Written by:

Medically Reviewed by:

Dr Mateen Durrani – MBBS, DPM, MSc, BCPsych

Last Updated:

February 14th, 2025

Anger Management and Addiction

Living with poor anger management and addiction can feel like trying to hold back a storm. Even small annoyances can spiral into full-blown outbursts, especially when drugs or alcohol put you even more on edge than usual. After the explosion, the guilt, stress and shame can all pile on, leaving you trapped and using again to deal with the mess.
But it doesn’t have to stay this way. With the right help, you can figure out why these feelings are so intense. You can even start turning the energy that fuels your anger into something that helps spark positive changes in your life.

What do we mean by anger management?

Anger management is all about staying in control when life tries to set you off. This means learning to spot what winds you up, finding fast and effective ways to calm down and digging into what’s really driving those feelings.

Anger isn’t all bad; it is part of your brain’s way of keeping you safe. Back when danger meant a wild animal chasing you, that rush of energy, actually helped us to survive. But in today’s world, things like arguing with a friend or sitting in traffic don’t exactly require a “fight or flight” reaction. The problem is that our bodies can still gear up like it’s a life-or-death situation.

When unhealthy anger takes over, it can feel like a switch flips in your brain and suddenly, everything else fades. You might yell, slam doors or say things you don’t mean with the regret only setting in later. Anger management is about learning how to step back before things boil over so you react in a way you will feel proud of later.

What causes problems with anger management?

Anger can come from all sorts of places, often stacking up until it collapses on top of you causing a reaction. The good news is that figuring out what’s behind your anger can greatly improve your anger management. Here are some reasons why you may have anger issues:

Trauma and negative past experiences

Sometimes, anger is like a shield your brain puts up to protect you from unpleasant wounds. If you have experienced something painful or traumatic, that anger can feel safer than facing sadness or fear. Anger becomes your mind’s way of saying, “Don’t get hurt again”, even if it’s not always helpful.

Mental health conditions

Similarly, when your brain is already dealing with depression, stress or anxiety, it is easy to feel like you have an increasingly short fuse. Little things can then feel way bigger than they are and disproportionate anger can come out of nowhere. This reaction can be shocking to witness, both for other people and even yourself, but it is a sign that there is something deeper going on that needs resolving.

Drugs and alcohol

Substance abuse can have a massive impact on how you feel and react. They might make it harder to hold back your anger or even ramp it up, especially with substances like cocaine that can make you more aggressive. Addiction to drugs or alcohol can make this worse because if you are stuck in a cycle of using and withdrawing, the frustration can build up until it spills over as anger.

Upbringing and environment

If you have always been around parents and other people who handle problems with anger, it can feel like that’s just how you’re supposed to deal with things. Over time, it can turn into a habit, like your brain’s default setting for handling tough situations and you might not even realise there’s another way to respond.

What’s the relationship between anger management and addiction?

Poor anger management and addiction are a common dual diagnosis that we see in many clients at Liberty House. Here are some of the reasons why the two issues are rarely part apart:

Shared roots in underlying pain

Anger and addiction are often tangled up in the same kind of hurt. It could be a trauma that you’ve never fully dealt with or a loss that’s left you frustrated and looking for someone to blame. That pain doesn’t just sit quietly but fuels your anger, pushing you toward substances to try to numb it. Instead of solving the problem, however, addiction can add kindling to the fire and, worse, the underlying pain.

Unstable emotions

Addiction is both a major cause and symptom of chronic stress and it affects how your brain registers and reacts to difficult situations. The strain of addiction makes snapping or lashing out an immediate response even when it doesn’t make sense. Without the tools to calm down, your reactions can spiral completely out of control.

Pointing fingers

Addiction and anger love working together to keep you stuck so when someone challenges your behaviour, defensiveness is a common reaction. When you shout or get aggressive, it pushes people away which allows your addiction to take even more control.

Turning the anger on yourself

Sometimes, the person you’re most angry at is yourself. Feeling guilty or ashamed about hurting yourself or your family can lead to harsh thoughts about not being strong enough or even worthy of happiness. This is particularly heartbreaking because more drugs and alcohol often become a way to quiet those inner voices, only to end up right back where you started.

How do you know if you have anger management and addiction issues?

Noticing when anger is taking over – and how it might be tied to addiction – is the first step to turning things around. If your outbursts are making life harder at home, work or just in general, here are some addiction and anger management symptoms to look out for:

You are quick to yell, swear or lash out when something goes wrong.
Drinking or using drugs seems to flip a switch, making you angrier than usual.
When someone tries to talk about your substance use, it feels like they’re attacking you and you snap.
You blame other people for your drinking, drug use or the problems it’s caused.
Family and friends have to tiptoe around you because they’re worried about setting you off.
Old issues that you thought were buried come roaring back when you’ve had a drink or taken something.

If these poor anger management symptoms sound familiar, it’s a sign you might need professional treatment.

How to get help for anger management and addiction issues

Dealing with addiction is hard enough but when anger keeps bubbling up, it can feel like you’re carrying extra weight everywhere you go. At Liberty House, we will help you get a handle on both. You’ll work through what’s fueling your addiction and find better ways to manage those big feelings that make everything harder.

Here are some of the important addiction and anger management therapy approaches included in our rehab treatment plans:

Individual and group therapy
Meditation and mindfulness
Yoga therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Dialectical behaviour therapy
Family therapy
Art therapy
Sound therapy
Physical health therapy
Different forms of psychotherapy

If you need extra support, UKAT London Clinic can create a personal plan for integrated anger management and addiction treatment. This may involve specialist anger management classes and other treatment forms to help resolve both conditions at the same time.

How can Liberty House Clinic help?

Feeling weighed down by addiction and anger? At Liberty House, we’re here to help you unload that heavy burden and find a way forward. Get in touch with us today, and together, we’ll work on breaking free from addiction while figuring out healthier ways to handle anger.

Frequently Asked Questions

What addictions are commonly associated with anger management issues?

When anger gets out of control, some people turn to things like alcohol, drugs or certain behaviours like gambling or playing computer games to deal with it. Alcohol is a big one because it can make you feel calmer at first but it also lowers your ability to think clearly, leading to outbursts. Stimulants like cocaine or amphetamines can make anger feel more intense, while addictive behaviours can become unhealthy ways to avoid dealing with your emotions.

What do anger management classes involve?

Anger management classes show you how to spot what sets you off and teach you ways to cool down before things get out of hand. Consider practising calming techniques like deep breathing or role-playing tough situations to figure out better responses. It is also a chance to hear from others who are going through the same thing, so you can share anger management techniques.

What are the most effective forms of anger management therapy?

Therapies like CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy) are great for handling anger. CBT helps you notice when your thoughts are making things worse and shows you how to flip them around. DBT works on balancing emotions and staying calm in the heat of the moment. Some people also find mindfulness or relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation really helpful for anger management.

(Click here to see works cited)

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UK Rehab. “Dual Diagnosis | Co-Occurring Disorders.” UK Rehab, https://www.uk-rehab.com/mental-health/dual-diagonosis/. Accessed 20 December 2024.
Laitano, Helen V et al. “Anger and substance abuse: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) vol. 44,1 (2022): 103-110. doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1133. Accessed 20 December 2024.
Todd, Carlos. “What are the 3 R’s of Anger?” Mastering Anger, 19 July 2024, https://masteringanger.com/blog/what-are-the-3-r-of-anger/. Accessed 20 December 2024.