Do you experience anger so often that you wonder what it means? When a person finds themselves wondering, “Why am I angry a lot?”, they benefit from exploring this topic. Anger can be indicative of an emotional state of mind or life circumstances that have built up to the point that feeling overwhelmingly angry becomes your norm. When this happens, it’s time to get to the bottom of what’s happening and find a way to resolve the issue.
What is Anger?
Anger is a basic human emotion that everyone feels at different times. It is characterized by feeling antagonism, resentment, and strong feelings related to hate directed at themselves, a person, or a situation. For example, a person could be angry because someone did something that upset them or because of an event they can’t control, like not getting the job they want or experiencing a traffic jam. As well, the individual may be frustrated with themselves for a perceived flaw and direct their anger inwards.
Anger can range in intensity from being mildly irritated to feeling furious and ready to seek revenge. Anger can also cause physiological changes in a person, including increased blood pressure and heart rate. Someone who wonders why they are angry so much of the time may put both their emotional and physical health at risk.
Why Am I Always Angry?
Part of understanding why you may be angry all of the time is by knowing the different ways people handle their anger. To start, anger in and of itself can be a good thing. It’s a natural emotion and releasing it in healthy ways can help a person work through negative feelings without allowing them to build up over time. Anger can also motivate someone to find workable solutions for the issues that upset them. However, those who suppress their anger often find themselves consistently feeling terrible. They will likely stay in this cycle until they learn to identify and acknowledge the issues and express their anger in a way that leads to resolution.
It’s important to remember not to suppress anger forever and never deal with it. When this happens, the anger will continue to surface. This may include self-hatred and self-punishing behaviors and acting passively-aggressively towards others. Talking to others about why you are angry can be a great way to work through what is making you angry to begin with.
Someone who is often angry typically does not have the coping skills in place to deal with feelings of anger and let them go. In addition, they often turn it inwards and end up developing depression. When this happens, treatment for depression can help individuals process and resolve their anger and learn the coping skills to resolve these issues.
Are There Anger Disorders?
When someone struggles with the question, “Why am I angry?”, they might wonder if there is such thing as an anger disorder. While there isn’t a specific mental illness by that name, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) shows that five mental health disorders include anger as one of the criteria for diagnosis. These mental illnesses include:
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
Receiving a full assessment from a mental health expert can determine if a person’s excessive anger is a symptom of a mental illness.
How Can People Overcome Anger Issues?
Someone who struggles with wondering “Why am I always angry?” has options to resolve their difficulties. Some can be done on their own and some require investing in treatment to help improve their emotional and mental health.
At Home
Someone who wants to experience less anger can engage in self-soothing activities, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, and guided imagery. They can also do yoga or get massages to help relieve tension. Developing better communication skills can also help diffuse anger. For example, before a disagreement escalates into a fight, talk rationally with the person and try to problem-solve from a rational state of mind. People can also make sure they aren’t doing things that can make getting angry easy, such as working too many hours or overextending themselves in their commitments to others. It’s important to build in regular downtime to relax.
Books
Books can be part of a problem-solving process for all sorts of emotional upheaval. Someone with excessive anger can do an internet search to find books that deal specifically with why a person is so angry. Books are handy because they can be read anywhere in short bursts or by spending a long time digesting the information they contain.
Treatment Options
If consistent feelings of anger and actions related to it consume a person’s life, it’s likely a sign of a bigger issue. Several mental health disorders count anger as a symptom. The good news is this means the condition is treatable. An outpatient program can provide the effective care needed to help deal with unresolved anger. As well, therapy for this teaches people to develop healthy coping mechanisms that allow them to process their anger in positive ways going forward.
Contact Montare Outpatient in Los Angeles, California
If you find yourself wondering, “Why am I angry”, you may need to be evaluated for a possible mental health disorder. Living with constant anger keeps you from enjoying life and healthy relationships. When anger is a symptom of a mental illness, getting help from a quality treatment center makes a difference. Montare Outpatient offers several levels of care on an outpatient basis. Our staff of mental health experts helps you identify your core issues and resolve them so that anger doesn’t take a front seat in your life.
For more information about how we can help you, contact us today. Our friendly staff has the answers to all of your questions.
