HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Anger is a strong and challenging emotion. It is common to experience anger, but it can also feel frightening.
Anger occurs when you experience overwhelming feelings that you may express by arguing and shouting. Sometimes, anger can happen if you are feeling sad, scared or depressed.
Your anger can be increased at times of stress. For example, due to work, relationships or moving house, or changes including hormonal changes that can create mood swings.
Angry feelings that are expressed by physical fighting, bullying, excessive shouting and arguing, destroying things or self-harm is a sign that your anger has become a problem.
Learning how to deal with anger can take some practice. Feeling angry is OK, but hurting yourself or others because you are angry is not. The trick is to learn how to manage and express angry feelings positively, and without losing control.
Here are some ideas on how to manage a situation when you are experiencing anger.
Here are some ways to prevent or limit yourself from feeling angry.
If you are struggling to control your anger, it is important to get help.
This is especially important if you have been violent, or are worried you will be violent when you are angry. As well as physically hurting someone, violence includes other actions such as verbal abuse and threats.
Your general practice team can help to arrange support for you, or you can look for a counsellor yourself in the Family Service Directory.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
This New Zealand site has information about anger and gives you the chance to chat to a counsellor, either online or on the phone.
This page from the Australian Youth Mental Health Foundation has information about anger and tips on how to support someone else with anger issues.
Information and help with managing violence.
Learn more about mindfulness meditation on this Australian site. It has a free app.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed May 2024.
Review key: HIANY-50772