Dealing With Suppressed Anger

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsManifestations of Suppressed AngerTake the Anger TestImpactCoping StrategiesKeep in Mind

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Manifestations of Suppressed Anger

Take the Anger Test

Impact

Coping Strategies

Keep in Mind

Close

Suppressed anger is when you experience anger but do not express it—in either constructive or destructive ways, saysDavid Klemanski, PsyD, MPH, a psychologist at Yale Medicine.

Everyone gets angry occasionally. According to the American Psychological Association (APA),angeris a normal human emotion that everyone experiences from time to time.Anger can range from faint annoyance to outright rage.

People react to anger in different ways. Some people express their angerverbally(shouting, cursing, arguing, or yelling), whereas others express it physically (throwing things, breaking objects, hitting walls, or getting into fights).However, some people don’t express their anger at all, and choose to suppress it instead.

This article explores the characteristics and impact of suppressed anger, as well as some coping strategies that might be helpful.

While there is no specific set of symptoms or characteristics of suppressed anger, there are some of the potential ways it could manifest, according to Dr. Klemanski:

This short, free 21-item test measures a variety of symptoms and feelings associated withanger, such as anger about the present and future, anger towards the self, and hostile feelings toward others.

Impact of Suppressed Anger

Suppressing emotions can be harmful to physical and mentalhealth. Below, Dr. Klemanski explains the impact of suppressing anger.

It Puts the Body in a State of Stress

On a physical level, suppressing emotions, anger included, can lead to physicalstresson the body.

Anger is a biological response to perceived threats, so your body goes into a hyper alert state that is designed to help you survive.In this state, your blood pressure and heart rate increase and your body releases certain hormones, which give you a burst of energy.

Frequently bottling up anger can put the body in a prolonged state of stress that can lead to health issues such as hypertension.

It Affects Emotional Processing

All of our emotions are messages to us. Each time we overlook an emotion, we lose the opportunity to reflect, learn from it, and develop insights into our priorities and values.

Managing emotions is critical to optimal mental health.—DAVID KLEMANSKI, PSYD, MPH

Managing emotions is critical to optimal mental health.

—DAVID KLEMANSKI, PSYD, MPH

Suppressing anger can prevent people from appropriatelyregulating, processing, and expressing their emotions.

It Can Lead to Mental Health Conditions

Anger can be a particularly intense negative emotion that might come from feeling disrespected, diminished, shamed, or belittled, or feeling a loss of power or control.

Ignoring anger and the issues that caused it can lead to other mental health problems, such asdepression, anxiety, or even controlling behaviors related to habits, food, substances, etc.

It Can Damage Relationships

According to the APA, people who suppress their anger often have difficulty with relationships.

Coping With Suppressed Anger

If you tend to suppress your anger rather than expressing it in a healthy manner, it may be helpful to see a mental healthcare professional who can help you cope with it. Dr. Klemanski outlines some of the treatment approaches that may be helpful:

The 12 Best Anger Management Resources, Tested and Reviewed

Sometimes we getangryfor valid reasons, whereas other times we get angry for trivial reasons. However, regardless of the cause, it’s vital for us to be able to regulate our emotions and express them in healthy ways. While having angry outbursts isn’t the answer, it’s important to learn how to set boundaries and communicate negative emotions constructively.

Suppressing anger can harm our relationships and affect our mental and physical health. If you tend to suppress your anger, it can be helpful to start being more mindful about what causes you to feel angry, how you respond in those situations, and how it affects your life and your relationships. A mental health professional can help you work through some of the anger-related issues you’re facing.

How to Stop Being Angry All the Time

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Understanding anger.American Psychological Association.Controlling anger before it controls you.National Library of Medicine.Learn to manage your anger.MedlinePlus.American Psychological Association.How to recognize and deal with anger.Kim AS, Jang MH, Park KH, Min JY.Effects of self-efficacy, depression, and anger on health-promoting behaviors of Korean elderly women with hypertension.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(17):6296. doi:10.3390/ijerph17176296de Bles NJ, Rius Ottenheim N, van Hemert AM, et al.Trait anger and anger attacks in relation to depressive and anxiety disorders.J Affect Disord. 2019;259:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.023Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: A review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Understanding anger.American Psychological Association.Controlling anger before it controls you.National Library of Medicine.Learn to manage your anger.MedlinePlus.American Psychological Association.How to recognize and deal with anger.Kim AS, Jang MH, Park KH, Min JY.Effects of self-efficacy, depression, and anger on health-promoting behaviors of Korean elderly women with hypertension.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(17):6296. doi:10.3390/ijerph17176296de Bles NJ, Rius Ottenheim N, van Hemert AM, et al.Trait anger and anger attacks in relation to depressive and anxiety disorders.J Affect Disord. 2019;259:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.023Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: A review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Understanding anger.American Psychological Association.Controlling anger before it controls you.National Library of Medicine.Learn to manage your anger.MedlinePlus.American Psychological Association.How to recognize and deal with anger.Kim AS, Jang MH, Park KH, Min JY.Effects of self-efficacy, depression, and anger on health-promoting behaviors of Korean elderly women with hypertension.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(17):6296. doi:10.3390/ijerph17176296de Bles NJ, Rius Ottenheim N, van Hemert AM, et al.Trait anger and anger attacks in relation to depressive and anxiety disorders.J Affect Disord. 2019;259:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.023Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: A review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

American Psychological Association.Understanding anger.

American Psychological Association.Controlling anger before it controls you.

National Library of Medicine.Learn to manage your anger.MedlinePlus.

American Psychological Association.How to recognize and deal with anger.

Kim AS, Jang MH, Park KH, Min JY.Effects of self-efficacy, depression, and anger on health-promoting behaviors of Korean elderly women with hypertension.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(17):6296. doi:10.3390/ijerph17176296

de Bles NJ, Rius Ottenheim N, van Hemert AM, et al.Trait anger and anger attacks in relation to depressive and anxiety disorders.J Affect Disord. 2019;259:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.023

Lee AH, DiGiuseppe R.Anger and aggression treatments: A review of meta-analyses.Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.004

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?