How Alcohol Can Worsen Anger Problems

Man speaks with therapist about alcohol abuse affecting his anger problems

Life can be really frustrating, and you might find yourself struggling to deal productively with emotions of anger. Or, you may have someone in your life or family who has a problem with a short fuse or a hot temper. When anger gets out of control, this emotion can become very destructive to yourself and others.

Anger management counseling can help with outsized anger problems. However, the anger management experts at Nugent Family Counseling Center want our patients to understand that some triggers and behaviors, including alcohol use or abuse, increase the risk of angry blow-ups.

The Nugent Family Counseling Center team, under the leadership of Dr. Geoff Nugent, offers anger management counseling and support from locations in San Jose, California, Los Gatos, California, and Reno, Nevada.

What you need to know about anger and alcohol

Anger management problems are defined by frequent emotional outbursts, persistent feelings of frustration, and even violent aggression. An anger management problem can damage career trajectories, family and personal relationships, and even your long-term health.

People who struggle with anger management often also abuse drugs or alcohol. This isn’t necessarily just a coincidence. Studies show that there’s actually a close relationship between feelings of out-of-control anger and aggression and alcohol use or abuse.

The World Health Organization identifies alcohol more closely with aggressive behavior than any other psychotropic substance. And, according to the Association for Psychological Science, alcohol is involved in half of all violent crimes like rapes, assaults, and murders in the United States.

How alcohol makes anger problems worse

If you’re frustrated or stressed out, you might see a drink as a good way to calm down and relax. However, if anger management is currently a problem in your life, drinking alcohol is just as likely to fan the flames. While some individuals respond to alcohol by feeling sad, others respond to the neuroinflammation of alcohol use by getting mad.

When you’re intoxicated, you experience reduced inhibitions, impulsivity, impaired cognitive function, and low regard for future consequences. If you’ve been struggling with angry emotions or violent impulses, these effects of alcohol can make the situation worse.

How anger management counseling can help

When you talk to a member of the Nugent Family Counseling Center team, you can count on compassion and honesty. Anger management treatment with our specialists is designed to help you control your feelings of anger.

We start by diagnosing your anger problems and developing a unique treatment plan based on your personal and medical history and presenting symptoms.

You could benefit from counseling with one of our therapists to work through the root causes of your frustrations, neurofeedback treatment to balance your brain’s electrical energy and stabilize your mood, medication management, or even aromatherapy to address underlying stress in your system.

To learn more about alcohol use, alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, and anger management problems, get in touch with Nugent Family Counseling Center. Schedule your appointment with our anger management counseling experts now by giving us a call, or request an appointment online today.