Anger and anxiety are often inherently in conflict with one another, as anger pushes you to seek confrontation while anxiety tries to keep you away from it. Some situations, especially those with elements of both injustice and danger, can cause both fear and anger, depending on which emotion is stronger right at that moment. If you fear the consequences of lashing out enough, you will suppress your anger and not act on it. This complicated relationship is often at its worst when someone was raised in a household in which they were discouraged from asserting or talking about their needs .
Key Takeaways:
- Anxiety and anger are actually primed to fight one another which leads to the “fight or flight” response we know of.
- You have to decide if you are going to fight or flight. The choice you make will affect you. Are you going to flee and tuck your tail between your legs or fight and be proud?
- You have to be careful with how you channel the anger. People do not react well when people are belligerent with them.
“If, instinctively, you believe you can safely face down whoever seems to be threatening you, you’ll stand firm and feel free to communicate your ire or indignation.”