The Connection Between Anger & Addiction

Anger is a natural emotion that we all feel from time to time. It is often intertwined with addiction, creating a difficult cycle to break. New Leaf Recovery understands the impact of anger and addiction on loved ones; this is why we provide treatment and therapies to help those struggling with addiction. Our aim is to help all clients understand the root of their addiction and anger, finding new ways to process their emotions and re-build healthy relationships.

Need support for yourself or a loved one? Get in touch with our team today and start a healthy journey towards overcoming anger and addiction.

Call New Leaf Recovery 24/7 on 0300 999 0330

Different Types of Anger

When understanding anger, some clinicians believe that there are a range of different types of anger that everyone can go through at points in their lives.

Passive Aggression: This is when you are angry, but your actions are passive. There is a fear of confrontation, so anger is taken out on others via the silent treatment or simply using the term ‘fine’ when they are not.

Open Aggression: This stems from a need for control. Feelings of rage can become physically or verbally violent or aggressive towards others. This is often when blackmailing, bullying, yelling or criticising others can be seen.

Assertive Aggression: Often considered the healthier form of anger, this is when actions are mature and respectful towards others. Often talking about feelings and listening to others can resolve the anger, preventing the need to act out.

Understanding how yourself and others process their emotions is important. For those who struggle to process emotions in healthy ways, this can often lead to outbursts of emotion or aggression.

For those who struggle with addiction, anger can quickly become a means of response when they are cut off from their substance or disagree with others. For loved ones, it is important to ensure you are not becoming the ones who take the brunt of the anger; it is key to try, and help loved ones to better process their emotions before lashing out.

If you need additional support with a loved one who has been struggling with addiction and anger, speak to our team at New Leaf Recovery today. We are here to help and support everyone.

Call New Leaf Recovery 24/7 on 0300 999 0330

Signs of Anger or Aggression

There can be some common warning signs of anger or aggression to be aware of both for yourselves, and for your loved one. These can include:

Gritting teeth
Sweating
Pounding your heart
Getting a tight chest
Shaking
Feeling anxious
Starting to raise your voice
Getting defensive or snappy
Pacing
Losing your sense of humour temporarily
Feeling argumentative
Being overly critical of others
Getting a flash of a bad mood

Being able to acknowledge your own anger, or that of loved ones, can sometimes help in reduced the intensity of the anger outburst. If a loved one feels angry towards you, it is important to step away and let them collect their emotions, reducing their anger. For yourselves, expressing your anger can help to reduce it and take a step towards processing the reason for the feeling before lashing out.

For help in finding new ways to process your emotions in a healthy way, speak to our team at New Leaf Recovery today. We help those who have been struggling with anger & addiction to find healthy coping techniques that allow them to effectively process their emotions without causing harm to others.

Call New Leaf Recovery 24/7 on 0300 999 0330

The Link Between Anger & Addiction

For many years, the link between anger & addiction has been discussed. It is a common side effect to addiction that many face for a number of reasons. A combination of factors can contribute to anger including:

The impact of substances on brain chemistry
The emotional toll of addiction itself
A tendency to use substance as a means of coping with trauma or pain

When taking substances regularly and forming an addiction, this can impact your brain chemistry, effecting your emotional regulation. It can also lead to higher levels of aggression, impulsivity and irritability. With these changes happening over the course of addiction, the aggression can often be an outward expression of emotions due to the emotional regulation being impacted.

When addicted to any substance, this can impact the ability to regulate emotions effectively, leading to a range of emotional responses that can be out of control. Individuals may struggle with finding healthy ways to express anger or cope with it well. Individuals can also struggle with being able to calm down following a reactive response to situations.

Often, those who struggle with addiction get into this cycle as a means of self-medicating against emotional pain or trauma that they have experienced and remains unresolved. When trying to withdraw from the substance, this is often when anger can begin to boil due to a heightened awareness of the pain they have been trying to avoid.

If you or a loved one has been struggling with the cycle of addiction and anger, speak to our team at New Leaf Recovery today. We are here to support you, or your loved ones overcome addiction and find coping mechanisms that are effective yet harmless to others. Get in touch today to start your recovery journey with us.

Call New Leaf Recovery 24/7 on 0300 999 0330

Handling Anger in Healthy Ways

Learning to process and handle your emotions can be tough, particularly for those in the grips of addiction. There are a number of methods that can help with processing emotions as they arise, including:

Talking to someone that you trust
Exercising or doing something that is high energy
Writing down your emotions and re-reading it after a short pause.

When circumstances including anger arise, it is often difficult to walk away in the moment; however, it is the healthiest option before lashing out. Finding someone that you can trust to talk through your emotions or anger with can also be a healthy method of coping with anger.

Part of the process of addiction recovery is to understand the root cause of addiction; this can often also be the root cause of anger. Seeking the right help can ensure that you safely process these past events and find techniques that work for you personally in overcoming them. If you are looking for support in your recovery journey today, speak to our team at New Leaf Recovery in Birmingham.

Call New Leaf Recovery 24/7 on 0300 999 0330

Treatments for Addiction with New Leaf Recovery

At New Leaf Recovery, we also provide a range of therapies that can help clients to process their emotions whilst also overcoming the cycle of addiction. Our programme of rehabilitation and recovery covers a range of techniques that are designed to help clients understand the cause of their problems and how they can process these in order to overcome their addiction and emotions.

Our range of therapies include:

To find out more about our private rehabilitation programme, speak to our team today. At New Leaf Recovery, we offer flexible lengths of stay that work with your budget, ensuring that you receive the right treatment and have access to the best steps for overcoming addiction. Our team have a wealth of experience in working with clients struggling with all forms of drug or alcohol addiction, offering detoxification and rehabilitation therapies to support everyone. Whether for yourself or a loved one, speak to our team today and let us help you find a brighter future.

Call New Leaf Recovery 24/7 on 0300 999 0330