Anger: Definition, Expression, & Management

People who express their anger in an inappropriate or harmful way may experience problems in their relationships or other aspects of their life. One study found that “dysfunctional levels of anger are associated robustly with a variety of adverse mental and physical health consequences as well as interpersonal conflict and aggression” (Fernandez & Johnson, 2016).   Experiencing anger is inevitable, but it is possible to learn to react thoughtfully while in this negative state rather than immediately lashing out–which usually leads to regrettable words and actions.

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The short answer is yes, but it is also much more than that. Anger can be experienced in a variety of ways including emotion, mood, and/or temperament (Fernandez & Kerns, 2008). The difference between each of these experiences is the length of time they happen. Emotions are momentary or short-lived, moods last hours or even days, and temperament is a key component of someone’s personality. 

Everyone has experienced anger as an emotion. Maybe someone said something rude to a cashier or threw their trash on the ground which ignited a temporary flash of anger. These intermittent life annoyances may cause momentary feelings of anger which usually fade away naturally. Sometimes, these flashes of anger linger and turn into angry moods. If someone is in an angry mood more often than not, that person may have an angry temperament.

People react differently to different situations. What makes one person feel rage might not bother someone else in the slightest. In general, anger is a response triggered by interrupting attempts to attain goals (Carver & Harmon-Jones, 2009). Since every person has unique goals, it makes sense that we would have vastly different anger reactions. To simplify this idea, examples of an interrupted goal and the resulting reaction of anger will be shared below.

• Interrupted goal: You had a long day at work and want to get home as quickly as possible.
• Moment of anger: You get cut off in traffic and immediately become furious.

 

• Interrupted goal: You are responsible for buying a birthday cake for your nephew’s party.
• Moment of anger: You get to the checkout at a store and realize all of the self-checkouts are broken (with no employees in sight).

Trying to learn and recognize your reactions can help you better regulate your emotions. The next time you feel angry, try and explore what goal may have been interrupted to cause that reaction. The next time a goal is challenged, you will have a bit of practice to be able to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting with anger.

Frustration is a less intense feeling than anger; it is often caused by small annoyances or irritations. You may become frustrated if you spill your coffee in the morning or stub your toe on a piece of furniture. Frustration might lead to anger if these small inconveniences add up or if you are under a considerable amount of stress. If you start to feel frustrated, try taking a few deep breaths to manage your emotions and prevent the feeling from turning into full-blown anger. ​

A trigger refers to an event that causes something else to happen–in this case, the event is anger. Triggers are anything that induces an immediate, almost uncontrollable reaction. These will vary from person to person but will remain constant for each individual. This means that each time the trigger occurs, you will experience the same reaction. Recognizing your triggers will allow you to better manage your emotions.

​Examples of anger-inducing triggers:

• Hearing a mother criticize her child in a grocery store, the same way your mother constantly criticized you. 
• Asking your spouse repeatedly to put away the dishes, only to realize they are still in the dishwasher.
• Getting an email from a co-worker asking for a report you already sent.

It is an impossible proposition to try and avoid our triggers; the world is too big and unpredictable. Learning to recognize what usually triggers your anger in you will help you react with less (or at least more controlled) anger to that trigger in the future.

Anger is widely recognized in the field of psychology as having a negative effect (Fernandez & Johnson, 2016). Excessive amounts of anger can have profoundly adverse effects on most aspects of life and cause physical, mental, and interpersonal issues.

Negative outcomes associated with excessive anger:

• Significant contributor to marital distress (Renshaw et al., 2010)
• Exacerbates existing cardiovascular disease (Smith et al., 2004)
• Long-term predictor of depression (Stringaris et al., 2009)

When anger starts to affect relationships or everyday functioning, a disorder may be present. While a small number of disorders are defined by anger, it can be a symptom of many other mental illnesses. The following psychological disorders are characterized by anger as a key criterion for diagnosis in the DSM-V or have anger as a major symptom (Fernandez & Johnson, 2016). 

​Anger-focused mental disorders:

• Intermittent Explosive Disorder
• Oppositional Defiance Disorder
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder 
• Bipolar Disorder 

Mental disorders with anger as a symptom:

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Substance Use Disorder
• Intellectual Disability

If you feel that your anger negatively affects your relationships with loved ones, work, or any other essential areas of your life, it may be time to seek out help. You can find a directory of professionals by state from the American Association of Anger Management Providers here.

Everyone expresses their anger differently and there is no “right” or “wrong” way to express your emotions. However, sometimes the way you express anger can be detrimental to those around you. It is possible to learn skills to better manage your anger and regain control of your life through an anger management support group or formal anger management program.

​Signs anger might be a problem:

• Physical aggression intended to hurt
• Verbal behavior intended to hurt
• Actual violence (such as hitting) (Fernandez & Johnson, 2016)

​It is never okay for someone to be physically or emotionally violent with you–or for you to be physically or emotionally violent to someone else. Consider seeking out professional help if anger has risen to this level. 

If you feel like you would like to gain better control of your anger, coping skills are a great tool for when emotions become overwhelming. It will take some practice before you figure out what skills work best for you. Keep trying and you can develop better anger coping skills over time.

Practice Deep Breathing
When you feel anger bubbling up, try pausing and taking three slow, deliberate, deep breaths. This pause will give you time to respond instead of immediately reacting with anger–a state where you might do or say something you do not mean.

Journal to Recognize Triggers
In general, there are usually common people, places, or situations that trigger anger. Gaining a better insight into what your triggers are means you can be better prepared when you encounter them down the road. Daily journaling is one way to do this.

​Step Away from the Situation
If you begin to feel signs of anger in your body, step away from the situation. Simply giving yourself a moment to calm down will allow the first wave of anger to pass.

Anger is an emotion that can come on quickly. Learning to recognize your reactions can help you manage your anger more easily. These are encouraging quotes you can save to remember the importance of learning to try to react with less anger.

• “Don’t waste your time in anger, regrets, worries, and grudges. Life is too short to be unhappy.” ― Roy T. Bennett
• “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” ― Ambrose Bierce
• “Never respond to an angry person with a fiery comeback, even if he deserves it…Don’t allow his anger to become your anger.” ― Bohdi Sanders
• “Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn’t change the heart of others–it only changes yours.” ― Shannon Alder
• “A heart filled with anger has no room for love.” ― Joan Lunden
• “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” ― Mark Twain
• “It is wise to direct your anger towards problems―not people; to focus your energies on answers―not excuses.” ― William Arthur Ward
• “Anger … it’s a paralyzing emotion … you can’t get anything done. People sort of think it’s an interesting, passionate, and igniting feeling — I don’t think it’s any of that — it’s helpless … it’s absence of control — and I need all of my skills, all of the control, all of my powers … and anger doesn’t provide any of that — I have no use for it whatsoever.” ― Toni Morrison

• Carver, C. S., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2009). Anger is an approach-related affect: Evidence and implications. Psychological Bulletin, 135(2), 183–204. 
• Fernandez, E., & Johnson, S. L. (2016). Anger in psychological disorders: Prevalence, presentation, etiology, and prognostic implications. Clinical Psychology Review, 46, 124–135. 
• Fernandez, E., & Kerns, R. D. (2008). Anxiety, depression, and anger: Core components of negative affect in medical populations. The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 1 — Personality Theories and Models, 659–676. 
• Lazarus, R. S. (2000). Cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion. Emotions in Sport. 
• Lindquist, K. A., Wager, T. D., Kober, H., Bliss-Moreau, E., & Barrett, L. F. (2012). The brain basis of emotion: A Meta-Analytic Review. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35(3), 121–143. 
• Renshaw, K. D., Blais, R. K., & Smith, T. W. (2010). Components of negative affectivity and marital satisfaction: The importance of actor and partner anger. Journal of Research in Personality, 44(3), 328–334. 
• Smith, T. W. (1994). In Concepts and methods in the study of anger, hostility, and health (p. 25). essay, s.n.
• Smith, T. W., Glazer, K., Ruiz, J. M., & Gallo, L. C. (2004). Hostility, anger, aggressiveness, and coronary heart disease: An interpersonal perspective on personality, emotion, and health. Journal of Personality, 72(6), 1217–1270. 
• Stringaris, A., Cohen, P., Pine, D. S., & Leibenluft, E. (2009). Adult outcomes of youth irritability: A 20-year prospective community-based study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 166(9), 1048–1054. ​