“Anger’s explosive Relationship with Alcohol”
Many people regrettably find out their Anger is exacerbated after they consume alcohol. Often referred to as the mean drunk, they find themselves doing and saying things they would normally never say if they were sober. Such people are puzzled upon sobering up to find out they could behave in such a manner. Why it is some people can drink and it have no negative effect on their behavior, while others literally present as a type of Jekyll and Hyde.
Hopefully we can answer this question with some confidence. Alcohol consumption liberates our subconscious where we repress all our fears, hateful thoughts, and unwanted desires etc. For the most part when we are sober, we can keep this information from our awareness or the awareness of others. When we drink our ability to control our true feelings and thoughts is diminished, and our true thoughts, fears and desires are given an opportunity to express themselves without the regard for consequences.
Mean drunks can be very abusive, to the point of absolute hellish behavior. Many people can’t believe upon sobering up that they could do or say such things. . What’s ironic is that often their anger and rage is aimed at those closest to them, and those they claim to love.
People often tend to demonize alcohol and blame their bad behavior on the drinking rather than dealing with the source of the problem which is their hidden rage and unresolved anger towards people. When people don’t resolve emotional problems they have with their loved ones, their anger/hatred lies dormant until their defences go down upon consuming alcohol. The solution to this Jekyll and Hyde syndrome is to start being honest and truthful about your issues and to confront problems consciously. When our emotional problems are solved consciously, we have less need to worry about what will happen when we enter subconscious domains. This does not alleviate the fact that some people do have a drinking problem; however it is only one layer of possibly many other problems.
If you find yourself losing control once you consume alcohol, and think you personify the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome, consider getting professional help. Acknowledging that you may have anger and alcohol issues is not easy. However 50% of the battle is acknowledging you have a problem. The rest is very manageable. Reach out to others for support.
If you believe you can benefit from Anger Management services for Alcohol problems contact us at info@angermanagement.ca and we will be pleased to answer any questions and provide the support you need.