Anger

Anger, like trauma and other co-occurring conditions, can be a hidden trigger to drug addiction, alcohol or substance abuse. The anger can be an underlying complication and block to recovery, but usually help is not sought for the anger problems until the addiction takes control of the patient. At Caron Texas we understand that a person who experiences anger issues often tries to relieve the emotional pain by numbing himself or herself with drugs and/or alcohol until the addictive behavior takes over and the emotional and physical numbness prevails. Our approach is to first treat the chemical dependency in order to better understand the resolution of the anger condition.

In order to successfully deal with anger management issues, the patient must be correctly assessed for both problems: the addiction and the anger. In general terms, substance use treatment patients with a co-occurring anger condition may have a difficult time in recovery. Those patients in treatment with a dual diagnosis which includes the recognition and treatment of anger issues, as well as the chemical dependency are more likely to overcome the barriers to recovery caused by anger than those with an undiagnosed condition.

When anger is not managed, the feelings mount and can create more emotional problems such as anxiety or depression. These conflicts increase the chance that the individual will resort to drug and/or alcohol abuse—or can cause a relapse into addiction in a recovering patient who has been receiving treatment. In addition to anger, the patient needs to learn to handle other emotional issues in his or her life, such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, boredom and the effects of trauma. Any one or more of these issues can be occurring at the same time and can cause barriers to drug or alcohol treatment and recovery.

As part of the personalized drug treatment or alcohol treatment plan for each patient, Caron Texas provides mental health services that will help identify and treat mental health issues like anger which can be a barrier to recovery. The individualized groups and counseling sessions as well as lectures on anger and coping skills give patients tools they can use as they move into sobriety.