Anger is a natural human response triggered by uncomfortable situations, such as when confronted with potential dangers, stress, health conditions, and more. Though it is a basic human emotion, the inability to control anger can harm a person’s general health and may affect their social relationships. In such scenarios, certain remedies and treatment options can be beneficial. The role of anger management is to avoid triggers and help people control their reactions.

Anger management

Uncontrollable anger can cause problems and negatively affect professional and personal relationships. Some studies suggest that the inability to control anger may also result in cardiovascular diseases, accidents, diabetes, and bulimia. Keep reading to learn more about scenarios that necessitate anger management and their underlying causes.

Causes

Several things can trigger anger, including family problems, stress, and financial issues. For some people, anger stems from an underlying health condition. Anger, in itself, is not a disorder but a symptom of different mental health conditions. Some factors and health conditions that lead to anger issues are listed below.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder
It is an anxiety disorder characterized by compulsive behavior and obsessive thoughts. The person with OCD often experiences disturbing, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that make them do some things repetitively. Anger is a common OCD sign and affects approximately 50 percent of people with OCD. Anger may stem from frustration, given the patient’s inability to avoid compulsive behaviors and ignore obsessive thoughts or when something or someone intervenes with their ability to perform tasks.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to symptoms like impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. Symptoms typically start in childhood and continue throughout a patient’s life. Some people do not receive a diagnosis of ADHD until they reach adulthood, a condition commonly known as adult ADHD. Short temper and anger may occur in people of all ages with ADHD and may also result in signs like issues with focusing, poor planning or time management skills, and restlessness.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
ODD is a behavioral disorder that impacts 1%-16% of school-going children. It may result in signs like irritability, a hot temper, and anger. Children suffering from ODD get easily annoyed by others and become argumentative and defiant.

Bipolar disorder
It is a mental health condition resulting in dramatic shifts in a person’s mood. Many people with the disorder will experience episodes of rage, irritability, and anger. In a manic episode, a patient may feel easily agitated, indulge in impulsive behavior, or have racing thoughts. Some patients also experience signs like losing interest in things or activities they once enjoyed or feeling hopeless.

Intermittent explosive disorder (IED)
People with IEDs experience repeated episodes of violent, impulsive, or aggressive behavior. They may overreact to situations, resulting in unnecessary angry outbursts. Episodes go on for 30 minutes and occur without warning. People with IEDs may feel angry and irritable most time.

Grief
Anger is a recognized stage within the process of grief, which can happen for various reasons, such as losing a loved one, experiencing a divorce or breakup, or losing a job.

Symptoms

Some of the common symptoms associated with anger are listed below.

Physical symptoms
These include increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, dizziness, shaking, sweating, feeling hot, and tense muscles. Besides these warning signs, one must also watch out for behavioral symptoms. These include raising a voice in response to others, staring intensely at someone, and clenched fists.

Emotional symptoms
Emotional anger issues may induce symptoms such as the inability to relax, nervousness, humiliation, resentment, guilt, and irritation. Emotional signs manifest more inwardly than physical symptoms, but they are crucial when diagnosing anger issues. In some cases, they negatively impact relationships, especially if these emotions are bottled up for a long.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of this condition mostly comes from self-examination. A person is said to have anger issues if-

1. Their anger hurts others
2. They get angry frequently
3. They are physically or verbally abusive
4. Their anger makes them do or say things they regret later
5. Their anger hampers their relationships
6. They acknowledge that their anger is out of control.

Treatment

When patients realize their anger is uncontrollable or negatively affects their relationships or life, they must seek assistance from a mental health professional. An expert can help patients assess if they have an underlying health condition resulting in anger issues that demand therapy. Anger management will involve one or more of the following treatment options-

1. Behavioral therapy
2. Relaxation techniques
3. Attending anger management courses
4. Joining support groups
5. Indulging in anger management exercises at home

Furthermore, depending on the patient’s symptoms or the underlying health condition causing uncontrollable anger, a healthcare professional may advise prescription treatments to manage the condition.