Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Why do I always get so triggered when I am angry?

11 Answers
Last Updated: 07/16/2018 at 4:10pm
Take the first step toward feeling better
Begin your therapy journey today and receive $25 off (use code 25OFF7C)
Moderated by

Jennifer Fritz, LMSW, PhD

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

Day to day life can be stressful and overwhelming and my strength is assisting my clients in a supportive, empowering and practical manner.

Top Rated Answers
Profile: FieKC
FieKC
January 30th, 2015 7:41am
When you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. So no wonder you get triggered.
Anonymous
May 18th, 2015 3:45am
When you are angry, your body acts differently than it would if you were calm. That is why certain things trigger when you are upset rather than not.
Profile: hopefulPower94
hopefulPower94
June 1st, 2015 4:18am
Anger is an intense emotion that can raise our blood pressure...or it can at least feel that way. So, I think that when we are physically hyped up it can be easier to get triggered. Also, anger for some people is a tough emotion to deal with, so that might impact you as well.
Profile: DipityEnigma
DipityEnigma
June 6th, 2015 3:10am
Generally, when someone is angry, they may have flashbacks. This may be happening to you. If you're going through a similar negative situation as before, you may be triggered by the past experience and lash out even more because of the emotions you still have attached to that experience.
Profile: cutieluka
cutieluka
August 17th, 2015 3:25pm
Anger can often remind people of triggering situations, since so many of them are predominantly angry. When you experience anger sometimes it can remind you of the anger you felt in the situation that triggers you.
Profile: LauraMSW87
LauraMSW87
September 7th, 2015 2:19pm
Some people find it really difficult to express anger. This can lead to internalizing anger and possibly taking it out on oneself vs. venting/expressing the anger in a healthy and constructive manner. The worst kind of anger can be helpless anger where we feel powerless to control what's happening and feel angry as a result. Feeling helpless can be a very triggering feeling as it can remind us of traumatic experiences where we felt helpless to control a situation. Remembering what we do have control over and brainstorming different ways of managing anger can help us plan for when these emotions occur.
Profile: rkjacks25
rkjacks25
September 15th, 2015 5:01pm
It seems that these triggers occur when your have heightened anger. Thinking back to a time when your anger first began, might help explore where this trigger began.
Profile: BeastIsTheBeauty
BeastIsTheBeauty
December 8th, 2015 8:48pm
From my own personal experience, when I am angry, not only do my emotions, feelings, and thoughts, react to the current moment but all of the emotions, feelings, and thoughts that I had buried along with ones that I have moved on from, all rush to the surface and I react to them as well. It can be overwhelming and then I am triggered and have to run to a friends house before I do something stupid. That's why good friends are nice to have, because sometimes you just need to talk someone's ear off to feel better, to let it out. And maybe, in the process, you can find out what exactly caused you so much grief and anguish and try to fix it.
Anonymous
July 12th, 2016 5:41am
I learned from my therapist when i was a child that when people are angry or really sad or scared, the part of our brain that controls our logic gets overpowered by the emotional center. this means that we go into safety mode and will do anything to protect ourselves from harm or get rid of whatever is causing us distress. This usually ends up as an irrational response especially at the height of the moment. that's why i was taught to first calm down before i take action.
Anonymous
November 20th, 2017 7:40am
Because you are on edge, go to a calm quiet place and take deep breaths. Counting will help as well.
Profile: fancySound39
fancySound39
July 16th, 2018 4:10pm
When you are angry, this may lead to you become triggered and agitated by a lot of your surroundings.