Anger can bring several physical and psychological signs and symptoms, such as increased heart rate, tremor, palpitations, sweating, and rapid breathing. At some point, anger can overwhelm you and make you do careless things, which can leave you asking, “Do I have anger issues?”
Learning how to hold back your anger is beneficial. If you’re continuously asking whether you have anger issues, this is an article that can guide you.
Know The Definition of Anger
Anger is a natural response of a person to perceived threats. This powerful emotion triggers the release of “fight and flight” hormones, like adrenaline, as a response to a stimulus. Anger can cause a wide range of signs and symptoms. This emotion, if unguarded, can lead to violence that can harm others or oneself.
When you know what anger is, you get to be aware if you’re consistently experiencing that. Some counselors advise their clients to look at experiences through a positive lens. However, for someone experiencing anger issues, it’s hard to develop a positive mindset without proper intervention.
Related Article: 5 Ways to Develop a Positive Mindset That Lasts
Understand The Symptoms
Researchers Staicu and Cutov explained through their research, the negative effects of uncontrolled anger on one’s emotional and physical health. They stated that unpleasant feelings, aggressiveness, and hostility are related to various health risks. This is why preventing or treating physical diseases should be both physical and psychological.
Mental health issues can induce physical symptoms. The following are symptoms when someone’s experiencing anger issues:
Physical Symptoms
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Muscle tension
- Tingling sensation
- Upset stomach
- Hot flashes
Emotional Symptoms
- Irritability
- Guilt
- Frustration
- Anxiety
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Rage
- Stress
Continuously Reflect
When you think you have anger issues, it’s important to reflect on your emotions and actions continuously. Monitor yourself by asking, “Do I have anger issues?” and, “Is my anger affecting my relationships, career, and my lifestyle?”
Through introspection, you’ll come up with better solutions and avoid problems in the future. The following patterns are common for people with anger issues:
- Feeling angry or irritable most of the time
- Feelings of anger escalate to uncontrollable behavior
- Anger stirs up the person to be physically or verbally abusive
- It affects how they relate to other people
- The person says or does things impulsively and regrets it
Reflect and Learn to Assess Yourself
It’s hard when you’re struggling to understand whether you have anger issues or not. When trying to figure it out, don’t forget to assess yourself. Here’s what you can do if you’re questioning yourself if you have anger issues:
Step One: Know The Source
If you have anger issues and want to control it, the first step is to assess the causes of the problem. People respond differently to certain situations. While some people feel okay about an event, others easily get upset for some reason.
Here are some reasons why people get angry:
- Loss of a loved one
- Unemployment
- Family feud
- Work-related conflicts
- Low self-esteem
- Exposure to violence or abuse
Step Two: Differentiate Anger From Aggression
The American Psychological Association said that anger and aggression are different from each other. Anger is a disruptive emotion that can cause you to unintentionally hurt someone. On the other hand, aggression is intentional and aims to harm.
For some people, anger can’t be expressed externally and is suppressed. However, anger-related outbursts are prominent for someone who has anger issues. The following are common types of verbal or physical outbursts:
- Always starting an argument
- Shouting
- Sarcastic to anyone they talk to
- Curses a lot
- Hits objects
- Clenches fists
- Breaks and throws objects
- Criticizes or shames people
Since aggression pertains to intentional behavior, it aims to show control and dominance. Aggression is usually shown through:
- Punching
- Shoving
- Hitting someone
- Maiming or attacking another person
- Being violent to someone
- Bullies or harasses another person
While anger and aggression are different, anger can escalate to aggression. This is why it’s vital to assess the severity of your anger.
Step Three: Determine What Type
Preston Ni wrote that there are four types of anger, which includes the following:
- Annoyance: It arises from daily frustrations such as traffic, family, and workplace issues. Therapy or online counseling can equip you to healthily respond or cope with everyday nuances that can trigger anger.
- Justifiable: It is a sense of moral outrage due to the injustices happening in the world. Destruction of the environment, cruelty towards animals, abuse, oppression of human rights, and sexism are examples. You can channel your anger productively, but it can also be inherently unhealthy.
- Temper Tantrums: It is described as disproportionate outbursts when a person’s needs or desires are not fulfilled. It’s usually inappropriate and unreasonable.
- Aggression: People who exercise dominance, manipulation, control, or intimidation over others display aggressive behavior. When this negative emotion is expressed repeatedly, it may lead to emotional abuse, bullying, and oppression.
Step Four: Seek Professional Help
Seeking professional help is the best way to learn how to effectively manage your anger. If you live in Kentucky or America, the first step towards managing anger is through therapy or online counseling. Kentucky Counseling Center offers accessible and affordable online or physical counseling to anyone.
Through online counseling, you don’t have to be physically present in a therapist or counselor’s clinic. All it takes is a device and the internet to get professional advice. It can be done in the comfort of your home or anywhere.
Get Better
Anger issues can affect your quality of life. Beyond the physical effects, uncontrolled anger can consume you. By learning how to deal with anger issues, such as online counseling, you’ll learn better ways to cope. Eventually, you get to manage your anger, and you can live in peace with yourself and others.
4 thoughts on “Do I Have Anger Issues? : A Guide To Help You Know”
Thanks for pointing out that overuse of sarcasm can be a sign of anger issues. One of the things I have to work on in order to have a better chance at a promotion at work is to be more considerate of others because I tend to be a perfectionist most of the time. Perhaps I should consider consulting a mental heath counselor in order to see if my behavior can be justified or if I need help.