HYDERABAD: Anger, like sadness, hunger, and happiness, is a common feeling, yet people have long believed that it does not contribute to good behaviour. As a result, people began to bottle up their feelings. A study that focused on this area discovered that “trauma influences problem anger.”
According to the research, problem anger is mostly prevalent in trauma victims. As we all know, trauma is an emotional and physical response to a terrible event. It can cause shock and denial, leading to unpredictable emotions and anger issues. Individuals impacted by trauma may experience flashbacks, relationship issues, behavioural and memory issues, and be more prone to addictions. And problem anger is an unhealthy form of anger in which people experience it too frequently and for prolonged periods of time, which can have an impact on their work and relationships. Though anger is a normal response to trauma in its own right, problem anger is sometimes far more common than well-known diseases such as depression and PTSD.
Parental anger, on the other hand, can cause trauma in children due to various factors, including unprocessed interpersonal and intrapersonal communication styles and value systems. The environment in which a child grows forms an internal map, which results in atypical thinking processes. This pattern of thought becomes a cue to revisit memories and relive the same emotions, which is known as the amygdala-hippocampus limbic system. Because it comes from a deeper place, feeling the same emotion produces disproportionate anger when they grow up.
Many adults are unaware that childhood trauma can influence anger-related challenges in adulthood, as it can lead to self-deception and trauma. They believe that getting furious is natural. However, anger can have an impact on their daily lives and those around them. Anger can be conveyed in a variety of ways. It is not necessarily aggressively displayed; it can be passive aggression, in which they do not speak. Some of them internalise their feelings through self-harm. Having and expressing anger is not improper, as long as it is done in a healthy way. Unhealthy anger is not limited to reactions but also encompasses violence. People who hold their anger for a prolonged period of time may develop psychosomatic disorders. When anger isn’t expressed in the appropriate manner, the body suffers. Because the body and mind are inextricably linked.
Trauma can impact individuals, children, and family members, leading to intergenerational trauma. Parental issues cause trauma in children, as many individuals carry the impact of their own trauma responses from childhood. This cycle often repeats, and breaking it requires realising, recognising, and responding with support from trauma-informed mental health professionals. Through the cognitive behaviour therapy approach, one recognises behaviour patterns. Returning to the underlined cause of the anger might help to some extent. Psychodynamic treatment assists in delving deeper into issues that have constricted the person’s view. By doing so, we can prevent re-traumatisation and prevent it from being carried into the next generation.
Dr Harini Atturu, Consultant Psychiatrist, Care Hospitals, says that along with psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalysis therapy helps analyse the root cause. “Family therapy is necessary if the child is facing anger issues. Counting numbers, saying stop to yourself, and sipping a glass of water can be instant behavioural saviour in order to calm down. The long-term side effect of not recognising trauma-based anger issues is that it affects the body, causing headaches, gastric problems, etc.,” she adds.
Dr Namita Singh, Consultant Psychologist, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, shares coping strategies for managing trauma-related anger. “Psychotherapy from trauma-informed professionals, deep breathing exercises, and avoiding behavioural and chemical addictions can help, along with professional help acts as an effective solution,” concludes Dr Namita.