How to Help Someone With Anger Issues

Anger is a natural human emotion that can break many things apart! It’s really difficult to see your loved one, children, friend, family member, or co-worker struggling through anger issues. When anger starts taking challenging forms (mild annoyance to extreme), it starts progressing and it keeps on getting severe which can be severe in several ways.

If your loved one is struggling with extreme anger issues, frequently gets angry, or is unable to control anger despite knowing and understanding the consequences, they might be struggling with anger issues.

Before anger issues convert into destructive anger, it’s better to support or help your loved ones to regulate their emotions. Anger issues are manageable with the right approach.

This blog can help as a guide to help or support someone with anger issues. So, let’s get started!

Anger Issues

When someone cannot control constant/frequent anger episodes, people start doing, speaking, and acting things that can cause regret or extreme consequences are defined as anger issues.

Psychologically, anger issues can be caused by various factors like financial problems, family problems, stress, anxiety, or any other underlying mental health condition such as:

• Depression
• Grief
• Intermittent explosive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Alcohol or substance abuse
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Signs of Anger Issues

Anger issues can be seen in different ways, such as:

• Constant irritability (irritating personality or irritating others)
• Snapping personality even when they’re asked for normal stuff
• Frequent or constant anger
• Unidentifiable triggers of anger
• Holds a grudge easily
• Revenge seeking behaviors
• Involved in self-harm or harming others (verbally, physically, or emotionally)
• Extremely annoyed by normal things
• Intolerant of others weaknesses or mistakes
• Gets angry over past
• Sulking or sullen behavior
• Expresses their rage through self-harm or harming other objecting (like slamming doors, aggressive behavior, or punching walls)
• Violent personality
• Extreme anger (level 10 anger in response to 0/10 level)

Impacts of Anger Issues

Anger issues can be short-term and long-term impacting, for example, if a kid is constantly showing anger issues, they might develop this habit in adulthood as well. Anger issues can impact someone’s professional life, personal life, overall well-being, and quality of life.

Impacts on Health

• Increased heart rate
• Muscle tension
• Increased blood pressure
• Hormonal rush (adrenaline)
• Frequent or constant headaches
• Anxiety
• Increased risk of mental health issues like depression, ADHD, OCD, and others
• Increased risk of physical health issues like constant body pain, upset stomach, heart disease, and others

Impacts on Personal and Professional Life

• Difficulty dealing with co-workers, family members, friends, or partner
• Lack of trust, lack of honest conversation, uncomfortable expressions, and negative talks around the professional and personal life
• Social isolation as people are unaware of the triggers
• Violent or aggressive tendencies can harm them or others or make them feel unsafe

Therapy Options to Help Someone with Anger Issues

If you are looking forward to ways to help or support someone with anger issues, it’s essential to encourage them to connect with a mental health professional. A mental health professional can help your loved one to assess their issues, triggers, and presence of any other mental health condition.

Therefore, the first ever step to take is to connect with a mental health professional and learn about different therapy options that can help someone with proper and effective anger management.

Here are some effective therapies for anger management that can help treat anger, anger issues, and its symptoms:

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is one of the most effective and common therapy systems which identifies negative thought patterns and replaces them with positive behaviors.

2. Family therapy

Family therapy helps in addressing issues and triggers related to anger and family. This therapy helps in resolving issues with the partner, siblings, parents, children, and others to improve communication and promote forgiveness.

3. Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy promotes better understanding by addressing the root causes behind someone’s anger.

4. Internal family systems therapy

Family systems therapy is based on family systems theory that works on emotions and triggers within a family.

Helping Someone with Anger Issues

Helping a partner

• Stay calm and try to understand them
• It might be difficult to not last out in response, try to stay mindful (even if it’s difficult)
• Encourage them to express their emotions so that you can understand the root cause
• In order to build healthy relationships, set physical and emotional boundaries with them
• Create an emergency support plan

Helping your kid

• Let your child express their emotions and teach them coping skills
• Create an anger tracking board or anger thermometer
• Develop a calm-down plan for your children and set healthy boundaries
• Teach anger management skills or encourage your children to join anger management classes
• Follow through with the consequences

Helping your friend/family member/colleague

• Try to understand their feelings and do not last out them in response
• Set healthy boundaries with friends (even if it’s digital)
• Listen to them empathetically
• Create your safety plan in case of violence or abuse
• Consider leaving or ending a toxic relationship (only if it’s an option for you)
• Share anger management apps or books with them

I hope this blog helps you understand how to help someone with anger issues. For more such content, connect with us through social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!