The Angry Drunk: How Alcohol and Aggression Are Linked

As mentioned above, alcohol can damage the brain cells and their chemicals; alcohol can lead to aggression, uncontrolled anger, offensive behavior, and violent activities. Moreover, alcohol can also cause dysregulation in the body’s stress pathways, resulting in increased anxiety, stress, psychosis, and suicidal tendencies. Many people find that keeping a daily journal provides a constructive outlet for negative emotions like anger. And recording your alcohol consumption may help you to hold yourself accountable if you plan to cut back. Taking notes on your drinking patterns, amounts consumed, triggers, and emotional responses can aid in gaining better control. Researchers have identified several other factors that may increase the likelihood of post-alcohol consumption aggression.

Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors

Alcohol also depresses the part of the brain in charge of rational decision-making. Many of us have known at least one person who “can’t hold his or her liquor.”  Or perhaps we are that person. We just know that once the drinks start flowing things can get pretty ugly. Instead, each participant randomly lost the game about half the time and was led to believe another person was delivering shocks to them during each loss. “Later on in the night, you may find someone crying or becoming overly emotional, and this is because, as the alcohol wears off, there is a big drop in serotonin below baseline,” Tietz explains.

Alcoholic Hepatitis: Spot The Signs, Reclaim Your Health

The most effective way to cope with alcohol-induced anger is to avoid consuming too much alcohol. There is also a theory that the disinhibition that alcohol creates raises the risk of violent behavior. Heavy drinkers are more likely to engage in risky behavior, which includes being violent and acting out hostile emotions, often against a loved one. Ultimately, nobody knows what comes first⁠—anger or alcohol use disorder (AUD).

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For some, drinking becomes a misguided attempt to cope with these emotions, only to find that it exacerbates the very issues they’re trying to escape. Another study of 249 heavy drinkers similarly found that alcohol intoxication predicted higher levels of IPV in those who reported low psychological flexibility (Grom et al., 2021). An earlier study found that alcohol use enhanced aggression primarily among individuals who showed a heightened disposition for such behavior (Eckhardt and Crane, 2008). They were directed to engage in a task with the potential to trigger aggressive verbalizations, with those who consumed alcohol showing significantly more such behavior. Consider cutting back or abstaining from alcohol, identifying triggers that make you angry, and practicing stress management techniques like meditation. If we hang out with people who throw digs at each other (or at us) or normalize alcohol-induced aggression, it’s more likely to make an appearance.

Alcohol abuse can have some very disconcerting and unpredictable effects. One of these might manifest in angry outbursts, violent drug addiction behavior, or rage, and another is the phenomenon called blackouts. Sometimes these two effects can happen simultaneously, resulting in a drunk rage blackout. People with co-occurring disorders should receive specialized treatment. The treatment should target both the person’s mental health and substance use disorder as two parts of a whole.

People who have experienced high levels of stress or traumatic events may turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism and may be more prone to anger and aggression as a result. Additionally, the influence of alcohol on the central nervous system can dampen inhibitory functions in the brain, impairing judgment and self-control. An angry drunk is someone who becomes hostile, aggressive, or violent when under the influence of alcohol. While not everyone who drinks becomes aggressive, for some, alcohol acts as a trigger, unleashing a torrent of pent-up emotions and unresolved issues. The prevalence of alcohol-related aggression is alarmingly high, with studies suggesting that up to 50% of violent crimes involve alcohol consumption.

• That may sound obvious, and it’s a theory backed by a small, interesting 2012 study from Ohio State University (9).
• Alcohol myopia occurs because alcohol use leads to changes in the brain that result in an inability to process information correctly.
• Some studies highlight the impairment caused by alcohol consumption on processing emotional faces.
• Increased rates of aggression and violence can lead to higher levels of crime.
• Those expectations can also arise from what we’ve learned about alcohol from family members and peers.
• Instead of being a natural emotion, someone with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) will express anger to avoid dealing with unpleasant or adverse circumstances, including the addiction.

Therapy assisted him in recognizing how past wounds contributed to his vulnerability to both anger and alcohol use. After much consideration, he eventually joined an alcohol treatment program as I helped him grieve his wounds and manage his anger. 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. Mental rigidity and alcohol consumption have been explored as contributing to domestic violence.

• By taking part in these activities, you can not only improve your understanding of the issue but also work along with others towards a healthier lifestyle.
• Sometimes, a victim who has experienced abuse or mental trauma may get addicted to alcohol.

Confidant Health provides online access to licensed professionals who can help you cope with alcohol dependence and related aggression. It is tough to face someone struggling with alcohol-related anger, especially if they are your family member as a sibling, parent, spouse, or friend. Like emotional eating, people often practice emotional drinking to numb the pain they feel. While the two may overlap in some ways, anger and aggression are separate terms.

This was a massive study of 33,215 individuals with no history of active military combat. An increase in anger after trauma and the use of alcohol to cope with PTSD symptoms were stronger predictors of physically aggressive or violent acts than a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD without anger. Alcohol affects brain chemistry by altering neurotransmitters, which manage our mood and impulses. It decreases inhibition and can increase alcohol and aggression stress hormones like cortisol, making some individuals more prone to anger and aggression when drinking. Alcoholic rage syndrome refers to a pattern of intense anger and aggression triggered by alcohol consumption.