Rageaholic Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis

People known to have anger outbursts on alcohol can end up destroying relationships. Even the people who care about them the most can be unable or unwilling to continue to tolerate the abuse. At The Ohana, our compassionate https://ecosoberhouse.com/ team has first-hand knowledge about the complex relationship between alcoholism and emotional well-being. We’re here to answer your questions about anger and irritability, as a consequence of alcohol abuse.

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These signs are overt and obvious, as the personality changes are usually negative. They may become verbally or physically abusive when under the influence of alcohol, or they might drink to the point of rage blackouts. It is easier to detect an alcohol use disorder when the effects are so obvious. If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider. Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group. Meditation can help clients to relax physical tension, become more self-aware, and work toward creating a healthy mind-body balance.

How Alcohol Affects Anger and Aggression

„Keep in mind that any amount of drinking can influence emotions and behavior,” O’Brien says. Alcohol can fuel rage or aggressive behaviors even when a person isn’t intoxicated. The tendency to avoid looking ahead and assessing consequences for one’s actions is a risk factor for aggressive behavior while drinking. That may sound obvious, and it’s a theory backed by a small, interesting 2012 study from Ohio State University (9).

• A personality change that happens when drinking to excess, such as becoming aggressive and angry, may also lead to a blackout if the large amount of alcohol was consumed too quickly.
• The episodes could be temper tantrums, verbal arguments or physical fights or aggression.
• For example, while heavily intoxicated, someone may commit a violent act, such as inflicting physical harm or raping someone, and then blacks out having no memory of the event.
• Alcohol also depresses the part of the brain in charge of rational decision-making.
• Research has shown that thought suppression may contribute to alcohol-related aggression.

If You Live with an Angry Drunk, What Can You Do?

By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. A lack of impulse control can make a person unable to resist the sudden, forceful urge to fly into a rage or act aggressively. You may be wondering what you can do when someone shows signs of rage after consuming too much alcohol. While it is always better to discourage the use of alcohol for people who have this tendency, some things can be done to manage the situation.

Treatment Options for Alcoholic Rage Syndrome

If the addict chooses to seek recovery, knowing that they still have people who care about them and want to see them recover is crucial for their journey into sobriety. The body adapts to having certain alcohol levels, and after a while, if the level of alcohol is not maintained, it is physically painful. In the case of alcohol addiction, withdrawal can be deadly if not medically assisted.

These episodes can happen daily, or you might not have them for weeks and months. During that time, you might still feel angry, aggressive, irritable, and impulsive. Alcoholics, most often, are using alcohol to suppress having to feel the fullness of negative emotions. Rather than face the feelings, they are using alcoholic rage syndrome the substance to “regulate” themselves. In the view of an alcoholic, nothing matters more than where they are getting their next drink. The following fix will remain the most essential thing in their life until they enter recovery because their body quite literally needs the substance for them to function.