Domestic violence and alcoholism are two severe problems plaguing people all throughout the whole world. Although the two frequently coincide, one doesn’t “cause” another. A lot of people addicted to alcohol don’t engage in domestic violence, and most of the ones who are abusers aren’t alcoholics. But ignoring the truth that the two problems oftentimes co-occur may be harmful.
The inclusion of alcoholic beverages into one’s life may raise the possibility of violent behaviors, but alcohol itself doesn’t directly cause domestic violence or other types of abuse. Typically, someone who’s an abuser has a past history of experiencing physical violence and/or emotional or psychological abuse. Plus, while around 55 percent of domestic violence cases involve an abuser who is under the influence of alcohol, that figure isn’t indicative of the behaviors of alcoholics or the ones who are abusers who aren’t alcoholics.
Domestic violence may be triggered by several things, but alcohol isn’t one of them, since domestic violence is a pattered, learned behavior. Instead, the below list is oftentimes seen as being some of the core contributors to domestic violence:
- Acting on someone’s critical inner voice
- Need to have complete control over everything
- Being raped/abused/sexually assaulted
- Being physically abused as a kid
- Being abandoned or neglected as a kid
Those are just a few of the typical causes of why someone becomes an abuser, but abuse or domestic violence of any type isn’t acceptable or okay.
How Will Alcohol Impact Domestic Violence?
Individuals of all races, ages, gender identification, and sexual orientation consume alcohol. In the U.S, alone, around 15M people have trouble with alcoholism. There’s a lot of evidence that shows cases of domestic violence are greater in the ones who drink alcohol. Plus, while alcohol isn’t considered a “cause” of domestic violence, it absolutely may play a part in it.
According to WHO (The World Health Organization), there are multiple factors concerning domestic violence and alcohol, some of which involve these:
Physical and Cognitive Function
Alcoholic beverages are mind-altering substances. Once consumed, it affects an individual’s rationality, physical coordination, and capability of exercising self-control. Those aspects may increase someone’s likelihood of becoming abusive.
Marital Strains
From outside stressors such as careers and in-laws to inside stressors such as parenting and feelings, couples may easily have trouble with stressors influencing their relationships. Some married couples have trouble working their way through these stressors and instead, they become overwhelmed by them, increasing a sense of frustration and anger. Once alcohol comes into the picture, those daily struggles become magnified and more difficult to work through. And, the problem of alcoholism itself strains the relationship. Someone who’s predisposed to violence and who’s drinking is more than likely to become violent as an outcome of unmanaged stressors in the marriage.
Societal Beliefs
Societal beliefs may play a major part in domestic violence as abusers might perpetuate negative societal beliefs inside their homes. For instance, while the concept of the male being the head of the household is mainly rejected these days, millions in the country still believe in that. Males who have that societal belief are more than likely to be involved in domestic violence as a method of maintaining their part in their family. Once alcohol is involved, males may become more aggressive and pressured to uphold that role.
Prior Abuse
It isn’t any secret that the ones who’ve been abused are more than likely to abuse other people in the future. This doesn’t mean that every victim of abuse goes on to abuse other people. But the risk of doing so gets increased. So, once one who has been previously abused is also having trouble with alcoholism, domestic violence will become a strong probability. This isn’t just because of the concept that “hurt individuals hurt individuals” yet additionally because the continuation of consuming alcohol increases anger, resentment, and frustration, lowers inhibitions and makes it much easier to act on feelings without ever thinking them through.
Do You or A Member of Your Family Need Help? Call Pacific Bay Recovery Today!
We know how hard it is to struggle with the disease of alcoholism and how upsetting it can be to live with a person who has it. Also, we know the seriousness of domestic violence. If you need immediate help, contact Pacific Bay Recovery right away. We’ll help get you or your family member on the road to recovery.
Don’t put it off any longer. Don’t be ashamed to speak up and request help. Contact us right now to learn more information on our substance abuse disorder rehab facility.
