What It Means to be Angry and Why It’s Not a Bad Thing

Anger is often assumed to be a synonym of aggression and violence. What if I told you anger doesn't have to be either?

When someone says they are angry, how do you feel? What do you anticipate?

From many years of working as a registered nurse on psychiatric units, I have learned a lot about anger.

How many ways can we say we are angry?

I’m irate, exasperated, fuming, furious, infuriated….

Human beings have a vast array of emotions and anger is one of those emotions.

Anger is a normal emotion, normal. It’s okay to be angry.

A common root cause of anger is a sense of powerlessness, when we are unable to correct o[r improve a situation.

Anger can also stem from underlying fear or grief.

The term “anger” can have a negative connotation to it and that is largely due to how people express their anger.

The real issue is what we do with that emotion.

[For more in-depth conversations about anger and many other mental health topics, feel free to join the Positive Development Digest chat.]

There are healthy and unhealthy ways to express and cope with anger.

Unhealthy Expressions of Anger:

· Aggression is one way people express their anger. Aggression is a negative behavior toward self and/or others, often with the intent to cause harm.

· Passive-aggressive behavior is an indirect way to express anger through sarcasm and subtle actions.

· Manipulation can be a way of expressing anger through controlling others or making them feel guilty.

· Holding grudges includes bottling up angry feelings, which can lead to resentment and escalated relationship issues.

· Suppression refers to holding angry feelings inside and not expressing them at all, which can lead to mounting tension and stress.

“I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief.” -C.S. Lewis

It is not only important to understand anger and what it means, but to have healthy strategies of handling the emotion. I have developed insights, from my years of experience working in the field of psychology and mental health to better manage anger and be empowered by it, not controlled by it. Now, let’s look at healthy ways to cope with anger.