Dealing with Anxiety and Anger: The Unbearable Weight of Fear and Loathing

If there are any two emotions that we’ve all felt at some point in our lives, it’s probably anxiety and anger. Whether it’s about your family, school, work, or related to the things you believe in or care deeply about, we’ve all felt one or both of these emotions in a given moment. While at face value it might seem as though they have little to do with each other, there are a lot of connections between these two emotions.

Being angry, anxious, or both can be a heavy burden. The things that typically lead us to experience these emotions generally aren’t things we would choose for ourselves. Additionally, being angry or anxious takes a toll on our mental, emotional, relational, and physical well-being. Chronic anger or anxiety can impair your ability to function well day-to-day, making it all the more important to know how to deal with them effectively.

What Anger and Anxiety Do to Your Body

One thing that you’ll notice almost immediately about both anger and anxiety is that they seem to affect your body in the same way. When something angers you or makes you feel anxious, it can trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response. The physical symptoms that result from releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol prepare your body to deal with the situation, whether by fleeing from it or standing your ground to fight it.

When these powerful hormones are released into your bloodstream, you may experience an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, a tight chest, muscle tension, a rush of heat, headaches, or gastrointestinal issues. Even though anger and anxiety are distinct emotions, they tend to trigger a similar physiological response.

These emotions are also often triggered by the same things, and they both have an impact on one’s well-being, especially when they don’t dissipate quickly and become long-term concerns. When adrenaline and cortisol are released constantly into your system, it is harmful to your health. Too much anger and anxiety can result in a myriad of health issues.

The Connections Between Anxiety and Anger

One of the ways that anxiety and anger are connected is that they both have something to do with a loss of control. Let’s say you encounter a snake while on a hike, and you’re not a fan of snakes. The snake is a stressor that you may feel you aren’t equipped to handle, and that leads you to feel anxious.

The snake seems as though it is a threat that violates your sense of safety, and with that, your control over your surroundings and environment. It’s possible that at some point, that sense of being under threat can change into anger – “Why aren’t there warning signs on this hiking trail? I could have been killed! Someone should get fired for this!” Anger appears to be a charged-up version of anxiety, a heightened aspect of the “fight” part of fight-or-flight.

In this way, your anxieties can manifest as anger, but your anger can also worsen your anxiety. Below are some of the ways that your anger and anxiety are connected.

Common triggers Both emotions can be triggered by perceived threats, whether these are imagined or real, internal or externalized. Anxiety and anger issues can both be linked to traumatic experiences, as these may amplify one’s lack of control. Additionally, particular personality traits like perfectionism and neuroticism can increase the chances of experiencing issues with these emotions.

Anxiety can be a precursor to anger When you’re anxious, that can lead to feelings of frustration and anger. When you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, it can make you irritable; fear that isn’t addressed can manifest itself as anger.

Anger can be a coping mechanism for anxiety Anger can become a way to cope with feelings of fear and anxiety. Fear can make you feel small, while anger is a bit like puffing yourself up to face something that feels dangerous; anger gives you a sense of control and empowerment. Anger can also be a way to deflect from underlying anxiety or as a distraction from anxious feelings and thoughts.

These emotions can be worsened by thought patterns Negative thought patterns and cognitive distortions can worsen both anger and anxiety. Jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, and generalizing are just some of the ways our thinking can be distorted, and these patterns can make it easier not only to get angry but to be fearful and anxious as well.

They can worsen emotional regulation Managing your emotions includes recognizing them and being able to express them appropriately. It’s possible, however, for a person to suppress their anger because they feel anxious about what they might do. That may only result in worsening symptoms of anxiety, while leaving the anger intact and unaddressed.

In other situations, a person might try to cope with anxiety by expressing it as anger. This only masks the problem, and it can even confuse matters. When these emotions mix, they can contribute to or worsen mental health conditions. Thus, for example, there are often associations between elevated anger and depression or anxiety disorders.

Both can be damaging to health and well-being Chronic anger and anxiety can affect physical health. They both contribute to the stress that the body experiences, and it can lead to a decline in one’s immune system and increase the risk of cardiovascular issues. When these emotions aren’t managed well, they can create or increase conflict and result in relationship strain.

Anxiety and anger have many connections between them, and it’s important to be able to bring both under control.

Dealing Effectively with Anxiety and Anger

The connections that exist between these emotions can serve to worsen one or both of them. This makes it important to address both of them. A better understanding of how they affect a person and the connections that exist between them can help an individual develop effective strategies for managing these emotions and improving their overall well-being.

Some of the steps and strategies that you can implement include the following:

Learning relaxation techniques Many relaxation techniques can be used to reduce anxiety and manage anger. These include deep breathing exercises, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, or mindfulness. These techniques help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your body’s ‘rest and digest’ response. Essentially, it tells your brain to calm down and that all is okay.

Making lifestyle changes There are some everyday things you can do to reduce your unwanted emotions. Getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet that reduces sugary, caffeinated, or other unhealthy substances, and getting enough quality sleep can all help you manage anger and anxiety. Think about the difference getting sleep can do for your irritability, or how you can work off nervous energy through a quick run or brisk walk.

Learning your triggers It is also vitally important to learn about the kinds of things that trigger your unwanted emotions. It could be particular situations, individuals, or when you’re experiencing stress, haven’t eaten, or have spent time in prayer. Knowing what triggers your anxiety and anger can help you prepare when you encounter those circumstances, and it can help you avoid unnecessarily aggravating either.

Nurture your emotional regulation skills Developing your emotional regulation skills can help you better identify and manage your emotions and reduce the intensity of anxiety and anger. Naming your emotions and responding to them appropriately without masking them, suppressing them, or expressing them inappropriately can be a huge help for your well-being.

Seeking professional help In some instances, medication is needed to help manage anger or anxiety, particularly where they are connected to a mental health condition like an anxiety disorder or depression. Medication is typically used in conjunction with talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other therapies. These can be immensely helpful for identifying underlying causes and triggers, developing coping strategies, and managing both emotions.

Next Steps

It is possible to find peace and freedom from angst. If you struggle with anger, anxiety, or both, you don’t have to struggle on your own. Talk to a Christian counselor or therapist to get the help you need to bring your emotions under control. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment with one of the Christian counselors at our location. You are not alone.