Coping With Anger Issues and Related Conditions

Author:

Emma Loker

B.S

Editor:

Ashley Pena

LCSW

Picture this. You get out of bed and immediately stub your toe on the dresser. You take a shower and go down for breakfast before realizing your partner used the last of the milk.

You get to work, and it feels like everyone around you either doesn’t care or isn’t working as hard as you. Before lunchtime, you want to scream into a pillow—or worse, scream at someone else.

On days like this, even the best of us will want to scream. But if you struggle with anger every day, and it’s affecting your life or relationships, this may be a sign of anger issues. If this is the case, you don’t have to continue to feel this way—you can seek mental health treatment for anger issues.

Below, we’ll cover the signs of anger issues, as well as the treatment options available, in full detail.

What Are Anger Issues?

The term “anger issues” can feel a little stigmatizing and judgmental. Anger in and of itself isn’t an “issue.” However, the term “anger issues” refers to the tendency to experience anger more frequently and intensely than what is considered typical.¹This frequency and intensity become the “issue” rather than the anger itself.

Anger issues aren’t a specific mental health diagnosis. But if you’re struggling with anger issues, we don’t have to tell you how much they can impact your life. For instance, you may feel infuriated when something doesn’t go your way at work, so filled with rage that you can’t speak to someone without almost exploding. Or, you may want to start arguments or fights with others just as a way to get rid of this anger that’s inside of you.¹

Unfortunately, when anger issues get this bad, it can make everything else feel more difficult. It could begin to interfere with your performance at work or lead you to struggle with safe driving due to feelings of rage. Anger can also interfere with healthy relationships and, in severe instances of untreated anger issues, could lead to domestic violence.¹So, anger issues shouldn’t be ignored. Yet, it can be difficult to know where “normal” anger ends and anger issues begin.

Signs and Symptoms of Anger Issues

It’s helpful to understand the symptoms of anger issues to identify whether you’re experiencing problems with anger. Consider the signs of anger issues below:^2,3,4

Having a heated temper.
Easily becoming irritated or annoyed.
Frequently arguing with other people.
Slamming doors or objects when upset.
Becoming furious when publicly criticized.
Becoming physically aggressive toward people or objects.
Feeling as if you cannot control your behavior when angry.
Experiencing anger more intensely than the people around you.
Engaging in verbal aggression with the intent of hurting others’ feelings.
Experiencing rage when you don’t receive proper recognition for a job well done.
Symptoms often associated with stress, such as a rapid heart rate and tense muscles.

Causes of Anger Issues

At its core, anger is an emotion that typically happens in response to someone or something stopping us from achieving our goals. For example, someone cutting us up on the road—we may become angry because it obstructs our driving. While it’s not necessarily unhealthy to become angry when our goals are blocked, anger becomes a worry when it’s out of proportion with the event that provoked it. For instance, lashing out with verbal or physical aggression when someone makes an honest mistake.⁵

But where does anger come from? Research suggests that anger issues can happen when we struggle to control our impulses. Put simply, this means we haven’t yet learned to pause and stop our immediate responses, acting based on emotion rather than thought.
Difficulties regulating our emotions may also lead to anger issues. When we haven’t been taught healthy tools to calm ourselves during difficult situations, feelings like anger can quickly become overwhelming. Rather than combatting intense anger with a calming strategy, anger may spill over, leading to verbal or physical aggression.⁶

What’s more, neuroscience research finds that people who struggle to regulate their anger tend to have less activity in their frontal lobes, the part of the brain responsible for emotion regulation. They also tend to have an overactive amygdala—an area of the brain responsible for responding to threats. This unique combination of brain differences suggests that acting out of anger is rarely a choice. Instead, it’s down to differences in the brain.⁷

Anger issues may also be linked to mental health difficulties.

Mental Health and Anger Issues

Anger can be closely tied to mental health conditions. In some cases, it may be a symptom of another mental health condition. For example, anger can mask feelings of sadness or fear, making it difficult to identify underlying mental health issues such as anxiety or depression.⁸

What’s more, Individuals with trauma histories—such as individuals with PTSD—may experience intense anger as a response to their triggers.⁹

Conditions including intermittent explosive disorder, borderline personality disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder specifically include anger and/or irritability as a symptom. Therefore, they often co-occur with anger issues.²

Dealing With Anger Issues

Anger is a natural emotion, but when it becomes frequent or intense, it can disrupt your daily life and relationships.¹ Addressing anger effectively involves both immediate coping strategies and long-term management techniques. Both are discussed below in more detail.

Immediate Coping Strategies for Adults

Managing anger in the moment is crucial to prevent harmful outbursts and maintain control. Effective strategies include:

Stepping Away From Conflict: Physically removing yourself from a triggering situation allows time to cool down and reflect, reducing the chance of an impulsive reaction.¹⁰
Deep Breathing Techniques: Focusing on slow, deep breaths helps calm the nervous system, lowering heart rate and stress levels. 10
Grounding Exercises: Techniques such as counting backward or identifying sensory details, such as sights or sounds, in the environment can redirect attention away from anger.

Tips for Family Members

Supporting someone with anger issues requires patience, understanding, and constructive communication. Consider the following:

Encourage Open Dialogue: Create a safe space for your loved one to share feelings without fear of judgment.
Set Healthy Boundaries: Let them know that while their emotions are valid, abusive or harmful behavior is unacceptable.
Avoid Escalation: Stay calm and composed during conflicts to prevent the situation from worsening.
Offer Supportive Resources: Suggest therapy or anger management classes without pressuring or shaming them.

How to Manage Anger

Long-term anger management focuses on addressing the underlying causes of anger and developing sustainable coping mechanisms. This may require seeking professional treatment.

Long-Term Strategies

Therapy: Working with a therapist can uncover the root causes of anger and develop healthy coping strategies for managing it.¹⁰
Mindfulness Practices: Techniques like meditation and mindfulness help you stay present and respond to triggers with awareness rather than reacting impulsively.¹¹
Stress Reduction: Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and time for relaxation are essential for maintaining emotional balance.¹⁰

It’s also important to note that anger is often a symptom of deeper emotional or psychological challenges. For example, unresolved trauma, stress, or unmet needs. Addressing these root causes in therapy is necessary for lasting change.¹²

Therapeutic Options for Anger Management

Professional therapies provide structured tools and techniques to assist with anger management. The anger management therapy techniques below can help you learn tips for anger control.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anger issues helps individuals identify and challenge thought patterns that contribute to anger. For example, replacing “They’re doing this on purpose” with “I don’t know their intentions” can reduce anger outbursts in response to others’ behaviors.13

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT teaches skills such as emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness, which help individuals respond to conflicts constructively. Dialectical behavior therapy for anger can teach specific techniques for managing distress and coping with negative emotional states, including anger.¹⁴

Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness enhances self-awareness, enabling people to recognize anger early and choose a healthy, non-reactive response. Practices like body scans and meditation are effective for developing self-control.¹¹

Psychotherapy

Exploring the underlying causes of anger, such as past trauma or unresolved conflicts, is key to long-term healing. Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, offers a safe environment for this exploration.

Medication

In severe cases, medication may be prescribed to manage anger-related symptoms, particularly when associated with other mental health conditions. For example, antipsychotics, antidepressants, or anticonvulsants may be used to treat symptoms, including anger in borderline personality disorder.¹⁵

Other Treatment Options for Anger Issues

While anger issues can feel all-consuming, it’s reassuring to know that there are many treatment options available. So, you can find the one that suits you and your lifestyle best.

Outpatient and Virtual Therapy

An outpatient program allows a person to participate in treatment while maintaining daily activities, such as going to work and caring for a family. With outpatient treatment, people attend appointments during the day and return home at night.

Online therapy provides the highest level of convenience, as it allows people to participate in treatment virtually from home, using technology like web cameras and videoconferencing.

Group Therapy

Group therapy provides a supportive environment where individuals can share experiences, gain perspective, and learn from others experiencing similar challenges. ¹⁷ Group therapy for anger management involves meeting regularly with a small group of other people experiencing anger issues.

Family Therapy

Anger issues often impact family dynamics. Family therapy helps people resolve conflicts, improve communication, and create a supportive home environment.

Holistic Approaches

Incorporating practices such as yoga, exercise, and creative outlets can complement traditional therapies by reducing stress and fostering emotional balance.¹⁰ Holistic approaches can include stress management for anger issues.

Seeking Support for Anger Issues

If you’re struggling with anger management, it’s essential to seek treatment early. When anger issues become difficult to manage, early intervention can prevent these problems from worsening and leading to difficulties with your mental health and a poorer quality of life.

There is no shame in seeking help—it’s a sign of courage and responsibility.

By combining immediate coping strategies, long-term management techniques, and professional support, you can learn to overcome anger issues. If you’re seeking treatment for anger issues, Mission Connection is here to help.

References

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