When Does Anger Become a Problem?

Posted by: Dr. Justin D'Arienzo, Psy.D., ABPP

When Does Anger Become a Problem?

Anger, a feeling or emotion that varies from mild irritation to intense furry, is a natural response to situations where we feel threatened, harmed, or wronged. We may also feel angry when we feel another person, like a child or someone close to us, is being threatened or harmed. When we become angry, we can lose our patience and act impulsively, aggressively, or violently.

So, when does anger become problematic? Anger can become a problem when it is felt too intensely, is felt too frequently, or is expressed inappropriately. Prolonged and frequent episodes of anger places extreme physical strain on the body as certain divisions of the nervous system become highly activated. As a consequence, blood pressure and heart rate increase and stay elevated for long periods of time. From a health standpoint, avoiding physical illness is a motivation for controlling anger.

Another enticing reason to control your anger involves the consequences that result from expressing anger inappropriately. In extreme cases, anger can lead to violence or physical aggression which have numerous negative consequences. Even if anger does not lead to violence, the inappropriate expression of anger results in negative consequences nonetheless.

For example, it is likely that others will develop fear, resentment, and lack of trust toward those who subject them to angry outbursts. This often causes alimentation from individuals such as family members, friends, and coworkers.

If you are interested in learning helpful strategies and techniques to manage your anger, express anger in alternative ways, and prevent aggressive acts, take one of our online 4 or 8 hour Anger Management Courses.

Dr. D’Arienzo also has an Anger Management Self Help guide. He can assist you in improving your anger if you are committed to the process, listen to his recordings, and implement his techniques into your life.