12 Types of Anger

Why Recognizing the Types of Anger Matters

Anger is a normal reaction that is neither good nor bad. Discerning the different types of anger can help you deepen your awareness of your various emotional needs and triggers. Understanding your anger allows you to become more proactive in responding to it, which can improve how you show up in relationships and cope with stress.

12 Types of Anger & How to Manage Them

Because anger can display in different ways depending on the individual and situation, and because anger is a secondary emotion which makes it complex, it is often broken down into specific categories. Common examples include assertive, chronic, and overwhelmed anger, among others. While anger can be challenging to manage, learning how to identify which type you are experiencing can be helpful when working to control your anger.

Here are 12 types of anger issues and tips for managing each type:

1. Assertive Anger

Assertive anger is considered a constructive form of anger expression. Rather than avoiding a conversation or being prone to outbursts of screaming or yelling, assertive anger is used as a healthy and productive expression of frustration to make positive change. This can look like expressing how you feel in a positive, safe way.

For example, you might start a statement with, “I feel angry when…” or, “I think…”. Assertive anger is combined with appropriate body language and, sometimes, pre-set expectations about methods to resolve or process the situation. This gives you the chance to express your anger in a way that enables positive change.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Assertive Anger

Practice assertiveness in safe situations. If you don’t feel regulated enough to speak in a friendly, collaborative tone, give yourself enough time to calm down. It’s generally better to wait than speak prematurely. Allow yourself to really feel your anger and recognize the unmet needs coexisting beneath it. Triggers aren’t always obvious, so reflecting inward can help you understand what your anger is really about.

2. Behavioral Anger

Behavioral anger is a physical reaction and is common in men with anger issues. This can be dangerous as it may be expressed through violence, potentially slipping into destructive or displaced anger. Behavioral anger is impulsive and unpredictable, sometimes ending with unhealthy legal or interpersonal consequences.

Behavioral anger can present as intimidating behaviors (e.g., cornering someone or raising your voice), throwing or shoving things, breaking things, or attacking someone. It’s important to identify whether your anger is slipping into this area due to potential legal or interpersonal consequences.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Behavioral Anger

Be honest with yourself about your behavioral anger tendencies. Spend some time identifying how and when this type of anger shows up for you. Think about other ways you can cope if you feel yourself getting escalated. Grounding yourself is key- you need to practice consistent emotional regulation to tame impulsive desires.  The more you can do this, the easier it feels to manage this type of anger.

3. Chronic Anger

Chronic anger is typically directed towards other people, situations, and even yourself, which can impact self-esteem. Sometimes, it can fly under the radar while simultaneously causing a lot of damage. Chronic anger often looks like a continuous, low-level feeling of anger, resentment, irritability, and frustration. Because of how you experience anger, you may have difficulty processing and expressing your needs, which can impact your health, stress levels, and relationships.^{1, 2, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Chronic Anger

Many people aren’t even aware they’re holding chronic anger. That’s because it can appear like sadness or low self-esteem. However, note the resentments you may have toward yourself or others. What messages do they tell you? What would it be like to let go of those resentments? What benefit do you have in holding onto them? Answering these questions can help you start the initial work of unpacking your anger.

4. Destructive Anger

Destructive anger is a significantly unhealthy experience of anger that can have multiple negative impacts. While there is limited research on this type of anger, it’s often seen in connection with the extreme end of behavioral anger. This may include extreme irritability or hatred of others, even when it isn’t warranted.

Destructive anger can look like verbal or physical actions used to hurt others such as throwing and breaking something that is important to the person you’re angry with. In relationships, this can sometimes present as stonewalling or shutting out your significant other emotionally. Destructive anger can impact many areas of your life in extremely unhealthy ways, potentially destroying important social connections.⁵

Tips for Managing Destructive Anger

Destructive anger can unquestionably hurt you and your loved ones. Managing this type of anger may require professional support and more concentrated interventions. But if you’re just starting out, pay attention to your earliest warning signs. You need to know your destructive anger triggers, and you must identify other ways to manage stress. Try to focus on mitigating stress in the ways that you can- even small steps can make a big difference.

5. Judgmental Anger

Judgmental anger is often a reaction to some perceived slight, someone else’s flaws (if you feel they impact you), or an injustice against you or someone else. Judgmental anger is identified in people’s core beliefs and basic perspective or understanding of the world. This core belief is generally one of feeling like you’re better or worse than others, leading you to judge them and become angry about their actions or expressions.

Judgmental anger often manifests as “justified fury,” where anger arises from a perceived injustice or personal slight. It may involve criticizing others, making disparaging remarks, or venting frustrations about unfair situations. Over time, this pattern can strain relationships, hinder emotional support systems, and contribute to feelings of isolation and diminished self-worth.^{1, 2, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Judgmental Anger

Try to consider how judgment is a form of self-protection. Often, we judge what we don’t understand. Sometimes we judge because we dislike something in someone else that represents something we either lack or want. Instead of trying to change your judgment, try to lean into compassion. What good can you find in that other person? What may have led them to act in the ways they do now?

6. Overwhelmed Anger

Overwhelmed anger is unpredictable and can impact your mental health over time. This type of anger builds up, especially when you don’t find ways to express or communicate how you feel. It may show itself when things hit a “boiling point,” or your ability to cope with anger and stress has been overwhelmed due to certain situations, feelings, or interactions.

Overwhelmed anger can look like a sudden snap of irritability and resentment following a long stretch of repression. While the expression of overwhelmed anger appears different for everyone, it will come on suddenly and may be preceded by a stressful event.^{1, 2, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Overwhelmed Anger

Managing overwhelmed anger often requires earlier intervention. You need to recognize what’s happening inside of you before reaching your threshold. Early warning signs come in many forms, but they may include fatigue, irritability, disconnect, and passive-aggression. Pay attention to these shifts and try to dial in on more self-care. This can help prevent your anger from “spilling over.”

7. Passive-Aggressive Anger

Passive-aggressive anger is an avoidant form of expression. This kind of anger occurs when you suppress how you feel and attempt to avoid all types of conflicts. This can be dangerous, as your self-esteem levels are often impacted by anger. As such, passive-aggressive anger can have a negative influence on your relationships.

Passive-aggressive anger, which can be verbal or physical, includes emotional repression and avoidance of conflict. This may present as passive-aggressive comments (e.g., “I like your outfit, even though it doesn’t fit you”), sarcasm, or an intentional lack of response. Passive aggression is most common in the verbal form, but it can also look like closed-off body language or continuous procrastinating at work.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Passive-Aggressive Anger

Recognize the unmet needs existing underneath your passive-aggression. What are you really trying to convey? What fears do you have about actually being honest with your needs? Passive-aggression tends to be rooted in attachment insecurity, so trying to strengthen vulnerability with yourself and others can help you manage this type of anger.

If you do get passive-aggressive, try to stop the cycle as soon as you recognize it and repair it immediately.

8. Retaliatory Anger

Retaliatory anger is a common reaction and an instinctive response to being attacked. It can be influenced by a need for revenge after experiencing perceived hurt. This kind of anger is usually deliberately aimed at someone who hurt you and can be influenced by a need to gain control over an event. You may find yourself targeting your anger at specific people after feeling verbally or physically attacked. Retaliatory anger can potentially increase discomfort and anger levels in relationships.^{1, 2}

Tips for Managing Retaliatory Anger

Identify what you’re hoping to achieve by retaliating against someone else. Really play this desire out in your mind. Note any satisfaction or discomfort that may arise. It’s sometimes helpful to really distinguish why you want to attack, and it can also be valuable to normalize that fantasy. This type of mindfulness also allows you to recognize the risks associated with doing so, and that can lead to behavioral changes.

9. Self-Abusive Anger

Self-abusive anger tends to be connected with shame. This type of anger is seen in people experiencing low self-esteem or feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Self-abusive anger is commonly used to help cope with these feelings, even though it only pushes people further away.

Self-abusive anger can affect you internally and externally. It can look like internalizing negative feelings and taking them out on yourself through self-harming behavior, alcohol or drug use, unhealthy and disordered eating, or negative self-talk (e.g., “You are a failure.”). On an external level, this may include lashing out or attacking others verbally.^{1, 2}

Tips for Managing Self-Abusive Anger

The opposite of self-abuse is self-compassion. Self-compassion refers to treating yourself with kindness and love, the way you might treat a friend you really care about. The next time you feel critical toward yourself, pause. Ask yourself, What would I tell a friend experiencing something like this right now? How would I try to help them feel better? 

10. Silent Anger

Silent anger is a non-verbal, internal way of experiencing anger. Although you may not verbally express it, it is possible for others to read that you are angry. People who experience silent anger tend to keep these feelings inside and allow them to build up, which can lead to increased stress, tension, and behavior related to overwhelmed anger.

Silent anger can be an internal or external experience. Internally, this type of anger can create a build-up of uncommunicated frustration, anger, and resentment, causing undue stress and low levels of ongoing tension. Externally, it can present as closed-off body language and facial expression and restricted or minimal speech and tone.⁷

Tips for Managing Silent Anger

Silent anger is not inherently wrong, and it may be necessary for allowing yourself to process certain emotions safely. But there are risks associated with shutting others out. If you resonate with silent anger, it may be helpful to practice simply expressing yourself with one safe person. If that feels too challenging, consider just writing your feelings out. This allows you to process what’s inside you.

11. Verbal Anger

Verbal anger is an aggressive type of anger that can become abusive. Those who experience this type of anger are noted to feel remorseful after lashing out at the target of their anger and may even apologize after an episode. Verbal anger can present as lashing out or “going off” on someone verbally. Specific behaviors can include loud shouting, threatening behaviors, sarcastic comments, continuous and intense criticism, and ridicule. Keep in mind that verbal anger can transition into verbal abuse and also keep you from being able to maintain stable, healthy relationships.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Verbal Anger

It’s important to create clear boundaries for how you want to convey your anger. It’s not okay to criticize other people or shout at them. If you struggle with these patterns, identify all the reasons why you want to change. Write them down so they’re easily accessible, especially during heightened moments. Then, get in the habit of pausing when you feel that verbal anger coming on. Take a break, regroup, and then allow yourself to reconvene when you feel more regulated.

12. Volatile Anger

Volatile anger is an explosive type of anger that is sometimes called “sudden anger.” It can happen when someone experiences an annoyance, big or small, and explodes verbally or physically, potentially becoming destructive. This type of anger makes it difficult for the individual to express themselves, process, and communicate.

Volatile anger can look like a rapid progression from status quo to outrage over real or perceived slights. It is frequently destructive and can include shouting, yelling, throwing things, and physical aggression. This type of anger may keep you from being able to maintain stable and trustworthy relationships.^{1, 2, 4, 6}

Tips for Managing Volatile Anger

Volatile anger is tricky because it often feels so sudden and intense. However, if you struggle with this, it just means you need more practice with emotional regulation. Get in the habit of regularly identifying your various emotions. Note what evokes anger within you. Pay attention to how it feels in your body before you react to it. Building this awareness offers you a greater capacity to change your habits.

How Therapy Can Help Reduce Anger Issues

To process what is fueling or influencing your anger, it can help to engage with a therapist. By seeing a therapist or attending counseling, you can learn ways to process, communicate, and cope. Self-help techniques and coping mechanisms can also help when it comes to anger management. By combining therapy for anger and self-help techniques, you can begin to treat your anger and learn constructive ways to express it. Consider starting your search for the right therapist on an online therapist directory or by using one of the many online therapy platforms available for virtual therapy services.