As a parent, it’s heartbreaking to see your teen son struggle with anger issues. Angry outbursts can cost them in many personal, financial, and legal ways. Anger management for teens is as important as it is for adults. If you’d like to know more about helping teens with anger issues, call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery today at 828.519.5047.

Understanding Anger in Teens

There is a part of almost every parent that has difficulty understanding what anger issues in teens are all about. After all, their problems may seem trivial to an adult at times. 

It can appear as if they have an easy life with a roof over their head, food on the table, and plenty of time to hang out with friends. However, because their brains and emotional systems are still developing, teens can have difficulty expressing intense emotions, such as anger, appropriately. 

Getting angry now and then is a normal human reaction. In fact, it is sometimes the appropriate reaction to a situation. Teens may feel angry at situations they believe to be unjust, or like many adults, they might confuse anger with other powerful emotions such as shame or emotional pain. 

Occasional anger is not something that requires treatment, though offering more support could help your teen learn how to express their emotions more effectively. When occasional anger becomes an anger management issue, more serious problems can arise. 

How Common Are Anger Issues in Teens?

Teens with anger issues are more common than you may think. Approximately one in five teens have an anger issue. That means anger that gets out of control. Boys are three times more likely to develop an anger management problem than girls are, and they are more likely to express their anger through physical actions. 

Unfortunately, some of those physical actions can be destructive. Around 60% of all adolescents report having out-of-control anger attacks that led to threatening violence and destroying property or even engaging in such acts.  

Types of Anger Issues in Teens

When anger lasts for an extended period of time or when angry outbursts are frequent, a teen may be diagnosed with an anger disorder. The different types of anger disorder include:

• Chronic anger – Prolonged anger can impact the immune system and mental health
• Volatile anger –  Also known as intermittent explosive disorder
• Self-inflicted anger – Anger that is directed inward and may result in self-harm
• Retaliatory –  Anger that is directed toward others for real or perceived reasons
• Passive anger –  An anger that is hard to identify but often results in aloof behaviors

Each type of anger disorder brings unique challenges and risks to the teen. For example, volatile anger can result in the destruction of one’s own property, while chronic anger could lead to the development of a depressive disorder. 

Teens with anger issues could be facing unusually difficult circumstances at home or in school. However, because they are still learning how to regulate emotions, even easily solved problems can trigger an anger episode. 

For example, being hungry or tired may cause a teen to lash out. The many potential triggers are part of why it’s difficult to know how to deal with an angry teenager.

Call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery Today for Help With Anger Issues in Teens

If you’ve come to the end of your rope and no longer know how to deal with an angry teenage son, you’re not alone. Anger in teens can develop into full-fledged behavioral and mental health disorders that require professional intervention. 

Contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery at 828.519.5047 to learn more about our programs to help reduce anger issues in teens.