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Difficulties with Anger

Anger is a complicated emotion and can be caused by a number of things. Fear often turns into anger or a perceived slight to one's self-esteem can cause it. Some people appear to always be angry. They may have a tendency to lose their temper and explode at very little provocation or others always seem to be seething underneath and walk around with clenched fists, or a tense facial expression and tightened muscles. Alcohol frequently brings out this form of anger.

Criticism often causes anger. And so when at work, a sensitivity to criticism can be quite harmful to relations between a worker and his supervisor. Frustration, which is really a derivative of anger, can build when things don't go quite right and can lead to an overt expression of anger. Another way in which anger is frequently expressed, although not frequently recognized, is a flat calmness that a person always seems to show. This is usually accompanied by a flatness in the tone of voice and often causes a person to appear boring in conversation or to frequently have accidents that result in some form of damage to other's (or one's own) property.

When anger becomes a clinical issue the situations that cause anger are very often a function of the experience of the person who became angry. For example, one person may experience something as an insult while another may not even notice it. Consequently, it is not possible to look at anger as a particular symptom of some specific underlying cause. This is where anger management counseling can help.

When trying to manage anger, the behavioral aspects need to be carefully assessed. When does it appear, how often, how intensely, etc.? How much control does the person seem to have over his anger? This, as one might expect, is very important for the proper approach to treatment.

Just as important is the discovery of what generated this tendency to get so angry. Sometimes a person will carry anger with him, but submerged, his whole life without even knowing that he is angry. His close friends and relatives usually know it, however. Often, confirmed alcoholics have intense underlying anger. Anger is often a symptom of ADD, ADHD or Bipolar Disorder which respond well to treatment. Early childhood abuse is another cause of this type of anger. There is always a reason and a cause.

If you suspect that you or someone you know has a problem with anger try the following quick test:

1. Do you blow up frequently?
2. Are you constantly at odds with your wife, children or husband?
3. Do you often feel tired without feeling depressed?
4. Do you often catch yourself tensing up in non-provocative situations?
5. Has anyone close to you mentioned that you often seem angry?

If you answer yes to any of the above questions you may want to consider the possibility that you suffer from excess anger.