Anxiety Disorder and Anger - Understanding The Connection

If you're someone that suffers from anxiety disorder, anger may also be a consistently present emotion for you.  There are many reasons why the two disorders and emotions, although different, are typically related and seen in the same case.

For one, the causes of anxiety disorder and anger are often the same.  Very often someone that has been the victim of a violent crime or that has lived through abuse or a natural disaster may suffer from extreme forms of anxiety even long after the event or circumstance has passed or changed.  This doesn't mean that their emotions are gone as well. 

Think back to something that happened in your life that was unjust or unfair or humiliating.  Doesn't it still make you angry when you think of it?  If that bully in school teasing you still bothers you to this day, then it's understandable how someone that has been victimized by things even more serious than this can suffer from both anxiety disorder and anger. 

The situation they lived through causes them extreme anxiety because they are afraid of what will happen next or of having that same thing happen to them again, and they're angry at whatever it was that happened in the first place.

Dealing with both anxiety disorder and anger is somewhat similar as well.  Most who suffer from extreme anxiety must come to terms with the reasons why.  They must face their memories of the stressor or trigger and realize how it is affecting them to this day.  When a person is honest with themselves about their anxiety disorder and anger they can then learn new ways of thinking in order to put the past behind them and move forward. 

It's very important for anyone with both anxiety disorder and anger issues to speak to a therapist as soon as possible.  Many who are prone to extreme outbursts of anger hurt not only themselves but those around them.  They typically don't realize the damage they are doing to their family and especially their children; many think that as long as they aren't physically abusive then there is no harm done. 

But in reality anxiety disorder and anger issues can cause lingering problems for children and spouses of those with these issues, but a trained therapist can do quite a bit of good in helping a person to come to terms with these conditions and changing their behavior.