Anger Issues: Causes, Types, Signs, & How to Overcome?

Anger is a strong emotion that can be difficult to control. It is often the result of feeling frustrated, threatened, or helpless. When someone feels angry, he or she may yell, scream, or slam doors.

Anger issues aren’t very uncommon. According to research, statistics showed that almost a third of the participants who took part in the study stated that they know a family member or a friend who has difficulty controlling their anger, while 12% said that they themselves have trouble controlling their anger.

When anger is projected in an assertive and not aggressive manner, it will likely show the results you want. However, if a person starts verbal or physical abuse as a demonstration of their anger, or resorts to passive aggression, self-harm, or other types of anger issues and expression, then it does more harm than good.

Feeling anger is a sign that you are emoting like a normal human being. However, you need to make sure its expression is mature and sensible so you are taken seriously while you communicate and work towards changing the situation that made you angry.

Before looking at the signs of anger and ways to overcome it, let’s discuss some of the main causes of anger.

What Are the Causes of Anger Issues?

1. Grief
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
3. Depression
4. Alcohol Use Disorder
5. Bipolar Disorder

A variety of reasons can cause temper problems. Here you read about some of them:

1. Grief

Anger is believed to be one of the five stages of grief. Kubler-Ross’ theory of grief is one of the most widely-accepted models of grief. It says that when a person becomes terminally ill or sees their loved one becoming a fatal illness or experiencing the death of a loved one, then they are likely to experience the five stages of grief.

Anger follows denial. When the person accepts that they have suffered the loss of a loved one or that they are actually suffering from a terminal disease, then they become angry. Their helplessness takes the form of anger, and the question, “why them?” becomes pertinent.

2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder where the person has obsessive thoughts and feels the need to follow some compulsions to stop those thoughts.

For instance, they can believe that they will die unless they make a ticking sound seven times, or that they will cause the house to on fire until they check that the stove knobs are turned off nine times. They know that these thoughts are completely baseless and irrational, but they feel such a strong sense of fear that they have an irrepressible urge to follow the compulsion.

Unsurprisingly, anger is one of the main symptoms of OCD. It arises from the frustration of having to follow compulsions and not being able to stop obsessive thoughts which do not allow them to have any mental peace and certainly affect their quality of life.

3. Depression

Depression is one of the leading causes of anger. When one is suffering from a mental health condition, their hormones, feelings and emotions, and physical health are all affected by it.

Similarly, a person suffering from depression can have perpetual feelings of sadness, irritation, and anger, all of which they try to suppress. However, suppressing these emotions and failing to express them normally exacerbates the issue, and the feelings get bottled up until they manifest themselves in an angry outburst, self-hate, or affect their physical health.

4. Alcohol Use Disorder

It is commonly known that people show signs of anger when they are under the influence of anger. However, when alcohol becomes an addiction and the person develops Alcohol Use Disorder, then expressions of anger become common.

When constantly under the influence of alcohol, they totally lose control over their senses and sensibilities. They become impulsive and may verbally or even physically abuse those who try to knock some sense into them or come in the way of their impulses.

5. Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder is not a mental health disorder but a brain disorder. People with bipolar disorder experience extreme mood shifts in short periods of time. They can range from mania to depression and either feel euphoric or annoyed or have racing, incoherent thoughts with the urge to participate in impulsive behavior without thinking of the consequences.

When they oscillate to the depressive extreme, they lose interest in everything and become extremely sad. They may even have suicidal thoughts.

Types of Anger Issues and Which One Is Yours?

There are many reasons to rethink and resolve anger. It is important to know that feeling and expressing anger is not the problem. It only becomes a problem when it is uncontrolled, expressed inappropriately, and therefore becomes destructive instead of being constructive.

The constructive type of anger expression pattern is the Assertive Anger. In this type of anger, you express that you have been hurt and take measures to ensure that it does not repeat. You are not aggressive while doing so, but you are assertive.

Other types of anger, such as Behavioral Anger, Verbal Anger, Passive-Aggressive Anger, Self-Harm anger, and the rest of the ten types of anger are destructive. They either cause others to become constantly fearful of your wrath and harm your relationships or they begin to have negative effects on you, deteriorating your mental and physical health.

Recognized Signs of Anger Issues

Do you think that you showcase some signs that you have anger issues? Do you feel a seething fury rise up your chest at petty things? Or are you wondering if someone you know exhibits signs of anger problems? Their jaw tightens, and fists clench at seemingly minor issues.

They have shocking angry outbursts where they spew hurtful things and even regret saying all that after some time. These are some of the commonly recognized signs of anger problems.

Let’s now look at the common symptoms of anger issues:

Common Signs of Anger Issues

Anger issues are one of the most common mental health problems that people deal with. Many different factors can contribute to this issue, such as genetics, brain chemistry, trauma, and stress. If you feel that you are having a difficult time controlling your anger, or if your emotions frequently lead to outbursts, it is important to seek help.

Following are a few different common signs that may indicate that you have anger issues:

Physical Signs

Physical symptoms of anger issues include:

• High blood pressure
• Rapidly increasing heart rate
• Clenching your jaws
• Tightening your fist
• Pain shooting in the head
• Feeling the heat rising in your chest, neck, and face
• Shaking
• Your brain gets cloudy
• Muscle tension

Emotional Signs

The emotional signs of anger issues include:

• Like you want to run away from the situation
• Like lashing out verbally or physically
• You want the other person to stop talking
• Annoyed
• Rage
• Overwhelmed
• Upset or depressed
• Guilty

Key Takeaways – How to Overcome Your Anger?

• The first key to overcoming your anger is recognizing and understanding the root causes of your anger. This may involve examining past experiences or patterns in your life that have contributed to feelings of anger and frustration.
• Another important step in overcoming your anger is learning effective strategies for dealing with stressful situations and difficult emotions. This might include relaxation techniques, problem-solving skills, and assertiveness training.
• It is also important to develop a support network of friends or family members who can provide guidance and understanding during times of anger. This can help you feel less alone and more capable of dealing with your anger in a healthy way.

The good thing is that anger issues can be overcome. You just have to set your mind to it and work towards overcoming it into a reality.

List your Triggers: See if your triggers are genuine reasons to be angry or if they are minor things that can be overlooked. Once you have them listed out in front of you, you can remind yourself the next time you are unreasonably angry.

• Leave the Situation When you feel Angry: When you feel the tension rising inwards and outwards, walk away from the anger-causing person or situation. This way, you overcome the impulse of acting on your anger and doing something you would have regretted later. Come back to it later when you have cooled down and have better control of your emotions.
• Learn Relaxation Exercises: Some of the signs of anger are having an increased heartbeat and blood pressure and muscle tension. Learning deep breathing and other relaxation techniques and exercises can help reduce these signs and calm yourself more quickly.
• Take an Online Management Course: You can, and you should seek professional guidance to help you overcome anger issues. If you have unsuccessfully tried to manage your anger problems, you can try taking an online Anger Management Course. Courses will help you learn and practice strategies and techniques to manage and express anger in an acceptable and constructive manner.

Unrestrained anger can cause irreparable damage to you and your loved ones. Research conducted in the US shows that half of the adults 49% feel increased tension in their bodies, get angry very quickly, have unexpected mood swings, or scream or yell at a loved one when they feel stressed.

If you think you or someone you know may have anger issues, help them by sharing thoughts on anger management classes or this blog so they can learn all about anger, signs of anger, its common symptoms, and ways to overcome it. You should also motivate them to seek expert advice through anger management courses they can easily access online.