Author: Gary Jackson

Alcoholism & Anger Management: Mental Health & Addiction

Instead, you’ll spend time with people who completely understand your situation. Although it’s not a direct treatment for anger, addressing your depression symptoms can have an indirect effect on feelings of anger. Eventually, it may lead to problems in your personal and professional life. For example, if you are unable to deal with stress in the workplace, you might lash out at coworkers, managers, or even customers.

It was found that those scoring lower became significantly more aggressive than those who had higher ratings on the CFC. The findings were explained by emphasizing that concern for the future involves greater prefrontal cortex resources that help inhibit the excessive impact of alcohol. Many people enjoy alcoholic drinks as a way of relaxing, sometimes to reduce the tension of socializing or to quiet an overactive mind.

How to Prevent and Treat Alcohol-Related Aggression

By perpetuating such behavior, people can end up damaging meaningful relationships — yet another effect of alcohol-based aggression. No matter the reasons behind feeling anger when drinking alcohol, such behavior can be harmful. By consistently becoming angry or belligerent when you drink, you put yourself and others at risk. Therefore, seeking a solution for alcohol-related aggression is essential for your future health and safety. If you are struggling with anger and depression that is impairing your daily functioning, see a mental health professional for advice, diagnosis, and treatment.

Anger is an emotion made up of many different feelings like dissatisfaction, displeasure, hurt, and frustration. It’s a natural human response when life seems unfair or something you value is under threat. 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).

The Connection Between Depression and Anger

Reach out to a mental health professional to talk about treatment and strategies for dealing with depression. Major depressive disorder involves persistent and prolonged symptoms, but depression, in general, takes on many different forms. Depressive symptoms can result from life stressors, mental health conditions, medical conditions, and other factors. Attending one-on-one therapy with a licensed therapist can help you work through anger issues in a more private setting.

Consult with a mental health professional and/or an addiction specialist who can provide resources and recommendations for treatment options. Drinking cocktails that include energy drinks should be considered a possible factor for aggressive behavior as well. Researchers surveyed 175 young adults who mixed alcohol with caffeinated energy drinks about their verbal and physical aggression in bar conflicts.

Treatment for Angry Depression

Many people may naturally become angry or upset when drinking, but it’s not necessarily their fault. Sometimes, people with alcohol use disorders have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol due to specific genetics. While anger is an emotion you experience when you feel threatened, aggression is a hostile behavior that results in physical or psychological harm to yourself or others.

• Emotionally focused therapy has been shown to help relieve depression, raise self-esteem, and reduce distress in interpersonal relationships.
• This might not be the right fit until you begin treatment through medication or therapy and gain some motivation.
• The individuals who had higher mental rigidity had lower empathy and perception of the severity of IPV.
• This point is easier said than done, but you can achieve it with help from a treatment program.

Mood stabilizers, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medications can all help to regulate and control negative emotions, during both detox and treatment for anger management and alcohol addiction. After detox, individuals suffering from co-occurring disorders often proceed directly into a residential treatment program where structured around-the-clock programming can help to manage both disorders. Alcohol withdrawal can be potentially life-threatening, in the case of severe dependence. Medical detox is typically considered the optimal method for allowing alcohol to safely process out of the body while under continual medical supervision. When people have difficulty controlling impulses, trouble regulating their emotions, or may present a danger to themselves and/or others, medical detox is required.