Intermittent Explosive Disorder: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

One of the topics usually revolves around emotion regulation and anger management. An individual who, when in his or her alcohol addiction, was prone to angry outbursts or rages may have had existing anger alcoholic rage syndrome management issues or an explosive personality. In recovery, it is important to address that propensity towards violence and learn effective coping skills that help change the tendency toward anger. Community-based programs play a vital role in preventing and managing alcoholic rage syndrome. They provide a platform for individuals to learn about the risks and consequences of alcohol on emotions, such as anger and aggression.

Strategies for Anger Management and Control

Self-harm, meaning you hurt yourself physically but not as part of a suicide attempt, is also common in IED. As much as one-third of people with the disorder say they have done things such as cutting themselves with razor blades or burning themselves with cigarettes. You must be consistent with refusing to accept poor behavior; this includes emotional and verbal abuse. If they are violent towards you or their behavior is otherwise inadequate, you must contact the proper authorities. This idea that it’s “everybody else” is also why alcoholics deny that they have an addiction. They cannot look at themselves as the problem, because often they are still trying to run from whatever is causing them pain.

Alcohol and Domestic Violence

• This occurs in long-term relationships such as marriage, as well as all dating scenarios.
• Domestic violence is a very dangerous potential result of alcohol abuse.
• A person dealing with side effects of PAWS actually may look like he’s intoxicated even though he’s been totally abstinent (which explains where the term « dry drunk » may come from).
• We’ve heard of the “raging alcoholic” or “angry drunk” stereotype, but is there any truth to the idea?
• These neurochemical changes are correlated to some behavioral symptoms, such as disinhibition, and also relate to some psychological factors.
• For people who don’t achieve remission, a reasonable goal is stabilizing the safety of the person and others, as well as a substantial improvement in the number, intensity and frequency of anger outbursts.

They feel as if they can do no wrong, and it is everybody else who is at fault. When someone is addicted to alcohol, it alters their behavior in predictable patterns. Having someone close to you, whether it is a friend, a romantic partner, a family member, or even a parent who struggles with addiction, is challenging.

Living With Intermittent Explosive Disorder

IED is treated with a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. With both diagnoses, the episodes must have been out of proportion to the situation, and obviously impulsive and unplanned. These outbursts are akin to a volcano blowing out sideways rather than straight-up, as the emotions will always find a way out. The easier route is to make other people responsible for their moods and overall emotional well-being. An alcoholic, when intoxicated, will often feel a sense of grandiosity and entitlement, as if they are better than everybody else.

• If you follow true crime, you’ve heard about the notorious Murdaugh trials in South Carolina, with the latest being the trial of Alec Murdaugh convicted for killing his son and wife.
• While they’re exploring what might be at the root of their rage, you can help them maintain calm by eliminating things you know might light an emotional fuse.
• Other holistic methods are often used during a comprehensive addiction and anger management treatment program as adjunctive, or complementary, treatment methods.
• A person’s socioeconomic status and demographic background can play a role in their vulnerability to alcoholic rage syndrome.

The study concluded that alcohol increased the odds of physical aggression in those men who had high trait anger and poor anger management skills. It also noted that sexual aggression was higher with alcohol, even in men with low trait anger and reasonable anger management skills. If your behavior fits the description of an angry drunk, it may be difficult to admit you behaved that way under the influence. Many people whose behavior changes drastically with drinking have a hard time believing it when they’re sober. But the best choice for you and the people around you is to enter treatment and work to become a better person. Essentially, drinking makes us less likely to withhold our reactions when we’re angry or annoyed.