Anger is a normal emotional response, but have you wondered if you need help managing extreme bouts of anger that you can’t seem to control? Recognizing the facts can help you identify if the level of anger you are experiencing is normal or extreme. Anger management issues can be confusing and cause a chain reaction of other problems when positive and healthy coping mechanisms are not available. 

Do I Have Anger Management Issues?

Feeling anger is normal but when the anger is extreme and out of control you have to ask yourself if you have anger management issues. If you are in a cycle of extreme anger, ask yourself some important questions. Thinking about how you feel, how you may be acting differently, and experiencing situations you have never dealt with before, could reveal the issue is due to extreme anger. 

Ask yourself the following questions if you have extreme anger and think you may need anger management:

• Are your bouts of anger becoming more and more frequent?
• How quickly does your anger escalate? Are you triggered into anger easily?
• Have your family, friends, or coworkers commented on how angry you have been?
• Do you find yourself having frequent conflicts with others?
• Are you no longer welcome in certain establishments due to your behavior?
• Do you have violent thoughts?
• Are you beginning to experience violent behaviors?
• Have you been arrested due to angry violent behaviors?

What is Anger?

Anger is a normal human emotion. Anger can begin with mild irritation and escalate to full-blown fury quickly. Therefore, if the level of anger you have is uncontrollable and causes problems in your life, you might need anger management. You can feel anger towards a person, (friend, family, or even a stranger). In addition, anger can be the result of an event such as oversleeping and being late for work, not having enough money to do what you want to do, or even something simple like spilling a drink on your clothes. Therefore, anger management involves learning how to recognize your level of anger and how to reduce your anger.

Signs of Anger Management Issues 

Signs that anger is negatively affecting your life can be physical, emotional, and behavioral. Anger can manifest differently in all people but is usually a response to unmet emotional or psychological needs. Recognizing the body’s response to anger can lead to the ability to reduce the level of anger much sooner. Thus, learning about the emotion of anger will allow an individual to understand the path to anger management.

Review the following signs to understand if you have extreme anger:

Physical Signs of Anger

• Increased blood pressure and rapid heartbeat
• Shaking or trembling
• Muscle tension
• Increased irritability and agitation
• Feeling hot
• An inability to stay still and feeling a surge of energy

Emotional Signs of Anger

• Feelings of frustration and guilt
• Anxiety and/or sadness
• Irritation and upset
• Self-loathing

Behavioral Signs of Anger

• Strong urges to lash out
• Verbal or physical aggression
• Unusual behaviors

As with other emotions, learning to recognize these symptoms, identifying emotions, and learning positive and healthy coping mechanisms to reduce the intensity of the anger or other emotions is a process during anger management. In addition, anger management issues are common among those with substance abuse disorders and other mental illnesses. Determining if you have extreme anger issues is the first step in building a foundation for strong anger management skills. 

Risks and Impact of Unchecked Anger

The risks and impact of unchecked anger can be significant and can negatively affect your life, work, and relationships. Unchecked anger can also evolve into anxiety disorders and depression. 

Extreme anger can be overwhelming and change every aspect of how you feel about yourself and your life. In addition, chaos and out-of-control feelings can become more prevalent and cause feelings of no control over life itself. Relationships become tested and eventually ruined if you don’t learn and practice anger management. You could also begin to feel isolated and distanced from those you may have unintentionally offended in a bout of misguided extreme anger.

Coping with Anger Issues

Recognizing that anger is a problem in your life is the first step in learning how to cope with anger issues. Finding a mental health professional is the second step in beginning the process of anger management. Receiving a diagnosis from a qualified mental health professional can identify if your anger issues can be overcome through counseling or if you are dealing with a mental illness such as intermittent explosive disorder.

Learning to use positive coping mechanisms can being with these initial steps:

• Pay attention to triggers – what is setting off your anger?
• Take a pause before reacting with anger – recognize the anger and try to control it
• Seek support from others
• Educate yourself about anger and learn to understand the situation you are experiencing
• Take anger management classes

Find Treatment for Anger Management Issues

If you have anger management issues and feel like your anger is out of control, contact a mental health professional or speak to your doctor for guidance. Express your emotions and feelings in a genuine effort to get help and be ready to receive the help you are asking for. Don’t give up because you can learn how to deal with the anger you feel.

Anger Management for US Veterans

If you are a Veteran or active service member feeling like you are helpless, overwhelmed, and need help with anger issues, we can help you with your extreme anger. Sunrise Veterans Health has mental health and medical professionals experienced in mental illnesses that involve extreme anger. We also have anger management resources that you can rely on. Taking the first step in solving extreme anger can be as simple as contacting us to learn more. Visit our admissions page today to begin your recovery.