preschool girl with an angry and annoyed expression

Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong.

Anger can be a good thing. It can give you a way to express negative feelings, for example, or motivate you to find solutions to problems.

But excessive anger can cause problems. Increased blood pressure and other physical changes associated with anger make it difficult to think straight and harm your physical and mental health.

Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology

Resources from APA

Speaking of Psychology: Road rage, traffic jams and why driving stresses us out, with Dwight Hennessy, PhD

Road rage, traffic jams and why driving stresses us out

Dwight Hennessy, PhD, talks about what’s going on when we get behind the wheel
Preschool aged girl crying in front of dad

How to help kids cope with anger and frustration

Helping children articulate their feelings without acting on them and providing consistent consequences can help them regulate emotions
Speaking of Psychology: How to Keep Anger from Getting the Best of You, with Howard Kassinove, PhD, and Raymond “Chip” Tafrate, PhD

How to keep anger from getting the best of you

Psychologists discuss healthy vs. harmful anger, coping strategies, and why some forms of anger catharsis can do more harm than good
How to control anger

Control anger before it controls you

Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems.
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APA books

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Magination Press children’s books

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Journal special issues

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