Negative Coping – Anger Management

There are three main categories of negative coping.

1. Drugs and Alcohol
2. Venting
3. Avoidance
4. If you are using these methods to calm yourself, you may be succeeding in the short therm, but you are hurting yourself in the long run.

Drugs and Alcohol

Many, many people use drugs and alcohol for negative coping.  If you are feeling stressed, if you have tension, or if you are angry and you use drugs and alcohol as negative coping your problems do get better….for a little while.

If I am feeling anxious and I smoke marijuana, I won’t feel as anxious.  If I am feeling on edge and I drink some wine, it will take the edge off.  If I am feeling down or stressed and I go out drinking with my friends I will feel better.  That is all true.  At lease for now.

There is not space here to discuss the many aspects of drug and alcohol use and abuse, nor is that the purpose of this blog.  However, any logical thinker can see that there are problems with using drugs and alcohol to cope.  If I grow dependent on alcohol and drugs to deal with my stress an danger i can lead to some very bad consequences.  That is a very dangerous place to be.

And the truth is, if I am using alcohol and drugs for negative coping then I am not really coping with my anger at all.  I am escaping from it.  And then when the buzz wears off I still have to deal with whatever my problem was.  It didn’t go away just because I got high.

For these reasons, I always get worried when clients tell me thy are using drugs and alcohol to cope with their stress and anger.  It is a dangerous, dangerous strategy.  And the long-term consequences can be severe.

Excerpt from “Take Control of Your Anger: A step-by-step guide to Anger Management” by Michael Ballard, MA, NCC, LPC

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Michael Ballard, MA, LPC

Counselor For Anger Management at Front Range Counseling Center

I am an anger management counselor at Front Range Counseling Center, an outpatient clinic in Denver that helps individuals and couples with anger problems. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado. I provide counseling services for individuals, couples, and families who struggle with anger. I developed The ASCEND Method® for anger management, and have used this method with men and women, adults, teens, and children. I have also authored various workbooks, training manuals, and articles and has been published in The Washington Post.

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