Causes And Handling Of Anger Outbursts

Outbursts of anger are the most visible expression of frustration and there can be many different reasons for them. They can be a real problem for coexistence with others because they cause pain to those who experience them and those close to them.

Everyone can experience peace. It is an innate, universal feeling. It is one of the six basic emotions, according to psychologist Paul Ekman. The problem arises when people feel intense anger and the way they channel it is losing control. Let’s look at what outbursts of anger are all about, as well as some strategies to better deal with them.

Outbursts of anger

These are episodes of anger where people react disproportionately according to the rage they experience. The primary characteristics are sudden arousal, loss of impulse control, and violent expression of emotion.

Furthermore  , this violence can be verbal (shouting and insults) or physical (beating or destroying things or people). 

Anger attacks are a periodically explosive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). The following symptoms must be present to meet the diagnostic criteria.

• Recurrent behavioral outbursts manifest themselves as a lack of aggressive impulse control that includes both verbal and physical aggression toward objects or beings.
• The reaction is quite disproportionate.
• Anger attacks are not intentional.
• Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated by the person’s suffering and affecting the work performance and relationships with others, or there may be some form of legal or financial consequence.
• The person is older than six years.

Recurrent outbursts of anger are not a consequence of other mental disorders. They cannot be attributed to other medical conditions and they are not a consequence of substance abuse.

Also read: Running helps you fight negative emotions

Causes

According to the DSM-V  , people who have experienced emotional trauma in childhood or adolescence have a greater risk of anger attacks. 

This periodic, explosive disorder also occurs more frequently among close relatives of people who experience outbursts of anger. In fact, twin studies have shown a clear influence on genetics at the onset of this disorder.

Let us not forget that disproportionate expressions of anger occur in many mental disorders such as schizophrenia or depression (Muscatello and Scudellari 2000 cited in Painuly et al 2005).

It can also occur in several forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, certain personality disorders, and in drug-related situations, such as withdrawal syndrome.

What are the reasons why some people experience outbursts of anger?

In addition to the above reasons  , the common denominator for all outbursts of anger is that the person experiencing them perceives the situation as humiliating. They really feel an attack on themselves or their loved ones and therefore react disproportionately.

The triggering stressor can be something that offends their ideology, values, actions, employment, family or even their favorite team. A person who perceives an insult or is going through a difficult time is likely to have an outburst of anger at any given time.

Strategies for dealing with anger outbursts

People who manifest an intermittent, explosive disorder are not doomed to experience them permanently. In fact, psychology offers many tools that can be useful for controlling impulses. Some of the most common are the following:

• Practicing meditation and mindfulness can help distance oneself from the most disturbing thoughts.
• Relaxation techniques and tools, such as Jacobson’s progressive relaxation, can be effective for the person to learn to better deal with all the physiological aspects that are activated in an outburst of anger.
• Physical activity significantly helps relieve stress and increases the amount of transmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, which are the ones that promote emotional well-being.
• Training in social skills, such as improving impact, is one of the most effective strategies,  and it will enable more appropriate communication in situations where there may be a tantrum.
• Distorted thoughts are in many cases the primary trigger that creates the explosive reaction. Therefore, learning to discover and replace them with more functional thoughts can be life-changing.

• People with outbursts of anger cannot handle their emotions well. Therefore, another basic element to increase their well-being is to perform a process of self-knowledge. It is a process in which the person will learn to recognize his emotions, accept them and let them go.

Ask for help if you do not know how to deal with your anger

Anger attacks are not easy to deal with to begin with. Therefore, people feel that it is the only way to express their anger. They explode like a pressure cooker no matter how much they try to control themselves. 

This creates great frustration in these people and in most cases they regret it deeply behind. This is because no one likes to lose control of themselves.

Do not hesitate to consult a mental health professional if you or someone around you can not control his anger. As we have mentioned above, it is possible to learn how to deal with anger more effectively.