What is Anger?

Anger is one our most powerful and vital emotions. It can be a necessary tool for survival of individuals and communities. However, anger can become problematic when it persists and begins to cause significant difficulties in our lives which includes our thinking, feeling, behaviour and relationships.
Anger is one of the most basic human emotions. It is a physical and mental response to a threat or to harm done in the past. Anger takes many different forms from irritation to blinding rage or resentment that festers over many years. Anger has three components:

Physical - physical reactions normally begin with a rush of adrenaline and responses can include an increased heart rate, blood pressure, and tightening of muscles. This is often known as the 'flight or fight' response.

Cognitive - the cognitive experience of anger is how we perceive and think about what is angering us. 

Behavioural - this constitutes to any behaviour that signals anger, which may include raising one’s voice, slamming doors or storming away.

Why do we get angry?

Anger is caused by a combination of factors such as a trigger event, the qualities of an individual, and the individual’s appraisal of a situation.

Typically there is some sort of event that occurs right before someone gets angry, such as being insulted by someone. The majority of the time, people tend to believe that the event or person has caused their anger: "I got angry because he made me mad." But the truth is a trigger event cannot cause anger directly, without the presence of other factors.
Individual characteristics

These include two things: personality traits and the pre-anger state. Personality traits such as narcissism and competitiveness can increase the likelihood of people experiencing anger. The pre-anger state refers to how someone feels physiologically and psychologically before the trigger event. Feeling tired, agitated or already angry can increase the likelihood of the person responding with anger.

How do I recognise anger?

Some physical signs of anger include: 
increased and rapid heart rate
shaking or trembling
sweating, especially your palms
dizziness
Some emotional signs of anger include:

feeling anxious
being resentful
feeling guilty
being irritated.
Some other signs of anger include:
pacing
becoming sarcastic
raising your voice
beginning to yell, scream or cry

If anger is taking over your life, then getting the right help to start managing it can make a huge and lasting difference. Working with a therapist on your anger can help you identify your triggers, how to contain your feelings of anger when it occurs, how to express your anger in healthier and more assertive ways, and alternative methods of resolving conflict in your life.