Everyone has their own opinion about alcohol which is mainly generated through personal experience. For some, alcohol is a great thing.
It interacts with some cool neurotransmitters that put you in a good mood and make you forget about your problems.
For others, alcohol doesn’t help you forget about your problems but instead causes some. When taken in large amounts, alcohol has this strange ability to bring out the worst in us.
One such thing is getting drunk and saying hurtful things. Not only to strangers but also to our loved ones. And this is where the problem occurs.
Strangers will come and go but saying hurtful things to your best friend or significant other leaves wounds that sometimes never heal.
In this article, we will discuss the psychology behind getting drunk and saying hurtful things, so keep scrolling!
The Psychology Behind Getting Drunk And Saying Hurtful Things
As we said in the introduction, getting drunk can have serious effects on every aspect of your life. It doesn’t just change your personality but also changes your relationships with your loved ones and promotes addiction.
Alcohol vs. personality
Alcohol has various effects on our personality. Both good and bad. However, now we’re going to stick to the bad effects.
Excessive alcohol use leads to several behavioral and emotional changes, including:
1. Decreased self-control
Alcohol weakens the brain signal that alerts people when they are making a mistake, according to some studies.
Drinkers are aware of their mistakes, but alcohol makes them less concerned about them.
2. Anger and violence
Due to the effects of alcohol on the chemistry of the brain, some people become aggressive when they are drunk.
3. Depression
According to studies, individuals who get angry after drinking are also more likely to become depressed while drunk.
Why Are Some Drunk People Mean To You?
The reason why some drunk people become mean has a scientific basis.
There is a region in the brain known as the prefrontal cortex. It is located at the very front of the brain. The function of the prefrontal cortex is in personality development. This area is also responsible for a variety of complex behaviors.
In one scientific study, they compared the MRI scans from sober and drunk individuals and saw significant changes in the prefrontal cortex, suggesting that alcohol affects the center of the brain responsible for social behavior.
According to this study, alcohol is hypothesized to increase aggression by diverting attention from inhibitory to stimulating cues, like noise blasts.
Angry Drunk Behavior
Angry drunks are people who become angry and aggressive and are prone to saying mean things under the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol has an impact on the brain centers responsible for inhibition and control.
Additionally, being drunk impairs your capacity to control your emotions and make judgment calls, which may result in more erratic behavior. Along with this behavior comes societal issues as well.
Observing friends and family acting violently while under the influence of alcohol may “teach” people similar behavior.
It may be more likely for you to become an angry drunk if you consume alcohol in environments that encourage aggressiveness, such as athletic events.
Learn how to spot an angry drunk with the following signs:
• Saying hurtful things
• Being more aggressive and angry
• Constant attempts to provoke others
• Destroying things
• Legal troubles
How Does Someone Become An Angry Drunk?
Believe it or not, there are several risk factors for becoming an angry drunk. Although this is not a strict rule, these groups of people have a greater chance of becoming angry drunks:
Sex
Gender plays a significant role in becoming an angry drunk, and therefore, who will get drunk and say hurtful things to others. Studies have shown that in 2019, 7% of males and 4% of women reported having an alcohol consumption disorder.
When they are drunk, men who hide undesirable thoughts – especially those that go against the “tough” masculine norm – are more prone to acting aggressively.
Drinking habits
Given how alcohol affects personality, binge drinkers might be more aggressive than slow drinkers.
A heavy drinker is more likely to feel empowered, less self-conscious, and emotionally explosive, which is a recipe for an angry drunk.
Trauma
Trauma can also trigger a variety of behavioral and emotional changes, including becoming a mean drunk.
Many times, trauma patients aren’t even trying to suppress their rage, but the ones who do suppress it when sober aren’t immune to it when drunk.
It’s why some people who are normally calm turn into nightmare drunks; alcohol has the power to bring that out in people.
Mental illness
People who suffer from different kinds of mental illness have an increased risk of developing an alcohol or substance use disorder.
Drinking excessively can be a symptom of mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and others.
Aggression is also a symptom of PTSD, and these individuals may use alcohol as a coping mechanism, starting a destructive cycle of rage.
How To Deal With An Angry Drunk
‘‘You got so drunk last night and said mean and hurtful things to me. I think that wasn’t cool of you. Did you really mean what you said?’’
Almost everyone who is in the presence of an angry drunk asks this question. The response is almost always the same. ‘‘I am so sorry. I don’t know what got into me. It won’t happen again. I promise you!’’
However, the next day they do the same thing. So, are they a bad person?
How do you deal with someone who does hurtful things blackout drunk but the next morning doesn’t remember anything and apologizes for every mean thing?
What To Do When Around An Angry Drunk
In a situation where you are in a club or bar, the most logical and safest course of action is to get away from the angry drunk.
The top focus is ensuring your personal safety.
People have frequently tried to “babysit” the violent person, only to discover that by doing this, they put themself in danger. Leave the situation if someone is aggressive and drunk.
It’s important to realize that someone who is angry and drunk will typically hunt for opportunities to irritate people nearby, either physically or verbally.
Even though you may be tempted, trying to reason with someone who is belligerent and angry will just make them angrier.
Opportunities to discuss drug detox and treatment programs with the person may arise if they are also battling drug addiction.
This could be challenging depending on the kind of relationship you have with the person.
What If The Angry Drinker Is Your Loved One?
Knowing the best practices is useful for you as well as the person you are caring for.
If they become angry when drunk, the best thing to do is to wait until they sober up.
Even though you may want to communicate with someone while they are drunk, doing so is highly unlikely to succeed due to alcohol’s short-term neurological effects.
They are far more likely to listen to you and be open to your suggestions when the person you care about is sober and no longer under the influence of alcohol.
This is the time to communicate your issues and concerns regarding their severe drinking-related aggression or domestic violence.
What If You Are An Angry Drunk?
It can be challenging to control this behavior if you have a tendency to get angry and upset, violent, or aggressive when you’re drunk. This is especially true if it’s beginning to disrupt your relationships with other people.
The most effective strategy to change your unwanted behavior is to get expert assistance.
Self-awareness can also be helpful. When you’re not drinking, how do you feel? Are you content and capable of everything?
How would you describe your regular emotional state? Are you conscious of the fact that alcohol reduces your inhibitions? Have you lost a large amount of weight? Have you considered enrolling in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program?
You’ll discover that the answers to these questions provide you with crucial insight into your behavior while drunk.
Take into account how you acted the last time you got drunk.
How were you feeling? Did you get angry at anyone? It is not a good indicator if you are having trouble remembering.
Never put yourself in a position where you can’t remember what you did, what you said, or who you could have been with.
The person best qualified to assist you is a credentialed professional with years of experience assisting people in managing their aggression in healthy ways.
It’s a good idea to make an appointment right away and learn the science behind why this is taking place. Alcohol addiction treatment is not easy, but you’ll see how your mental health improves over time!
After some time, you’ll never have a problem with getting drunk and saying hurtful things.
Is Drinking A Problem In A Romantic Relationship?
There is nothing wrong with having a few alcoholic drinks if it won’t impair your judgment and common sense. However, dating an alcoholic does have many disadvantages.
Having a drinking problem destroys a romantic relationship by bringing mistrust into the relationship.
Alcohol abuse disorder severely changes a person’s personality and can result in an unrecognizably different person from the one that your partner was before they started to drink.
Alcohol addiction makes it impossible to have honest and open communication.
Now, the issue goes beyond the unpleasant things they say to you. It also includes a lack of respect, emotional distance, and the reality that your relationship has become a financial burden.
Do People Mean What They Say When Drunk?
If not you, then at least one of your friends has overshared after just a couple of drinks. The question that arises now is whether alcohol is really some kind of truth serum.
If you’ve ever wondered whether drunk individuals are less dishonest, the answer is…Well, complicated.
While alcohol may allow someone to voice sincere, long-suppressed grief or resentment, it can also lead to people lying.
Overall, drinking alcohol makes some people more honest, but that doesn’t guarantee that what they say is true.
FAQs
What are the 4 types of drunks?
There are 4 types of drunks: the emotional drunk, the flirty drunk, the social drunk, and the angry drunk.
• The angry drunk – after getting drunk, this type of drunk becomes unpredictable and unsafe. It is usually demonstrated through aggressive behavior after just a few drinks. As part of their bad behavior, you will often see them take the tiniest thing as an insult.
• The emotional drunk – prone to crying or sharing their deepest feelings with best friends.
• The flirty drunk – they can’t help but flirt with everyone as soon as they unwind with a few drinks.
• The social drunk – a person who is usually a huge introvert when sober but turns into an extrovert willing to talk to the whole world after getting drunk.
How does alcohol affect life expectancy?
The precise statistics on an alcoholic’s life expectancy vary and are tough to verify.
According to one study, persons who consume more than 25 beers per week have a four to five-year reduced life expectancy. In the United States, alcohol usage is the third most common cause of preventable mortality.
Long-term substance abuse can lead to several medical conditions like depression, liver disease, cardiovascular problems, cancer, and many others.
In Conclusion
After reading this article, did you get a clearer sign of what an angry drunk is? Have you found yourself in this article? Or perhaps someone close to you?
If you did, there is no need to worry. Try listening to our advice, and you’ll never have a problem with getting drunk and saying hurtful things.
If you are able to control your drinking, there is nothing wrong with having a couple of drinks. However, if you become very unpredictable the moment you start drinking, it’s best that you don’t consume it at all.
This way, you’re not only protecting the people around you but yourself too!
