Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Anger Management, a Neglected Topic in Substance Abuse Intervention

Problems atlanta anger management, anger have always been a concern for patients suffering from addictive disorders. Pioneering research by my mentor, Dr. Sidney Cohen at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrated the relationship between, anger, violence and the use of alcohol and or cocaine. One of the most popular articles written by was entitled, "Alcohol, the most dangerous drug known to man". In this and other publications systematically demonstrated the causal relationship between cocaine and alcohol abuse and aggression. Much of this research was done in the 70s and 80s.
Anger has always been a factor in substance abuse intervention. Unfortunately, until recently, it has been overlooked or treated as an afterthought by substance abuse programs nationwide. Substance use and abuse often coexist with anger, aggressive behavior and person-directed violence. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicated that 40 % of frequent cocaine users reported engaging in some form of violence or aggressive behavior. Anger and aggression often can have a causal role in the initiation of drug and alcohol use and can also be a consequence associated with substance abuse. Persons who experience traumatic events, for example, often experience anger and act violently, as well as abuse drugs or alcohol. This is currently occurring with recently returned combat veterans from Iraq atlanta anger management.
ANGER AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Substance abuse and dependence has grown beyond even the bleakest predictions of the past. In the alone, there are an estimated 23 million people who are struggling with some form of substance abuse or dependence. The toll it is having on our society is dramatically increased when we factor in the number of families who suffer the consequences of living with a person with an addiction, such as:
o Job loss
o Incarceration
o Loss of child Custody
o DUI's
o Domestic Violence/Aggression
o Marital problems/divorce
o Accidents/injuries
o Financial problems
o Depression/anxiety/chronic atlanta anger management
Unfortunately, most substance abusers may not even be aware that they have an underlying anger problem and do not "connect" their anger problem to their alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse. Therefore, they do not seek help for their anger problem. But more often than not, their anger is the underlying source of their disorder.
Anger precedes the use of cocaine and alcohol for many alcohol and cocaine dependent individuals. Anger is an emotional and mental form of "suffering" that occurs whenever our desires and expectations of life, others or self are thwarted or unfulfilled. Addictive behavior and substance abuse is an addict's way of relieving themselves of the agony of their anger by "numbing" themselves with drugs, alcohol and so on. This is not "managing their anger", but self medication.