Alcohol and Rage: What You Need to Know

Some people have a genetic variation of the serotonin 2B receptor gene HTR2B. Researchers found that participants who were less inclined to think about the future were more inclined to deliver shocks longer and harder, but especially if they were drunk. Alcohol had minimal impact on aggression for those who thought about future consequences. In the study, nearly 500 participants completed a questionnaire about their inclination to consider future outcomes.

How To Overcome Alcoholic Rage Syndrome

With enough commitment from both individuals and societies, we can reduce the prevalence of ‘angry drunks’ over time. In short, the ripple effects created by angry drunks reverberate through every corner of society – damaging relationships, endangering public safety and inflicting an economic toll that we all end up paying for in some way or alcoholic rage syndrome another. It’s no secret that healthcare costs skyrocket for those frequently engaged in aggressive drunken behavior due to injuries or chronic health conditions stemming from excessive drinking. Moreover, productivity loss at workplaces is another major blow as employees grappling with such issues either miss work frequently or underperform.

• “But the dynamics of this association are complicated, which is why any research that focuses on explaining this relationship is important for society in general.”
• But in real life, a person who loses control of their emotions when they drink is anything but entertaining.
• These medicines can help reduce the negative side effects of detoxification and withdrawal.
• Neither gender had any significant impact on the results (Gan et al., 2015).
• One study supporting this finding enlisted 245 men with a history of heavy episodic alcohol use (Berke et al., 2020).
• This is particularly true for children who grow up in alcoholic homes, researchers report.

Co-Occurring Disorders

The individuals who had higher mental rigidity had lower empathy and perception of the severity of IPV. Additionally, they reported higher alcohol use and hostile sexism than those lower in mental rigidity. Drinking may also be a method to self-medicate negative emotions, including anger. Alcohol is a depressant substance, meaning that it helps to suppress some of the “fight-or-flight” stress reactions that anger can induce. Repeated alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism increases the odds for developing problems related to alcohol, however.

Examples of Stimming: A Closer Look at This Common Behavior

General consensus suggests that your personality is a combination of persistent behaviors and dominant characteristics — such as your interests, emotional patterns, and inherent value system. Now that we know what alcoholic rage syndrome is, can we do anything about it? In other words, can we make our inner “Tammy” or “Jimmy” (or whatever name your boozy alter-ego might have) stay away for good? In other words, we’re likely to do things — including giving others an earful as soon as we feel irked — without thinking about the potential fallout. We might also misread social cues and lash out in response to perceived slights, nonexistent threats, or frustrations.

• In some cases, you can’t change an angry drunk, and you need to make the decision that’s right for you and other members of the household, especially children.
• The study concluded that alcohol increased the odds of physical aggression in those men who had high trait anger and poor anger management skills.
• The ultimate goal is to help them get into a treatment program that addresses their substance abuse and the way it causes them to behave.
• Researchers have studied the connection between anger and aggression for years.
• Like other meta-theoretical approaches, such as the General Aggression Model [10], I3 Theory does not restrict the prediction of aggression to one decisive risk factor (or set of factors) or to one particular theoretical level of analysis.

Similarly, in nearly 40% of violent incidents, surveyed individuals from the United Kingdom said they believed their perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol. While drinking alcohol isn’t the sole reason for assault, it plays a substantial role in whether someone commits a violent crime. Unfortunately, feeling aggressive from alcohol can stem from more than one variable that’s beyond your control. Aside from existing anger issues, people can turn into aggressors when drinking for several reasons. Consuming alcohol can serve as a distraction from a range of negative feelings, including anger. And all too often, as in Ryan’s case, it reflects displacement, directing anger toward a target that is not the source of an individual’s original anger.

How to find support for anger and alcohol misuse

After much consideration, he eventually joined an alcohol treatment program as I helped him grieve his wounds and manage his anger. Researchers evaluated the failure to consider future consequences as a significant risk factor for aggression (Bushman et al., 2012) In this study, 495 social drinkers were assigned to a group that consumed alcohol or a placebo group. They were also required to respond to the Consideration of Future Consequence Scale (CFC). 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.

• To curb alcohol-fueled rage, it helps to know how you respond to drinking.
• In other words, we’re likely to do things — including giving others an earful as soon as we feel irked — without thinking about the potential fallout.
• However, some people are more likely than others to be angry when drinking alcohol.
• We recently launched our in-app chatbot, Melody, powered by the world’s most powerful AI technology.
• Consult with a mental health professional and/or an addiction specialist who can provide resources and recommendations for treatment options.

Dopamine in AUD And Aggression

• Hence, it is probable that in the aggressive brain, the drop in brain serotonin synthesis might even be greater (40–60%) during moderate intake of alcohol (Badawy, 2003).
• This may explain why they are angry more often and act more aggressively than someone who does not have this personality trait.
• As you become more self-aware, you’ll make better choices about alcohol consumption.
• Specifically, they exhibited a reduced capacity to detect sadness and fear and a reduced tendency towards seeing happiness.
• Remember, quitting a substance cold turkey can lead to health issues, so it’s best to enlist professional help.

Alcohol and Domestic Abuse/Violence