Alcohol the trigger of Violence – Drug Addiction

Alcohol the trigger of violence. The effects of alcohol in families an society is worrying. Solutions must be found soon

Alcohol is currently leading among substances being abused the world over and because of this it is one of the substance that triggers violence the most. The frequency with which violence triggered by alcohol consumption are being aired on the different media platform is just a confirmation of the seriousness of the matter. While it is true that this substance is widely abused it must be made clear that not everyone using alcohol in whatever units becomes aggressive or provoked to violence, and in fact it is only a few people who will be violent after drinking. The most painful thing is that these violent acts and behaviors normally have far reaching effect or consequences to the family members and friends and by extension the general membership of the public.

Who’s at risk?

The character of being violent when drunk is not an excuse in anyway, in most cases the people who become violent when drunk are those with questionable personalities meaning that these people are also capable of being violent even when sober. Studies of alcohol and aggressive behavior have established that individuals who are more short-tempered are poor managers of their anger in other wards they are those people who cannot  control emotions and they display lower levels of compassion towards others when sober these people are more likely to be aggressive when they have alcohol in their system. Gender also a factor and has an influence where men are more likely to be aggressive than women when drunk.

Out of control

There is reasonable proof that elusive variations in the brain functions in some individuals act abnormally than others when under influence of just a little drink and we can measure the effects of alcohol in one’s brain is by examining how individuals use their brain’s executive system. This is the section of the brain tasked with issues like decision making, problem solving and reasoning. It serves like the command centre of the brain which instructs people to slow down and evaluate the possible consequences even as they steer themselves towards seeing the best long-term results. When the brain executive system fails to regulate our behaviors, we often become vulnerable to our instincts which for many resolve to violent instead of being remorseful and taking deep breath when we feel irritated and insulted. It is important noting that some people have poor executive control than others, and if these are male, then they are more likely to be aggressive after drinking alcohol.

Young adults

We could be guided to reach conclusion that luck of executive control could be the reason why adolescents and young adults are so quick into violent behavior when drunk. It has been made known to us that our brains continue to develop well into our 20s and that one of the last parts of the brain to develop is the prefrontal lobe, the section tasked with reigning in impulses through executive control.

People who have a dependence on alcohol have a “double whammy” when it comes to executive control and whenever they consume alcohol their executive functioning is impaired due to the alcohol in their system. But their consistent use of alcohol also leads to poorer executive function even when they aren’t drinking, an effect that may prolong up to a year even after they stop drinking.

Attentive and alarmed

When someone accidentally bumps into you in a crowded bar or at a sporting event, most of us are able to quickly shrug it off as a gentle interruption to our day. But add alcohol to the equation and an innocuous bump can suddenly be interpreted as a serious threat, or even a deliberate act of aggression. Alcohol can affect information processing and your ability to determine how much threat is actually present in the environment.

Alcohol can alter our perception of the world and explains that any increased sensitivity to apparent threats isn’t just about what’s going on in the brain. Alcohol’s effects on the heart can also play a role. You can get palpitations, or what is known as tachyarrhythmias, as a consequence of alcohol and a racing heart can often be misinterpreted as a threat.

Expectations matter

Much as we would want to see a violent free society the indulgence of alcohol betrays this fact and therefore can begin seeing the possibilities of future violence in our children behaviors especially when they are being brought up in violent prone neighborhood.  When the children observe violence from their drunken parents or watch programs associated with alcoholic violence then this is likely to propagate in their minds and the evidence may be revealed when children resort violence among themselves when solving their own disputes.

Let’s look further for example a society where the number of bars and drinking joints are more than schools, churches, and retail shops put together there is likelihood that there will be frequent alcohol related violence to the point of condoning the acts. As sad as it may be this is true because this is what the society is used to and in fact in such places you will not be surprised to see people spectating when a fight breaks out this is so because what they expect in their daily lives is drinking and violence after all that is what their neighborhood is all about.

However the power of expectation can also play a part in influencing how people behave when they consume different alcoholic drinks, quite different from the physical impact of differing alcohol concentrations. People have different expectations for what happens when they drink wine, liquor or beer. None the less it is not very clear whether certain drinks like these ones mention help to increase aggression even though drinks rich in caffeine can lead people to take more risks than they would otherwise do.

Reducing violent behavior

This can be very challenging in many ways however professionally one of the greatest challenges for psychologists when attending to people who are more likely to be aggressive when they drink is teaching them about temper control. Nonetheless it is important noting that introducing anger management programs should be the starting point for those who end up seeking help when alcohol gets them into trouble with the law enforcement agencies and their families. This can be done by creating safety plans which enables them to study the internal sensations of anger, how to identify them and the solutions necessary to turn down the volume and be moderate when things are a bit hot.

Because alcohol is that addictive the kind of professional to be engaged must be one with great experience in addiction and has the capacity to contain the problem. Doctor Dalal Akoury is one such professional who has had great experience of more than two decades in matters addiction. She is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where together with her team of experts they focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE this is an effective way of ensuring reduction of alcohol related violence in the most natural way.

Alcohol the trigger of Violence – Drug Addiction