Anger Research Consortium

Self-Help

What is Anger?

Anger is an emotional state that ranges from minor frustration and annoyance to intense rage. Anger involves characteristic physiological, cognitive, and behavioral components. At the physiological level, anger involves arousal of the autonomic nervous system. This is typically experienced as a rush of adrenaline, muscle tension, increased heart rate, and other sensations which are how our bodies prepare us for action. Cognitively, anger involves the perception of some sort of threat to ourselves, our property, our self-image, or other areas with which we identify. During an angry episode, we are likely to perceive even neutral events as being intentional, unfair, and undeserved, making us even angrier. The behavioral component of anger includes the manner in which anger is communicated. Some people tend to suppress their anger, holding it inside until they feel like they are going to boil over; others express their anger outwardly in uncontrolled displays yelling, slamming doors, or even threatening others.

Healthy Anger

Anger is a common emotion experienced by everyone. Surveys of college students and community adults show that most people feel at least mildly angry several times a week and that approximately 33% experience daily anger. Mild to moderate anger can energize individuals to address injustices, assert themselves, and solve problems. These positive effects remind us that the goal of anger management is not to eliminate one's experience of angry feelings. Without the ability to experience anger, one would be ill equipped to meet many basic needs.

Unhealthy Anger

Despite its positive effects, anger also can get out of control, fueling aggression and leading to problems with one’s health, relationships, occupational performance, and overall quality of life.

Psychological tests used to help determine problems with anger typically assess the intensity, frequency, and duration of angry episodes, how someone expresses anger, and the type of consequences anger has produced. However, many people who have an anger problem already realize it and may feel out of control; act in ways that seem uncontrolled or frightening; experience negative effects in important relationships, work, or other roles; and may have had others express concerns about their anger.

Anger Management

Although the scientific study of anger has received considerably less attention than other emotional problems (e.g., anxiety or depression), there is evidence that some anger management programs are effective in reducing anger and improving coping skills. Anger management programs with the best evidence of efficacy tend to focus on teaching participants how to reduce their emotional and physiological arousal, think in less anger-provoking ways, and/or express themselves in more productive ways that are less likely to result in negative consequences. You won’t be able to change the things or the people that annoy you, but you can learn to control your reactions and respond more effectively.

Unfortunately, the quality of professional anger management programs is variable. Just because some treatments are supported by scientific research does not mean that all practitioners use them. Many have not received adequate training in anger management, and others buy into many of the pervasive myths about anger. For example, many people (including some treatment providers) believe that expressing one's anger by punching pillows, yelling, or other cathartic means is an effective anger control strategy. However, research shows that such methods provide only short-term relief while increasing the likelihood of long-term problems, such as aggressive behavior.

Web Resources

BAM! Guide to Getting Along (CDC)
Controlling Anger -- Before It Controls You (APA)
Anger Management Tips: Tame Your Temper (MayoClinic.com)
How Can I Deal With My Anger? (Kidshealth)
Talking to Children About School Violence
Helping Young Children Deal With Anger

Recommended Self-Help Books:

Lerner, H. G. (1985). The dance of anger: A woman's guide to changing the patterns of intimate relationships. New York: Harper & Row.

Potter-Efron, R. (1994). Angry all the time: An emergency guide to anger control. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Tavris, C. (1989). Anger: The misunderstood emotion (rev. ed.). New York: Touchstone.