{"id":25553,"date":"2025-08-12T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T12:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25553"},"modified":"2025-08-12T08:42:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T12:42:56","slug":"when-anxiety-is-really-about-anger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2025\/08\/when-anxiety-is-really-about-anger.html","title":{"rendered":"When Anxiety is Really About Anger"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kurt made an appointment with a therapist because he was feeling increasingly anxious. What he didn\u2019t expect was that beneath his anxiety was something deeper\u2014unresolved anger.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the therapist explored Kurt\u2019s history, a pattern began to emerge. Kurt had been holding on to resentment toward a relative who had wronged him years ago. While Kurt talked calmly at first, it soon became clear that he had buried intense feelings for a long time. Eventually, the dam broke. Kurt exploded with emotion, and for the first time, he began to see the connection between his anger and his anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

This connection isn\u2019t unusual. We know the mind and body are tightly linked. When we suppress strong emotions\u2014especially anger\u2014we activate the body’s stress response. Chronic stress from unresolved anger can lead to increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which are associated with anxiety, digestive problems, cardiovascular issues, and even lowered immune function <\/span><\/p>\n

Repressed anger occurs when you feel anger but deny or minimize it. Instead of expressing what\u2019s going on, you push it down. This is often a learned behavior. Maybe you were taught that anger is \u201cbad\u201d or unsafe. Maybe you saw adults repress their anger or lash out destructively and decided it was better to keep yours hidden.<\/span><\/p>\n

But repression is not resolution. Over time, buried anger doesn\u2019t disappear\u2014it festers. It can lead to chronic resentment, irritability, muscle tension, and yes, anxiety. Psychoanalyst Dr. Theodore Isaac Rubin, in his book\u00a0<\/span>The Angry Book<\/em>, argued that repressed anger is a frequent root of anxiety symptoms. Avoiding conflict may feel like a short-term fix, but the emotional toll can show up in the body and mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kurt had a choice. He could keep pretending the anger didn\u2019t exist, risking another emotional outburst, or he could face it honestly and choose a healthier path. He chose the latter. With the help of his therapist, Kurt began working through the hurt and developed a plan to address the conflict. He didn\u2019t need to confront his relative immediately, but simply acknowledging his anger and processing it made a significant difference. As he faced the truth, his anxiety began to subside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anger is not wrong\u2014it\u2019s a signal that something needs attention. What matters is how we handle it. When we avoid it, it often shows up in other ways, like anxiety, depression, or physical illness. When we face it directly and constructively, healing becomes possible. Scripture instructs us to be anger but not to sin, meaning let it go and deal with it appropriately. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you find yourself feeling anxious for reasons you can\u2019t quite explain, it may be worth asking whether unexpressed anger is part of the story. Be honest with yourself. Naming the emotion is often the first step toward healing.<\/span><\/p>\n

And sometimes, resolving that anger may involve forgiveness\u2014not to excuse the wrong, but to free yourself from its ongoing emotional grip.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Kurt made an appointment with a therapist because he was feeling increasingly anxious. What he didn\u2019t expect was that beneath his anxiety was something deeper\u2014unresolved anger. As the therapist explored Kurt\u2019s history, a pattern began to emerge. Kurt had been holding on to resentment toward a relative who had wronged him years ago. While…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":25664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4099],"tags":[3639,2740,9131,9128,9125,2579],"class_list":["post-25553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stress","tag-anger-and-anxiety","tag-anxious-feelings","tag-chronic-stress-and-anger","tag-hidden-anger","tag-repressed-anger","tag-resentment"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen Anxiety is Really About Anger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Repressed anger occurs when you feel anger but deny or minimize it. 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Instead of expressing what\u2019s going on, you push it down.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2025\/08\/when-anxiety-is-really-about-anger.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Doing Life Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-12T12:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-12T12:42:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/08\/mandepressedsadanxietycreditshutterstockcom.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"650\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"488\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Mintle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@drlindamintle\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"When Anxiety is Really About Anger","description":"Repressed anger occurs when you feel anger but deny or minimize it. 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