Understanding anger issues, causes, and management

Anger causes physical and emotional symptoms, as well as behavioral responses. While it’s normal to experience these symptoms, they’re more concerning when these signs of anger issues occur frequently.

Physical symptoms

Anger is a physical experience. It affects your brain, blood pressure, heart, and muscles, increasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

• Muscle tension or physical agitation: Since anger can affect your muscles, it can make you feel tense or “on edge.”
• Increased body temperature or sweating: Anger floods your body with cortisol and adrenaline, which can raise your body temperature and cause you to perspire.
• Headaches or other stress-related symptoms: Ongoing anger and the stress that comes with it can contribute to headaches and other physical symptoms. Suppressing anger and keeping it to yourself can cause headaches and other stress-related symptoms.

Emotional symptoms

Anger can trigger different emotions. Sometimes these emotions show up before the angry episode, but they can also arise afterward.

• Irritability or frustration: Feeling irritable and frustrated over time can contribute to anger. These emotions can make you feel angrier when stress or challenging situations and experiences arise.
• Feeling overwhelmed or unable to regulate emotions: Difficulty regulating your emotions is linked with anger issues. This can cause you to express anger in reactive ways, such as yelling, door-slamming, or shutting down.
• Difficulty accepting feedback without feeling attacked: Unresolved anger can make you misread interpersonal interactions. For example, you may feel attacked or shamed when someone, such as your boss or a friend, offers feedback.
• Regret or guilt after expressing anger: Expressing anger in hurtful ways can lead you to feel regret or guilt. While guilt feels uncomfortable, it often prompts us to make amends and take responsibility for our actions.

Behavioral symptoms

Anger can affect the way you behave. These behaviors can be more problematic than the anger itself. Emotions are not “right” or “wrong,” but how you respond to them — and whether you exhibit angry outbursts — can affect your emotional well-being.

• Reacting intensely to small or everyday situations: You feel like a hothead and easily snap when things don’t go your way, or when small stressors arise.
• Difficulty calming down once anger is triggered: Anger that is not named and validated can simmer. You might feel consumed by rage and find it hard to calm down.
• Frequent arguments or repeated conflicts: Anger can cause you to lash out at others or engage in repeated conflicts. As a survival emotion, anger has energy that prompts us to fight or yell. When anger isn't recognized or addressed, it can build and show up in reactive ways, like frequent arguments or lashing out.
• Acting impulsively (e.g., shouting or breaking objects): Anger affects the brain. When you’re dysregulated, anger can drive you to act impulsively. For example, you might shout, break something, or drive too fast.
• Blaming others for negative outcomes: Anger can cause you to find fault with others, especially when things don’t go your way. This is called externalizing your anger by putting it onto others.

It’s important to remember that while anger is a normal emotion, it can also be a symptom of mood disorders, substance abuse, or anxiety-related conditions.