How Does Anger Work?

Anger is an emotion like any other affective state. It can arise due to numerous issues. Sometimes, anger can result from a gross injustice you feel like you experienced. In other words, you feel like you have been wronged somehow. Other people experience anger due to feeling slighted or disrespected. Oftentimes, not feeling like you are being heard or misunderstood can cause someone to become angry.

If the anger is intense enough, a series of physiological changes will begin to occur. This is due to the neurotransmitter adrenaline being secreted into the bloodstream. The heart will begin pumping faster to increase blood flow, allowing for higher blood pressure. The respiratory pattern will change, and the mind will focus on only one thing, usually whatever makes that person angry, also known as the stimuli.

Anger evolved as a response to potential threats within the autonomic nervous system. This biological response is sometimes called the fight or flight response since it often prepares the body for a fight or a threat or to flee from a threat. But the autonomic nervous system cannot distinguish between a physical threat like someone attacking you or a psychological threat, such as someone disrespecting or mocking you.

At the same time, not every person responds emotionally to anger in the same way. Some people will become aggressive and combative, but many people will become tearful; others appear to withdraw emotionally but internally are incredibly angry. This is common when someone becomes angry but also feels helpless at the same time. Therefore, anger can be expressed aggressively but also in a very passive manner.

Habitually angry people get used to this physical and emotionally aroused state of anger. It can have a detrimental effect on both their health and their relationships. There are various tools to reduce the anger response, such as humor, learning to identify and let go, and healing past trauma. A good mental health professional can teach someone the skills to manage anger and find the root causes of the anger response.