Causes of Anger

What are the most common causes of anger? We're all familiar with the emotional reaction we call anger, but the causes of it are less well known.

Many of us aren't sure what causes anger. Is it too much stress? Poor emotional control? Something buried deep in our subconscious? Do angry people need stress relief? Here's some information about causes of anger, and how to deal with it.

Anger is simply defined as an emotional state. It can range from mild irritation to an intense state called rage. It also has some common physical effects, including raised blood pressure, and increased heart rate, and higher than usual adrenaline and noradrenaline levels. Anger has been viewed as part of the well documented fight or flight response to pain or the threat of it.

From the outside, we can see people's anger in their facial expressions and body language. Almost all humans and animals stare directly, try to look larger, and make loud noises when they feel angry. It's rare that any kind of fight happens without one or more participants expressing anger physically first.

Humans have more complicated causes of anger than most animals. That's because we have the ability to imagine cases that would only occur in the distant future.

The threat of pain doesn't need to be physical for us, and it doesn't need to be happening now. We can be angry about things we think will cause us problems later, or about another person violating expected behavioral norms, from interpersonal and social boundaries to legal or ethical boundaries.

Everyone gets angry at some point in their lives. This emotion is a natural, mature emotion that has a use in our survival, since it can get us moving to fix a problem.

However, uncontrolled anger can be a big problem. People suffering from what might be termed "anger disorder" or "anger addiction" can be difficult to live with and suffer from unpleasant effects of their anger in their own lives.

There is no real medication for anger, though some anti-anxiety and anti-seizure medications have been used for people looking for ways to control their anger. People who have these control issues may not admit this, or they may be seriously upset about them.

If you think that you may have problems with your anger, or know someone who has control problems, seeing a counselor or therapist could be a good idea. They can give you an anger management test and help you find the best way to live a more balanced life.

For many of us, good stress relief is the first step. Since stress is often something that triggers the fight or flight response, people with anger issues should avoid stress as much as possible and try to mitigate the effects of stress and anxiety in their lives.

Despite the fact that anger is a natural and often useful emotion, you may find that others are unwilling to understand the true causes of anger.

In modern society, anger may be viewed as a childish response to a threat or frustration. It's more socially acceptable to remain calm. Unfortunately, that can cause our anger to turn inward, creating other emotional problems, or result in a "pot boiling over" reaction.

This sort of emotional explosion can occur at inappropriate times, out of proportion to the situation, or even when there's nothing to be angry about.

Anger that is not dealt with healthily can also result in phobias, addictions, manic behavior, and obsessive behavior. That's why simply suppressing anger is not the right way to deal with it, even if you're angry often. Looking for the causes of anger is therefor a good strategy.

Methods of dealing with anger include reducing the stimuli that can cause it, and balanced approaches that allow you to control your emotion while expressing it healthily. Carefully telling someone why you are angry with them, in a forthright way that makes it clear you believe you have a real reason to be upset, but without blowing up, could be a method of managing your anger.

Staying out of situations where you may experience discomfort and conflict can also help. When you can't avoid stress or conflict, try hard to see the other person's point of view - this could prevent you from getting angrier, and help diffuse the situation.

Analyzing the causes of anger and using effective anger management are sometimes long and difficult processes.

The specific way to manage your anger will be unique to you, since every person is different. However, it's important to try to deal with anger. It may be a useful emotion, but it can't help you if you're out of control.

At Practical Anger Management Ideas.com you'll find the most productive ideas and cost effective leads about Anger Management Classes. If you are concerned about an anger problem, save yourself some time and great frustration...talk to us first.

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