The Cycle of Anger

Of course, anger doesn’t just appear from anywhere, at any time, any place, there is always a cause. Some of us feel anger differently, and some of us will get angry quicker, and more intensely than others, but we will all go through the same phases of anger regardless. There are five main stages of the anger cycle: trigger, escalation, crisis, recovery and depression. By understanding each individual stage, we can help understand and counter the feelings of anger felt by us and by those around us.

TRIGGER – The trigger stage is what starts the cycle. It is the catalyst that causes our initial feelings of anger, and it could be anything from hearing news that shocks, disappoints or saddens us, feeling physically threatened, or feeling mentally nervous about something – for example, an upcoming exam. The trigger stage is the kick-starter of our anger.

ESCALATION – The escalation stage is something that usually happens subconsciously. Our bodies change to deal with the new feelings that we are currently experiencing. We may get increased heart rate and breathing, tense muscles for any potential physical confrontation, a louder voice, changed eye shape or a furrowed brow. These things often happen instinctively, however noticing them early on can help to resolve and de-escalate a situation from getting worse.

CRISIS – Essentially, the crisis stage is the fight or flight moment. It is the moment that our bodies are at their most prepared to take action, and it is often instinctive. The issue with the crises stage is that most actions that occur here, be it physical or verbal, are often done with a vast decrease in our quality of judgement, which can greatly affect the outcome of the situation.

RECOVERY – The recovery stage is a very concept to grasp. It is the time that our bodies and mind recover and go back to their neutral state. The adrenaline that we gained through our anger slowly leaves us, and our sense of judgment and reasoning replaces our survival instinct.

DEPRESSION – For most people, the depression stage of anger will occur and it will be noticeable. For a short period of time, your heart rate will drop below normal so that the body can regain focus and balance. Our sense of awareness will return allowing us to process the events that have just taken place. As a result, we may feel guilt and regret for our actions, and potentially feel emotional depression. People who don’t feel these emotions afterwards show a lack of assertive anger, as they fail to question whether they were in the right, and how their actions have affected others around them, as well as their own relationships with those people.