Anger is a feeling that affects us all but for some anger can get out of control and cause problems serous problems in their life such as with relationships, work and sometimes the law.  Intense and unresolved anger is linked to health conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It is important to remember however, anger is an important emotion, it’s a sign that some sort of action is needed to put something right. Anger is a problem-solving emotion that motivates us to act.

Things that can make us feel angry include:

A threat to us or people close to us
Feeling 'not heard' or 'invisible'
A blow to our self-esteem or social standing in a group
Injustice/ unfairness
Feeling powerless to change a situation
Being verbally or physically assaulted
Someone going against a principle we feel is important

Physical Signs Of Anger
Everyone has a physical response to anger. Our body releases the hormone adrenalin, making our heart beat faster and making us breathe quicker and sweat more. This allows us to focus on the threat and react quickly, but it can also mean we don’t think straight, and maybe react in ways we might regret later on. Reports show that anger problems are as common as depression and anxiety, but people don’t often see it as a problem, or don’t realise there are ways to tackle it.

Overpowering anger is usually accompanied by symptoms such as:

Feeling hot and flushed, sweating
Body feeling tense and agitated
Hairs standing up
Becoming hyperactive
A racing heartbeat
Tension in your body particularly face, neck, arms or shoulders
Onset of a headache

While minor irritations may not trigger such symptoms, you may be able to discover a subtle symptom, which accompanies your anger. Each person responds differently. These symptoms will appear a few milliseconds before you realize that you are angry. Identifying the symptoms and triggers is the quickest way of gaining control of your anger. To gain greater control of these feelings however, it is probably very useful to understand more about where or how these feelings originate. An angry person is a hurt person, so acknowledging what is hurting can be an alternative way to looking at some of these feelings.

Less Obvious Signs Of Anger

The world is seen as a hostile, malicious or unfair place
Focus narrows to the problem at hand
Relationships lose their value
Memory tends to decrease
Basic judgment becomes impaired

Individual Reactions To Being Angry
How we react to feeling angry depends on many things including the situation,  family history, cultural background, gender and general stress levels. People can express anger verbally, by shouting, sometimes this can be aggressive, involving swearing, threats or name-calling. Some people react violently and lash out physically, hitting other people, pushing them or breaking things. Other people might hide their anger or turn it against themselves. They can be very angry on the inside but feel unable to let it out.

Learning To Control Anger
It’s important to deal with anger in a healthy way that doesn’t harm you or anyone else.
Dealing with anger in a healthy way includes:

Recognising when you get angry
Learn new ways of managing and expressing angry/hurt feelings
Taking time to cool down
Reducing the amount of stress in your life

Anger management courses involve working with a counsellor who is trained in the field of anger management who will provide face to face individual counselling/ anger management sessions, or may suggest group work. If you feel you need help controlling your anger, contact a counsellor (here) who specializes in anger management or alternatively discuss it with your GP.

If uncontrolled anger leads to domestic violence (violence or threatening behaviour within the home), there are places that offer help and support. Talk with your counsellor, GP, or contact domestic violence organisations such as Refuge or Women's Aid.

Further Reading
Gentry,W.D. (2007) Anger Management For Dummies:Practical tips and strategies to get anger under control.NJ.Wiley Publshing Inc.
Lee,J.H. (2009) The Anger Solution: The proven method for achieving calm and developing healthy, long lasting relationships.MA.Da Capo Press.
Lerner,H. (1997 The Dance Of Anger:A woman's guide to changing the patterns of intimate relationships. New York. HarperCollins.