The 8 stages of anger according to psychology

The stages of anger make up an explosion of rapid rise and slow subsidence.. Few emotions have such a profound impact on the mind and body and are so complex to regulate. Some do it better and others simply let themselves be carried away by their fuse until they lead to maladaptive behaviors.

One can lose years-long relationships in a split second because of anger. It can also reveal the less pleasant part of your personality and become evident, demonstrating almost the same behavior as a three-year-old child. Because these types of negatively valenced emotions have the subtle and dangerous ability to bring out the most primitive part of ourselves. And no, it’s not a nice thing.

However, beyond the bad reputation that surrounds this emotional state, it is important to take one aspect into account. Every emotion is valid and serves its purpose. Feeling it, experiencing it from time to time is permissible. Letting ourselves be dominated by it without regulating it is not. So, It is always advisable and useful to know how it works, how it acts and what phases it follows.. We analyze it.

Anger varies in intensity, there are situations that only cause some discomfort and others, however, make us explode.

These are the 8 stages of anger according to psychology

We all experience anger. It’s that prick that makes us jump when we read news that outrages us. It is that discomfort that swirls in the stomach when our boss asks us for a task that we do not consider fair. It is that spring that makes us start an argument with someone and it is also that internal knot that hurts when we keep silent about countless thoughts.

We are faced with an emotion that varies in intensity, and that affects each person in a different way. There are those who do not get upset, others react instantly and others simply internalize it. What’s more, psychologist Jerry Deffenbacher explains something very interesting in his book Overcoming Situational and General Anger (2000).

In this work he states that this negatively valenced emotion manifests in people based on three variables: the triggering event, the qualities we have to manage emotions and the evaluation we make of that situation. Likewise, we all go through the same stages of anger. They are the following.

1. Activation and the importance of asking questions

Anger is activated by external or internal triggers. For example, something can happen around us that we interpret as threatening, hostile or unfair and, almost instantly, that sting full of indignation arises. On the other hand, anger that arises internally is much more complex. Its triggers are our own thoughts, reflections, evaluations, etc.

It can even arise as a conjunction of other previous emotions, such as sadness or anxiety.. An example of this is the psychological state generated by a situation of unemployment or an emotional breakup.

The most decisive thing in this first stage is to clarify what is producing that sensation, that emotion. Although it may be hard to believe, many people experience a state of anger without really knowing why.

2. The accumulation of anger, the danger of ending up “exploding”

Anger is like shaking a soda bottle. Sooner or later it ends up exploding. Therefore, it is so important to understand what is happening to us, clarify the causes and rationalize the situation.

Once it starts to activate, the intensity level goes in crescendo and a hormonal response is triggered that tends, almost always, to cloud our ability to reflect.

Therefore, of all the stages of anger, this is the most decisive, since this is when we begin to lose control. Stopping, becoming aware of what we are feeling and rationalizing the situation is key.

3. Psychophysiological tension, what you feel is normal (but don’t get carried away)

The physiological response of anger is accompanied by a large number of uncomfortable and even disturbing manifestations. Increases heart rate, systolic blood pressure, muscle tension…

All this energy surge is mediated by the cerebral amygdala, a structure that elevates the adrenocortical activity of the nervous system. It should be noted that this symptomatology, although normal, can last several hours.

4. The step to action, the importance of thinking before acting

Within the stages of anger, the central phase is when the brain prompts us to act. It is interesting to know that this emotion stands as the only psychophysiological state that has the purpose of urging the human being to action, to emit some type of response, whether verbal or behavioral.

If we do not think carefully about our reactions, This will be the phase in which we can emit a reaction that we will later regret.

Intense anger clouds our ability to think reflectively.

5. It’s time to look inside

We can use the metaphor of the ladder to explain what the phases of anger are like. The first four are the promotion and phase five would be the descent. At this point, the person takes a step back to think about what is happening to them. It is that moment when we say to ourselves “That’s it, it’s time to relax, to move on to something else, we better leave it and calm down.”

We look inward while the body seeks to lower tension, reduce tachycardia, lower the volume of mental noise…

6. Relief and the moment of catharsis

Of all the range of emotions that human beings experience, anger and rage are the most intense. It is not easy to recover from all the associated physiological symptoms.

Therefore, before clearing the mind, we need a bodily catharsis, reducing physical tension. Something as simple as taking a deep breath, walking or going outside to get some air can help us.

7. Recovery

We have regained our calm, the anger has vanished like smoke escaping through an open window. However, When this emotion goes away, new ones emerge, such as shame, guilt, sadness…. It is time to become aware of those internal realities to understand them, to become more aware of everything that has happened.

8. Reflection on what was experienced

Research from the University of Rome indicates something important. When we think about anger or rage, we visualize them as clearly adverse and negative emotions. We do it this way because we associate them with irrational, and even violent, behavior.

Now, this state, this experience, is not without its usefulness. It allows us to face adverse or unfair situations. However, to do so, a certain amount of emotional self-control is necessary in order to best regulate anger and use it to our advantage.

The last phase requires reflecting on how we have acted and how we should confront similar situations in the future. And that is, without a doubt, a valuable learning in which we must enable ourselves.

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