Anger management issues have typically been an issue for people suffering from substance use disorders. But until recently, anger management has been overlooked by many mental health professionals or treated as a separate issue from substance abuse. The reality is that substance abuse and dependency frequently coexist with feelings of anger, aggressive or assaultive behavior and domestic violence. 

Anger and substance use are often interrelated. Drugs and alcohol can trigger anger and aggressive actions, as their use impairs judgment skills and often increase impulsive actions. Anger may trigger the use of substances as people try to numb out their feelings with substances. Individuals who have experienced traumatic events as a child or an adult often feel chronic angry and may turn to drugs or alcohol. For these individuals, their “anger management” technique involves the use of alcohol or drugs – but it is actually a risky form of self-medication.

When substance abuse and anger occur together, it demands dual recovery – that is, the problems involving substances, anger and how the two issues interact with each other are usually best addressed at the same time. At Emerge from Anger, we include dual recovery methods in all of our program offerings.