There is a lot of truth behind anger leading to resentment and resentment leading to relapse. For a lot of us, we hold anger in because we don’t know how to cope with it. We are sometimes taught at a younger age that anger is a bad emotion. It’s a perfectly normal, natural emotion. However, it’s what you do with your anger that matters. It’s truly what makes the difference.
Let’s just put this on the table…many addicts have problems dealing with anger because they fail to identify the feeling or why they have it. For a lot of us, as I mentioned just above, we don’t know how to deal with anger in a productive manner because we’ve been dealing with our addiction from a young age. In some cases, we’ve grown up in a household where there were parents who abused alcohol and other drugs, which often led to violence, so it tends to be all we know. Because many of us started using and abusing alcohol and drugs at a young age we’ve been stunted in our emotional maturity. Another big reason is that we are prone to be angry with ourselves but blame others around us for our problems.
If you’re currently abusing alcohol and drugs and one of the constants is that you become angry, abusive, and/or express anger in an unhealthy, unproductive way there are avenues to follow to help manage your anger. Here at Pat Moore Foundation, our counselors can help you learn to express your anger, sometimes through assertive, but not aggressive communication. First and foremost, getting sober is key to learning to control your anger over all.
Alcohol is a depressant, and people who drink are more likely to become uninhibited. So, if you have a history of being violent, or having violence done to you and you are depressed, it seems more than likely taking a depressant like alcohol will aggravate you and you’ll lash out. Sometimes we become frustrated quickly or scared because we don’t know why we are sad, and then our emotions are amplified. It’s a bit of a vicious circle.
If you find you’re having trouble with anger and alcohol and/or drugs, feel free to call us at 888-426-6086 for help. We are here 24 hours a day.
BIO
Recovery Rob is a 47-year-old man who has more than eighteen years of sobriety, whose drugs of choice at one time were alcohol and drugs, and he has worked in and around the field of addiction for more than 20 years. Recovery Rob is a professional writer who has published two novels and is currently working on his third. He has been writing and working as Pat Moore Foundation’s premiere blogger and content writer, which helps keeps Pat Moore Foundation’s addiction and recovery blog top-rated.