Feeling anger is a natural emotion from time to time. Everyone should feel this way sometimes, regardless of their medication, workout routine or other stress-busting strategies. Getting mad may be appropriate and often put the body and mind on alert for necessary actions.
Unlike getting mad, people with an angry disposition are volatile, difficult and stressful to be around. This behavior can be a severe problem that impacts the person and those around them. It can cause a marriage to fail, friendships to end and cost people their jobs.
Signs of an angry person
The question is whether the individual is acting human or angry. Here are some telltale signs:
- Constantly judging: Instead of yelling or throwing things, they may continually judge others with self-righteous indignation.
- Passive-aggressive: They may withdraw from others they wish to punish while also stewing or reveling in their anger as they do.
- Chronic victimization: Encountering jerks are common. Encountering them constantly points to the one unifying factor in these encounters (the angry person).
- Constant use of coping mechanisms: An over-reliance on substances or healthy outlets like exercise can point to issues buried below the surface.
- Sarcasm: It can be funny at times, but constant use of snide putdowns is aggressive and hurtful behavior.
- Small things are a big deal: People will have different priorities regarding a big deal, but it is not healthy when minor setbacks send someone into a screaming tirade.
They have to want to change
The above behavior will happen from time to time in ordinary people having a bad day. It becomes abnormal when these behaviors are the norm. While it may be a coping mechanism for them, the ongoing angry behavior can wear others out and lead to unhappy marriages, depression and even physical abuse as relations deteriorate. Getting professional help is often critical, but the angry spouse may not be willing to do it. In situations like this, the best solution may be to separate or divorce.
