angry addicts 5

Let’s define this behemoth. Anger is an emotional response to a perceived wrong or injustice. As with other emotions, physiological and biological changes result. (Increase is seen in blood pressure, adrenaline, heart rate and other biochemical responses.)

Simplified, anger is experienced when expectations are unfulfilled or when there is a sense of threat – an invasion of my space. Stating it bluntly, most of our unhealthy anger is based in selfishness (I’m not getting my way at my timing.) Fear of intrusion (you’re getting in my space) is a secondary root.

The word “anger” is a catch-all term depicting the range of emotion from irritation to rage. The contrast is best demonstrated by this story.
Irritation is best demonstrated when I call a random phone number at 1 a.m. and ask, “Is Ray there?” A sleepy, irritated voice responds with something like, “You’ve got the wrong number,” and hangs up. That’s an example of irritation. Anger is exhibited when at 2 a.m. I call the same number and ask again for Ray. I may get a few expletives and the phone slammed down in my ear. That’s anger. Rage is the response when at 3 a.m. I call the same number and say, “This is Ray. Have I had any calls?” Irritation, anger, rage.

An extreme example of rage is seen in the June 16, 2006, Idaho Press-Tribune. A two inch full width headline reads, “GRUESOME DAY.” The story tells of how a Nampa man, facing a domestic violence court date, kills his x-wife, decapitates her, throws her head in the back of his pick-up, heads down I-84 and purposely runs into an approaching car head-on, killing a mother and child and sending another child to the hospital. The following day’s newspaper headline reads, “VIOLENCE SHATTERS LIVES.”

While talking with a man who was in prison with the aforementioned man, I was told that the meth-induced rage was triggered by the x-wife’s berating his sexuality. One wonders if the act would have been so brutal if meth was not involved.

Rage has the element of violence and is the ultimate expression of blameshifting. When a person is raging, their total focus is on the alleged perpetrator of the crime against them. They don’t face the fact that no on can make them rage. The “crime” only brings out what is inside of them. It has been said in many ways, “No one can make me mad. They only reveal what is inside of me.”

The raging alcoholic not only abuses others but also himself by not accepting personal responsibilty for maturation. The chemical addiction anethesizes his pain, his woundedness and his choice to take responsibility for himself.

Paul describes his rage/drugs ordeal this way, “I found my girlfriend in bed with my best friend. In my house! Drugs weren’t immediately available. So I robbed a store. Result? Prison.”

Anger resolution in our next and last post on "angry addicts."