As illustrated by the account above, anger also has a dark side. Some people experience anger more quickly, more frequently, and more intensely than others. When provoked, they may lash out with verbal or physical attacks. Their anger, in effect, controls them, when it should be the other way around. Such unrestrained anger is dangerous, which is why it is sometimes referred to as “problem anger.”a

Those with anger problems bring grief not only to themselves but also to everyone around them. For someone with anger issues, even seemingly trivial matters can spark a violent outburst that brings tragic consequences. Consider the following examples:

A man walking with a group of friends was shot in the neck after the sports bag of one of his friends brushed against another man on a busy street.

A 19-year-old male beat his fiancée’s 11-month-old baby to death. The man had been playing a violent video game and lost his temper when the baby touched the game’s control panel and thus caused the man to forfeit the game.

Similar reports from around the world indicate that an increasing number of people have anger problems.