PTSD and Its Effects on Pervasive Feelings of Anger
- Feb 19, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 31
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and often overwhelming condition, and it’s no surprise that anger frequently plays a significant role. This powerful emotion can complicate recovery and make it even more difficult to manage other symptoms like anxiety and depression. Understanding the link between PTSD and anger is the first step toward finding healthy ways to cope.
What is the connection between PTSD and anger?
Anger is a common symptom of PTSD that can manifest as frustration, irritability, or rage. It can stem from feelings of guilt or shame about the traumatic event, anger at the world for a changed perspective, or as a manifestation of the hypervigilance and hyperarousal that often accompany the disorder.
The good news is that you can learn to manage this powerful emotion. By understanding why anger is a part of your experience, you can begin to find healthy coping strategies to regain control and move forward in your recovery.
Why does PTSD cause intense feelings of anger and frustration?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an incredibly debilitating anxiety disorder tied to the traumatic events in one's past. These traumas fundamentally reshape one's worldview and perception of themselves and others. This can introduce a frame of mind dictated by fear, anxiety, depression, or other negativities.
However, on top of these feelings, PTSD can also birth intense feelings of anger and frustration, continuing to complicate and pollute one's already anxious state of mind. Coping with the prevalence of anger as a result of PTSD is essential in navigating one's recovery. Understanding the role that anger plays is the first step towards overcoming it throughout recovery.
The Overwhelming Nature of PTSD
PTSD is a complicated disorder, largely because trauma is such a personal experience. Trauma comes in many forms and from many different sources. A person's traumatic experience is unique to them. For some, trauma may result from bodily harm or threats. These can take the form of physical or sexual assault, threats to one's life or safety, or come as the result of natural disasters, car crashes, or other physical traumas.
Others may experience trauma even if they were not directly physically harmed. Living through life-threatening events, even if they were lucky enough to emerge unscathed, can still fundamentally affect their perception of the world.
First responders, medical professionals, and members of the armed forces can be at an even greater risk of exposure to traumatic events due to the life-threatening situations that they may experience. However, trauma is still a ubiquitous experience that can affect anyone from all walks of life. While one's personal experiences with traumatic events may be wholly unique, the effects of PTSD, as well as the anger produced, create a need for change.
The Prevalence of Anger From PTSD
Anger, frustration, irritability, and more are all common as a result of traumatic experiences for a number of reasons. Some may be frustrated with themselves as a result of their scenario. Feelings of shame or guilt can be present, causing an individual to blame themselves for the traumatic event transpiring. Feeling angry at oneself can be a common way these feelings manifest in an individual.
Others may experience anger at the rest of the world around them, blaming others for such a drastically and violently changed worldview. This newfound negative perspective can bleed into everyday life, filling once innocent parts of one's world with a newfound sense of anger or dread.
Lastly, PTSD is a collection of overwhelming emotions, and it can easily compromise one's emotional resilience. Increased emotional states of hypervigilance and hyperarousal can manifest as anger. This is either as an individual attempts to come to terms with the situation or as a result of an incredibly strained emotional state.
Anger is a very pervasive feeling due to its raw nature. While one's true feelings may be a complex concoction of anxiety, depression, guilt, fear, and more, lashing out with anger is a common way one may attempt to process these feelings. PTSD's ability to compromise one's ability to regulate their emotional responses often leaves anger unaddressed and unregulated as a result.
The Effects of Anger on PTSD Recovery
The prevalence of anger throughout recovery is a common experience. However, anger can cause an individual to act outside of their own better judgment. Addressing anger is paramount for effective recovery, both to help an individual manage their own emotional state as well as employ appropriate coping strategies. While one's recovery will be unique to them, addressing the prevalence of anger is necessary to find appropriate outlets to express such a raw emotion.
Finding a way to process these feelings is difficult. For some, it is less about trying to rationalize their anger and more about directing it into a safe medium. The use of art can be instrumental in giving these feelings a tangible form.
It can take an overwhelming, flooding emotion and provide it with a definitive form, instead of allowing it to exist unregulated in the atmosphere or in one's mind. Others may take to music, with certain songs being able to elicit specific emotions, creating a time to process these feelings instead of them manifesting anywhere at any time.
Lastly, keeping open and honest communication with supports can allow one's anger to be addressed in an educated way. Anger can cause an individual to say things they may not mean, or take actions against their own goals. Keeping informed supports nearby can help an individual process these emotions safely while retaining the hard work they have done to reestablish these important relationships.
Seeking Help
While anger is an essential emotion to express, it can also be volatile and destructive. Getting help to overcome the unique symptoms of PTSD is important, both for one's anxieties as well as finding ways to process this anger. If one's anger becomes increasingly destructive, it is important to find professional help to create new processing strategies to retain these relationships and ensure that one's recovery continues in a healthy, safe, and productive manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Why is anger a common symptom of PTSD?
Anger, frustration, and irritability are common with PTSD because the disorder can compromise a person's emotional resilience, leading to hypervigilance and a strained emotional state.
• How does anger affect PTSD recovery?
Unaddressed anger can cause a person to act against their own better judgment, making it crucial to find appropriate outlets and strategies for processing it to ensure a healthy and productive recovery.
• Can trauma lead to anger even if I wasn't physically harmed?
Yes, living through life-threatening events can fundamentally affect your perception of the world, leading to anger even if you were not directly physically harmed.
• What are some ways to process anger in recovery?
You can process anger by directing it into a safe medium, such as art or music, or by maintaining open and honest communication with a trusted support system.
• When should I seek professional help for anger related to PTSD?
It is important to seek professional help if your anger becomes increasingly destructive to create new processing strategies and maintain healthy relationships.
Navigating the challenges of PTSD and managing intense feelings of anger can be overwhelming, but you don't have to face it alone. At Chateau Health and Wellness Treatment Center, we are dedicated to providing the support and guidance you need to reclaim your life. We understand the complexities of trauma and how it affects your emotional well-being, and our compassionate team is here to walk alongside you on your journey to healing. If you're ready to find a healthier way to process your emotions and build a brighter future, we invite you to reach out to us. Together, we can create a personalized plan that addresses your unique needs. Please call us at (435) 222-5225 to take the first step toward finding peace and reclaiming your sense of self.
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About The Author
Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director
With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.
