The Link Between Alcohol and Aggression

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding Anger and AggressionHow Alcohol Affects Anger and AggressionHow Anger and Alcohol Contribute to Domestic ViolenceFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Understanding Anger and Aggression

How Alcohol Affects Anger and Aggression

How Anger and Alcohol Contribute to Domestic Violence

Frequently Asked Questions

The stereotype of the “angry drunk” may be rooted in fact, at least for some people in whom anger and alcohol are associated. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, the use of alcohol is more closely associated with aggressive behavior than any other type of psychotropic substance.But drinking alcohol can elicit different behaviors in different people.

“Alcohol is involved in half of all murders, rapes, and assaults,” said Robert O. Pihl, professor of psychology and psychiatry at McGill University. “But the dynamics of this association are complicated, which is why any research that focuses on explaining this relationship is important for society in general.”

This article discusses some of the facts behind the stereotype of the “angry drunk” and explores the connection between anger and alcohol.

Alcohol Abuse vs. Dependence

Anger is an intense emotion you feel when something has gone wrong or someone has wronged you. Aggression refers to a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological harm to yourself, others, or objects in the environment.

“Trait anger” refers to a person’s general tendency to experience chronic anger over time. Anangry persontends to seek out stimuli that activate feelings of anger. This may explain why they are angry more often and act more aggressively than someone who does not have this personality trait.

Aggression Explained: What It Is and How to Recognize It

Alcohol can provoke different emotional responses for different people. For example, it can make some people sad and others angry. If you have a natural tendency to be angry, drinking alcohol may cause you to become aggressive.

There are a number of cognitive, neurobiological, and social factors that can influence how alcohol affects aggression.

The effect of alcohol may also be due to the effect of neuroinflammation, a situation made worse because of the effect of heavy alcohol consumption on the gut/microbiome and nutrition.For example, research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids are deficient in people with alcoholism and this is associated with violence.

The 12 Best Anger Management Resources, Tested and Reviewed

Anger and Alcohol Risk Factors

According to one study, the following risk factors may increase the risk of alcohol-related aggression:

Drinking cocktails that include energy drinks should be considered a possible factor for aggressive behavior as well. Researchers surveyed 175 young adults who mixed alcohol with caffeinated energy drinks about their verbal and physical aggression in bar conflicts. Results showed enough escalation in people consuming these drinks to label the beverages a “potential risk” to increased hostility.

Disinhibition

Among the many studied physiological and behavioral effects of alcohol is disinhibition, or reduced control over impulses or urges afterintoxication.Disinhibition can make you unable to suppress or change an act of aggression that is not appropriate for the situation you’re in.

“If individuals tend to express their anger outwardly,” said Amos Zeichner, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Georgia, “alcohol will ‘turn up the volume,’ so that such a person will express anger more frequently and more intensely. A heightened response will most likely occur when the provocation against the drinker is a strong one, and will less likely occur when the individual is experiencing a low provocation and is sober.”

Impulsivity

One study found that chronic alcohol use decreases the function in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in impulse control.Researchers have also linked impulsive alcohol-related behavior to genetic involvement, with the presence of the serotonin 2B receptor gene (HTR2B) playing a role in impulsive and aggressive behaviors while under the influence of alcohol.

A lack ofimpulse controlcan make a person unable to resist the sudden, forceful urge to fly into a rage or act aggressively.

Cognitive Function

Low Regard for Consequences

People who tend to ignore the future consequences of their behavior, or score low on the Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) scale, have been found to display more aggression. This is heightened when consuming alcohol, according to a 2012 study.

Intimate partner violenceis of great concern when it comes to alcohol and anger. Violence can occur in marriages, long-term partnerships, anddating relationships.

In a 2017 report, researchers shared their findings of the relationship between alcohol and dating violence. The study included 67 undergraduate men who were currently dating someone.

The study concluded that alcohol increased the odds of physical aggression in those men who had high trait anger and poor anger management skills. It also noted that sexual aggression was higher with alcohol, even in men with low trait anger and reasonable anger management skills.

Some of the biological factors that contribute to alcoholism may also play a role in increasing the risk of intimate partner violence. Such factors including head injury, neurochemistry, physiological reactivity, metabolism, and genetics.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

A Word From Verywell

If you or someone you love is battling aggression andalcohol misuse, help is available. Consult with a mental health professional and/or an addiction specialist who can provide resources and recommendations for treatment options.

Alcohol can contribute to increased anger, particularly in people who have higher levels of trait anger. Because these individuals are naturally angrier, they tend to behave more aggressively when drinking. Other factors including decreased inhibition, neurobiological effects, increased impulsivity, and poor problem-solving skills can contribute to increased anger when consuming alcohol.

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10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Beck A, Heinz A.Alcohol-related aggression.Deutsches Aerzteblatt Online. 2013;110(42):711-5. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0711Umhau JC, Trandem K, Shah M, George DT.The physician’s unique role in preventing violence: a neglected opportunity?BMC Med. 2012;10:146. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-146Hibbeln JR, Linnoila M, Umhau JC, Rawlings R, George DT, Salem N Jr.Essential fatty acids predict metabolites of serotonin and dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid among healthy control subjects, and early- and late-onset alcoholics.Biol Psychiatry. 1998;44(4):235-42. doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00141-3Miller KE, Quigley BM, Eliseo-Arras RK, Ball NJ.Alcohol mixed with energy drink use as an event-level predictor of physical and verbal aggression in bar conflicts.Alcohol Clin Exp Res.2016;40(1):161-9. doi:10.1111/acer.12921Denson TF, Blundell KA, Schofield TP, Schira MM, Krämer UM.The neural correlates of alcohol-related aggression.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2018;18(2):203-215. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092965Tikkanen R, Tiihonen J, Rautiainen MR, et al.Impulsive alcohol-related risk-behavior and emotional dysregulation among individuals with a serotonin 2B receptor stop codon.Transl Psychiatry. 2015;5(11):e681-e681. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.170Bushman BJ, Giancola PR, Parrott DJ, Roth RM.Failure to consider future consequences increases the effects of alcohol on aggression.J Exp Soc Psychol. 2012;48(2):591-595. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.11.013Shorey RC, McNulty JK, Moore TM, Stuart GL.Trait anger and partner-specific anger management moderate the temporal association between alcohol use and dating violence.J Stud Alcohol Drugs.2017;78(2):313-318. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.313Pinto LA, Sullivan EL, Rosenbaum A, Wyngarden N, Umhau JC, Miller MW, Taft CT.Biological correlates of intimate partner violence perpetration.Aggress Violent Behav. 2010;15(5):387-398. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2010.07.001Sundin E, Landberg J, Galanti MR, Room R, Ramstedt M.Country-level heavy episodic drinking and individual-level experiences of harm from others’ drinking-related aggression in 19 European countries.Eur Addict Res. 2022;28(2):134-142. doi:10.1159/000520079

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Beck A, Heinz A.Alcohol-related aggression.Deutsches Aerzteblatt Online. 2013;110(42):711-5. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0711Umhau JC, Trandem K, Shah M, George DT.The physician’s unique role in preventing violence: a neglected opportunity?BMC Med. 2012;10:146. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-146Hibbeln JR, Linnoila M, Umhau JC, Rawlings R, George DT, Salem N Jr.Essential fatty acids predict metabolites of serotonin and dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid among healthy control subjects, and early- and late-onset alcoholics.Biol Psychiatry. 1998;44(4):235-42. doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00141-3Miller KE, Quigley BM, Eliseo-Arras RK, Ball NJ.Alcohol mixed with energy drink use as an event-level predictor of physical and verbal aggression in bar conflicts.Alcohol Clin Exp Res.2016;40(1):161-9. doi:10.1111/acer.12921Denson TF, Blundell KA, Schofield TP, Schira MM, Krämer UM.The neural correlates of alcohol-related aggression.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2018;18(2):203-215. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092965Tikkanen R, Tiihonen J, Rautiainen MR, et al.Impulsive alcohol-related risk-behavior and emotional dysregulation among individuals with a serotonin 2B receptor stop codon.Transl Psychiatry. 2015;5(11):e681-e681. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.170Bushman BJ, Giancola PR, Parrott DJ, Roth RM.Failure to consider future consequences increases the effects of alcohol on aggression.J Exp Soc Psychol. 2012;48(2):591-595. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.11.013Shorey RC, McNulty JK, Moore TM, Stuart GL.Trait anger and partner-specific anger management moderate the temporal association between alcohol use and dating violence.J Stud Alcohol Drugs.2017;78(2):313-318. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.313Pinto LA, Sullivan EL, Rosenbaum A, Wyngarden N, Umhau JC, Miller MW, Taft CT.Biological correlates of intimate partner violence perpetration.Aggress Violent Behav. 2010;15(5):387-398. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2010.07.001Sundin E, Landberg J, Galanti MR, Room R, Ramstedt M.Country-level heavy episodic drinking and individual-level experiences of harm from others’ drinking-related aggression in 19 European countries.Eur Addict Res. 2022;28(2):134-142. doi:10.1159/000520079

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Beck A, Heinz A.Alcohol-related aggression.Deutsches Aerzteblatt Online. 2013;110(42):711-5. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0711Umhau JC, Trandem K, Shah M, George DT.The physician’s unique role in preventing violence: a neglected opportunity?BMC Med. 2012;10:146. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-146Hibbeln JR, Linnoila M, Umhau JC, Rawlings R, George DT, Salem N Jr.Essential fatty acids predict metabolites of serotonin and dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid among healthy control subjects, and early- and late-onset alcoholics.Biol Psychiatry. 1998;44(4):235-42. doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00141-3Miller KE, Quigley BM, Eliseo-Arras RK, Ball NJ.Alcohol mixed with energy drink use as an event-level predictor of physical and verbal aggression in bar conflicts.Alcohol Clin Exp Res.2016;40(1):161-9. doi:10.1111/acer.12921Denson TF, Blundell KA, Schofield TP, Schira MM, Krämer UM.The neural correlates of alcohol-related aggression.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2018;18(2):203-215. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092965Tikkanen R, Tiihonen J, Rautiainen MR, et al.Impulsive alcohol-related risk-behavior and emotional dysregulation among individuals with a serotonin 2B receptor stop codon.Transl Psychiatry. 2015;5(11):e681-e681. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.170Bushman BJ, Giancola PR, Parrott DJ, Roth RM.Failure to consider future consequences increases the effects of alcohol on aggression.J Exp Soc Psychol. 2012;48(2):591-595. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.11.013Shorey RC, McNulty JK, Moore TM, Stuart GL.Trait anger and partner-specific anger management moderate the temporal association between alcohol use and dating violence.J Stud Alcohol Drugs.2017;78(2):313-318. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.313Pinto LA, Sullivan EL, Rosenbaum A, Wyngarden N, Umhau JC, Miller MW, Taft CT.Biological correlates of intimate partner violence perpetration.Aggress Violent Behav. 2010;15(5):387-398. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2010.07.001Sundin E, Landberg J, Galanti MR, Room R, Ramstedt M.Country-level heavy episodic drinking and individual-level experiences of harm from others’ drinking-related aggression in 19 European countries.Eur Addict Res. 2022;28(2):134-142. doi:10.1159/000520079

Beck A, Heinz A.Alcohol-related aggression.Deutsches Aerzteblatt Online. 2013;110(42):711-5. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0711

Umhau JC, Trandem K, Shah M, George DT.The physician’s unique role in preventing violence: a neglected opportunity?BMC Med. 2012;10:146. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-146

Hibbeln JR, Linnoila M, Umhau JC, Rawlings R, George DT, Salem N Jr.Essential fatty acids predict metabolites of serotonin and dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid among healthy control subjects, and early- and late-onset alcoholics.Biol Psychiatry. 1998;44(4):235-42. doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00141-3

Miller KE, Quigley BM, Eliseo-Arras RK, Ball NJ.Alcohol mixed with energy drink use as an event-level predictor of physical and verbal aggression in bar conflicts.Alcohol Clin Exp Res.2016;40(1):161-9. doi:10.1111/acer.12921

Denson TF, Blundell KA, Schofield TP, Schira MM, Krämer UM.The neural correlates of alcohol-related aggression.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2018;18(2):203-215. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092965

Tikkanen R, Tiihonen J, Rautiainen MR, et al.Impulsive alcohol-related risk-behavior and emotional dysregulation among individuals with a serotonin 2B receptor stop codon.Transl Psychiatry. 2015;5(11):e681-e681. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.170

Bushman BJ, Giancola PR, Parrott DJ, Roth RM.Failure to consider future consequences increases the effects of alcohol on aggression.J Exp Soc Psychol. 2012;48(2):591-595. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.11.013

Shorey RC, McNulty JK, Moore TM, Stuart GL.Trait anger and partner-specific anger management moderate the temporal association between alcohol use and dating violence.J Stud Alcohol Drugs.2017;78(2):313-318. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.313

Pinto LA, Sullivan EL, Rosenbaum A, Wyngarden N, Umhau JC, Miller MW, Taft CT.Biological correlates of intimate partner violence perpetration.Aggress Violent Behav. 2010;15(5):387-398. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2010.07.001

Sundin E, Landberg J, Galanti MR, Room R, Ramstedt M.Country-level heavy episodic drinking and individual-level experiences of harm from others’ drinking-related aggression in 19 European countries.Eur Addict Res. 2022;28(2):134-142. doi:10.1159/000520079

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