Are anger attacks a thing?

Anger attacks are very similar to anxiety or panic attacks; with the difference being that the presentation may look a little bit different.  Here are a few ways that they may present themselves:

1. Short outbursts: it is likely that something may have violated a serious boundary for you and caused a significant feeling of anger.  The outburst is usually a defense mechanism for whatever violated your boundary.  But once you are able to determine that your boundary is safe, then you will calm down quite quickly.  
2. Physical responses: with anger attacks you may notice some differences in how your body response to the anger; take note of things like muscle tension.  You may feel the muscle tension in your hands, perhaps clenched fists, or in your jaw in the form of clenched teeth.  You will also notice an elevated heart rate and your breathing may become more labored.
3. Emotional response: Anger can present itself in various forms, such as tearfulness or racing thoughts.  The intensity of the anger attacks can be too much for your brain to process and you might have a hard time concentrating and feel overwhelmed.

Much like anxiety attacks, anger attacks will last anywhere from a few minutes up to about 15 minutes.  However, you may notice the after effects of anger attacks as well.  The intensity of the anger emotion will be reduced but the lingering anger may still be present.  You will notice that your thoughts will be more ruminative; typically around whatever may have triggered the anger attack, to begin with.  You may feel more agitation or irritability throughout your day versus anger.  The amount of energy that encompasses an anger attack may lead to lethargy throughout your day given the amount of energy was taken from you during the anger attack.    

If this is something that you are struggling with then it may be helpful to find ways to minimize or reduce the frequency and intensity of the anger attacks at the onset of them.  You can try to practice things like deep breathing exercises or grounding exercises.  Self-reflective journaling may be helpful to understand your anger attacks as a preventative measure.  It may also be a good idea to seek counseling to help with building more insight/understanding on what are your triggers to these anger attacks.