Research shows that anger is common, and everyone has experienced anger. Researchers agree that it’s normal and healthy to feel angry from time to time in response to certain situations (i.e., betrayal, abandonment, neglect, etc.). Anger is the alarm system that informs our body that something is bothering us and that we need to act in response to trauma. Therefore, anger is a core piece of a person’s response to survive and a natural survival instinct. Anger is used to help people to cope with life's stresses by giving them the energy to keep going in the face of trouble or blocks. However, the intensity of a person’s anger can range from annoyance to extreme rage.
Consequently, anger can create major problems in the personal lives of those who have experienced trauma. Unresolved trauma can mask itself beneath depression, anxiety, anger, and violence (homicidal and suicidal actions). The shock from trauma often affects how well a person learns to control his or her emotions. When a person is angry, they may find it difficult to use their cognitive processes effectively and therefore lose control of themselves. A person who has unresolved trauma may exhibit or manifest impulsive, aggressive, irrational, or unhelpful responses such as senseless violence.
Pastor Charlotte Williams