Anger Is a Symptom, Not a Character Flaw

The people who arrive in my office ashamed of their anger are often the most exhausted, depleted, and unheard. Anger is rarely the problem. It is the messenger.

What Anger Often Means

• A boundary has been crossed too many times

• The body is exhausted, hungry, or under-slept

• A depression is sitting underneath, often in men

• Hormones are shifting (perimenopause, postpartum, low testosterone)

• An old trauma is being touched

Five Whole-Person Steps

1. Feed and sleep yourself. Anger explodes on empty.

2. Name the boundary that is being violated.

3. Move the body — anger is energy, and energy needs an exit.

4. Get screened for depression, hormonal shifts, and trauma.

5. Get curious, not ashamed. What is the anger trying to protect?

Respectfully, Beth Makar, RN, Dual-MSN, PMHNP-BC · Integrative Mind Body Psychiatry · integrativemindbodypsychiatry.com