship with alcohol, that stimulus contributing to their anger will be removed from the equation. More than that, the therapy they’ll undergo to help them heal from their alcohol use disorder will likely help them manage their anger, too. They’ll learn skills to help them combat alcohol cravings and develop coping mechanisms to fall back on instead of returning to drinking. Those can also be used to cope with anger and express it in healthy ways instead of harmful ones,” the blog post continues.

Hope for Tomorrow provides treatment for people with an alcohol use disorder in the Beckley area. Their staff is highly passionate about helping their patients, and the Beckley location has 20 beds, which ensures that each person receives the dedicated care they need. The facility is highly inclusive and can accept pregnant women, veterans, and couples. They are also able to accept highly complex, medical, and low-functioning patients that other facilities won’t take.

For any questions or concerns, contact Hope for Tomorrow at 877-679-8162 or visit their website.

Treatment today for a brighter tomorrow.