Anger management and substance abuse can often be cyclical. Someone may not feel confident in expressing their anger or may not have the skills to express anger in a healthy way. In some cases, he or she may turn to substances to numb or help cope with feelings of anger. Unfortunately, this is not a healthy technique and can lead to even more anger, exacerbating reliance on alcohol or drugs.
In some cases, addiction is co-occurring with another condition. Someone who is addicted may be facing trauma, a difficult family situation or suppressed memories. They might also be dealing with depression or other mental health challenges that trigger anger — the substance abuse may be how they choose to cope. When this fails to help or when the patient enters recovery, the underlying anger is still there and may emerge during the treatment process.