What Are Anger Issues? How Anger Can Impact Your Mental Health
Anger is a natural and healthy emotion that will affect virtually everyone from time to time. Feeling angry can be a sign that you are being treated poorly or that an injustice is occurring, and anger can be an impetus for you to express your emotions and advocate for yourself. However, if your anger is frequent, intense, or is affecting your work, relationships, functioning in daily life, or mental well-being, it could be an indication of an anger problem or a mental health condition. In cases like these, learning how to manage anger with the support of a qualified mental health professional may be helpful.
Signs you may have anger issues
A key sign of anger issues is regularly reacting with a level of emotion that’s out of proportion to a given situation. Experiencing an angry outburst at a small inconvenience or acting aggressively after a minor irritation are two examples. Anger that often causes you stress and/or has a negative impact on your relationships or well-being could also indicate that it may be time to learn anger-management techniques and/or seek professional support.
Strategies for reducing angry feelings
Whether you experience strong anger frequently or rarely, adopting a few lifestyle changes and healthy coping techniques can be helpful. Learning to effectively manage emotions can benefit a person in various areas of life, so it may be worthwhile to explore the following strategies.
Exercising regularly
Sometimes, anger can seem to be building up inside of you, which can lead to you fearing you might “explode” at any moment. Exercise can be one method of processing anger and other intense emotions to the point where they may seem more manageable. While vigorous exercise may be preferable if you are feeling particularly heated in a specific moment, developing a more moderate, regular exercise routine might help reduce both anger and stress over time.
Keeping a feelings journal
Keeping an emotions journal can also be a beneficial practice for some. Writing about what made you feel angry and recounting how you reacted could be a first step toward being able to identify triggering situations and response patterns. Understanding that your risk of angry behavior may be heightened in certain types of situations may help you more effectively prepare to keep your anger under control in the future.
Engaging in mindfulness practices for anger management
Anger can sometimes feel like it takes you outside of your body and out of control. One potential solution to this problem can be engaging in mindfulness, which involves grounding yourself in a nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment and reconnecting to your body. Mindfulness practices that may be especially beneficial for addressing anger include doing deep breathing exercises—like slowly counting to four every time you take a breath—or conducting a quick body scan to notice how you are physically reacting to the situation.
Mental health conditions related to anger issues
Persistent anger that is difficult to control and does not respond to typical anger management techniques may sometimes be indicative of a larger mental health concern. Certain mental illnesses can be associated with anger problems and may need to be addressed before anger issues can be resolved.
Intermittent explosive disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a mental illness characterized by frequent angry outbursts that can result in aggressive and even violent behavior. These outbursts are typically disproportionate to the situation that provoked the anger. People with IED may experience intense shame and embarrassment after their outbursts but often continue to lack control over expressing their anger if they don’t receive treatment.
Mood disorders like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder
People may not always associate conditions like depression with anger, but the truth is that any mood disorder may increase the probability of anger problems. Irritability is a distinctive symptom of depression, anxiety, and both the manic and depressive states associated with bipolar disorder. Irritation can quickly escalate into frustration and anger—which can become problematic if not adequately managed, as it may lead to relationship problems, aggression, and even self-harm.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text 988 to talk to someone over SMS. Support is available 24/7.
Mental health support for anger management
If you feel anger is controlling you instead of the other way around and basic anger management strategies are not making a difference, you might benefit from speaking to a mental health professional. Support for anger issues—regardless of the underlying cause—is available.
Online therapy with a mental health counselor for anger issues
If you’ve been working on trying to more effectively control or deal with your anger and you’re not seeing progress, you may experience shame or low self-esteem. These feelings may prevent you from being able to authentically engage with a therapist in person, so online therapy may be a more effective option in this type of scenario.
With online therapy through a service like BetterHelp, you can choose how you would like to communicate with your therapist, whether through video chat, phone, or in-app messaging. Regardless, you can talk to your therapist from the comfort of your own home or anywhere you have an internet connection, which may help to take some of the pressure off and allow for more constructive sessions.
Psychology researchers have found that online therapy may often be just as effective as traditional in-person therapy when working on anger issues. For example, one study involved a group of participants who completed an online therapeutic intervention for anger concerns. Its findings suggest that the participants reported a lower incidence of problematic anger symptoms after completing the treatment.
Takeaway
Anger issues may manifest in a variety of ways. If you’re having difficulty controlling your anger, you feel worse after frequent angry outbursts, or your anger is consistently damaging your relationships, you may benefit from seeking professional support. Whether or not your anger is a result of a diagnosable mental health condition, a therapist can help you learn anger management strategies.
Frequently asked questions
Below are some frequently asked questions on the topic, “What are anger issues?”
What heals anger?
Anger is a broad emotion that can apply to a range of responses and situations, so there’s unlikely to be one universal answer for how to heal anger. If you are angry at a particular person, you might benefit from having a calm and honest conversation with them about your feelings. If you are experiencing heightened anger in general, a therapist may be able to assist you in addressing the root cause and working toward healing.
What qualifies as anger issues?
The term anger issues can be common despite not being an official mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Anger issues can include problematic or uncontrolled anger that causes internal distress or affects personal and professional relationships. There is help available through anger support groups and therapy.
Can anger issues be cured?
Anger issues can be effectively treated through anger management therapy. The American Psychological Association states, “Hundreds of research studies have explored the effectiveness of therapies for treating anger. Several large analyses of the published research suggest that overall, approximately 75% of people receiving anger management therapy improved as a result.” Mental health professionals may use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family therapy, or psychodynamic therapy for people who have difficulty controlling anger and expressing their feelings in a non-confrontational manner.
How does anger affect your mental health?
Anger can have significant effects on a person’s mental health. It can weigh on a person mentally and make it hard to concentrate. Anger can also make minor irritations seem much bigger than they are, which can lead to outbursts that people later regret. People who experience anger challenges don’t have to face them alone. There are treatments for concerns about anger, both online and in person.
How do you control anger issues?
Anger can sometimes be difficult to control for anyone—not only for people who believe they have anger issues. Perhaps one of the most effective methods is to implement strategies to reduce anger before the next tense situation occurs. While a therapist may be able to help, there are several strategies that individuals can implement on their own, including progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing exercises, and visualization. These strategies may reduce anger and health risk behaviors, such as substance use.
How do anger issues show?
Anger issues can manifest in a variety of ways. Whereas some people may have explosive outbursts, other people may manifest passive aggressive behavior, such as the silent treatment. Anger can also manifest through physical symptoms, such as an accelerated heart rate, high blood pressure, chest tightness, sweating, headache, and muscle tension. Regardless of anger’s manifestation, people who experience challenges with anger might seek support from a licensed counselor. Seeking support can be a sign of courageously taking responsibility, and it may reduce the way that anger can negatively impact your well-being.
Is anger a mental disorder?
Anger itself is not a mental disorder but a natural emotion that people experience in various situations. There are some mental disorders that typically include anger as a core symptom, including intermittent explosive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and bipolar disorder.
Why do I get angry so easily?
There can be several reasons that a person gets angry easily. Some people may be experiencing a mental disorder that can affect emotion regulation, which can lead them to lose control more easily than others. Other people may get angry if they've been experiencing excessive stress.
What emotion is behind anger?
There can be several emotions behind anger, including fear, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness. People may feel this sensation when they can’t change something, such as a job loss, a broken relationship, or an illness.
Why do I cry when I get mad?
Anger can lead to significant inner turmoil, which may lead some people to cry. Anger might also be mixed with other emotions, such as sadness and disappointment, which can also make a person cry.
Are anger issues a mood disorder?
Anger issues are not a recognized mood disorder, but they can cause significant challenges related to mood. Anger can affect people emotionally and affect their relationships, which can lead to isolation in some people when they’re upset. Some people may benefit from seeking professional help for anger issues. Mental health professionals may be able to help identify the root cause of someone’s anger, whether internal or external factors, and help them move forward without anger controlling them.
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