There are several substances that increase stress and the anger response. Alcohol is the most dangerous legal drug available. Drinking one or two drinks will bring on euphoria and general good feelings. Drinking more leads to the second stage characterized by depression, fatigue, nausea and general bad feelings. Alcoholic hangovers are a major source of irritability which can lead to rage and physical aggression.

72% of male batterers are abusing alcohol or drugs (1.) Nicotine and caffeine increase insulin secretion which causes swings in blood levels, resulting in irritable mood. Many times guilt over alcohol and drug abuse leads to anger outbursts in different ways.

Defending against guilt
A woman points out to her husband that he spends so much time drinking that he is a stranger to their children. He defends himself with the anger trigger thought that his wife has turned his children into self-indulgent brats. â??The whole house is a pigpen. You let them wreck it, you live with it!â??

There are even instances where people use anger to defend against the helplessness of drug addiction:

“Timâ??s” family have given him an ultimatum. He has to go to a drug rehab center and address his addiction problems or they are not going to let him live at home anymore or give him anymore money. The drug life seems familiar and safe. He is afraid he canâ??t change and yet he does not want to lose his family. Tim defends against his feeling of helplessness with the anger trigger thought that his family just want to get rid of him. They donâ??t really care about him and donâ??t understand.

Anger and drug abuse mix on both a physiologic and a pyschological level.

1.)Pg. 125 â?? 126, â?? When Anger Hurts, Quieting the Storm Within,â?? Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Peter D. Rogers, Ph.D., Judith McKay, R.N., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., Oakland California, 1989

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