7 Types of Anger We All Experience And Their Impact On Our Wellness

Do you know what is the most complex form of emotion that we experience? (Hint: read the title)

ANGER is the answer! An emotion that we all experience, or shall I say, avoid to experience because we generally assume it to be problematic (read till the end to change your perspective on this).

But do you know there is not just one type of anger that we experience, there are different types of anger that we can experience and display. Although different texts and articles suggest different forms of anger that individuals can express or display, we are sharing the ones that are best recognized.

We are also sharing some of the best anger management techniques that will help you deal with the types of anger disorder mentioned in this blog. Before we begin, let’s take a look at the symptoms and causes of anger issues.

Anger Issue Symptoms To Keep In Mind

When you can’t control your anger, it can have physical and emotional effects. Experiencing the symptoms of anger is not wrong but when your anger issues begin to occur regularly and begin to affect your daily life, then they could be nothing less than severe. Here are some symptoms of anger issues you need to keep in mind:

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of anger can manifest in different body parts and can even affect your testosterone levels. Symptoms to look out for include:

• High blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Tingling sensations in the limbs
• Muscle tension

Emotional Symptoms

Emotional symptoms of anger can be felt before, during, and after an angry outburst. Here are the symptoms you need to be aware of:

• Irritability
• Frustration
• Agitation
• Anxiety and stress
• Rage
• Feeling guilty
• Feeling overwhelmed

If you’re still wondering, “Do I have anger issues?”, ask yourself:

• Do you feel angry often?
• Do you feel that your anger is uncontrollable?
• Does your anger impact your relationships?
• Are your anger issues hurting your loved ones?
• Is your anger making you say or do things you later regret or feel guilty for?
• Are you verbally or physically abusive in the throes of anger?

If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, then you may have anger issues.

What Causes Anger Issues?

Now that you know the signs of anger issues, here are some situations that may trigger your anger issues. Some of the common anger triggers include day-to-day stress, family stress, financial stress, and more. In some cases, anger issues can be born out of personality disorders, mental health disorders, or other underlying health issues including (but not limited to) alcohol use disorder, substance abuse, depression, and more.

Let’s take a look at the common anger triggers:

• Depression: Yes, anger canbe a sign of depression. It can either be hidden or expressed overtly. Of course, the severity of the depression may direct the intensity of anger.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: This is a type of anxiety disorder that can cause unwanted thoughts and urges that can drive you to act out something repeatedly. Anger issues can be triggered by OCD and are even common symptoms of OCD.
• Alcohol Abuse: Consuming alcohol can increase the risk of acting out of rage, anger, and aggression. Alcohol Abuse can alter your ability to think rationally and can make it difficult to control your emotions such as anger.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):This neurodevelopmental disorder is characterized by symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. This disorder is common in children and can affect their life. It can make a child (or even an adult) lose their temper quickly, leading to anger issues.
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder: ODD is a behavioral disorder whose symptoms include anger, a short temper, irritability, annoyance, and being defensive.
• Bipolar Disorder: This disorder can cause dramatic mood swings and can even trigger angry outbursts, rage, and frustration. During one of these episodes, you may be easily agitated, experience racing thoughts, and even engage in reckless behavior.
• Intermittent Explosive Disorder: This disorder can cause repetitive anger outbursts or aggressive behavior. These episodes can be sudden and last for a period, causing arguments, violence, fighting, etc.
• Grief: One of the five stages of grief is Anger and this type of anger can come from the death of a loved one, the ending of a long-term relationship, or even losing one’s home. This type of anger is often directed at the source of the grief and can accompany other symptoms such as numbness, guilt, loneliness, sadness, and fear.

7 Types Of Anger We All Experience

1. Behavioral Anger

Behavioral anger is expressed physically and also involves aggression.

2. Chronic Anger

Have you ever felt that your feeling of anger has been staying with you forever? Then there might be a chance that you are experiencing chronic anger. This ongoing feeling of anger is often accompanied by resentment, frustration, and anger towards others or oneself. This form of anger has an adverse impact on an individual’s health and well-being.

3. Overwhelmed Anger

When an individual is just wrapped in anger to an extent that it becomes difficult for them to express it, As a result, they choose to bottle up their feelings of anger, and when they can’t hold it any longer and it comes out in the form of destructive patterns. Although overwhelming anger is frightening it does not involve any harm to others. Usually, this form of anger is triggered by responsibility and unexpected life events. Overwhelmed anger is more like a sign that shows, things are not going right in their life.

4. Passive Anger

When a person does not want to show he is angry but he is angry, they might end up choosing the mid-way of expressing anger through passive-aggressiveness. It is perhaps the most common way of expressing anger. Passive-aggressive anger may be displayed verbally in form of veiled mockery, sarcasm, or pointed silence and physically in behavior like chronic procrastination at work. This leaves the other person feeling confused. Apart from being directed towards others, a person may display passive anger towards self, wherein they are angry over the fact of not being able to resolve an issue appropriately.

5. Judgemental Anger

This type of anger is usually an outcome of a core belief that either is better than others or less than them. Usually, a person experiencing judgemental anger will put other people down with the sole purpose of making themself look better. This anger is also referred to as moral anger because it may also manifest as righteous indignation when someone is perceived as wrong, incorrect, or injustice. Basically, when something does not go as per the rules and set norms, anger is experienced.

6. Verbal Anger

When words cause harm to self and others, it may be an outcome of verbal anger! Verbal anger may not leave any physical scars to notice (unlike behavioral anger) it does bring emotional pain along with it. Verbal anger showcases itself in the form of furious shouting, insults, sarcasm, blaming, and criticism with the intention of hurt. The driving force behind the same is wanting to gain control over the other person by tempering their self-esteem. An individual may feel regretful or ashamed afterward.

7. Volatile Anger

I like to refer to this anger as “Hulk Anger.” It gets triggered as soon as an annoyance (big or small) is perceived in an individual’s environment (like real quick). However, once you have impulsively expressed your anger, you will calm down just as quickly as you got triggered. That is the reason why some texts refer to this anger as “sudden anger.” The most concerning aspect of this type of anger is that although it calms down quickly, it does major destruction in its wake.

Do share with us in the comments section, what is your style of anger that you display most often. If you ask me it has to be verbal anger that I display most often. I guess it is time for me to work on it now!!!

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Take Care!