Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences from time to time, and teens are no exception. But it’s natural for you to be concerned if your teen is experiencing a lot of anger all the time and isn’t expressing it in a healthy way. So why is your teen so angry, and how can you tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy anger?
At Liz Morrison Therapy, our licensed therapists specialize in therapy for teens for children struggling with issues like anger, anxiety, depression, and other concerns. Knowing more about teen anger issues can arm you with what you need to better support your teen and seek help when necessary.
Why Is My Teen So Angry?
Anger isn’t inherently a bad thing. It gets a bad reputation because of how people often express their anger. But as an emotion, anger provides valuable information on what feels unfair or wrong. This information can be incredibly helpful. It can prompt someone to reevaluate or reconsider situations in their lives that don’t feel right.
Anger is a normal human emotion – especially when you’re an adolescent. Teen bodies, hormones, and brains are still developing and changing. They’re experiencing new emotional needs, like the desire for acceptance and independence. Plus, they’re figuring out their identity, navigating intense academic demands, and dealing with myriad social challenges. All of these factors mean that moodiness, frustration, and anger in teens are regular parts of growing up.
But sometimes anger can be a mask for other painful emotions or indicate underlying mental health challenges. That’s why parents need to understand what’s beneath teen anger.
Healthy vs Unhealthy Anger in Teens
Anger is a natural emotion, and when felt and expressed appropriately, it can be healthy, healing, and beneficial. However, there is a distinction between healthy anger and unhealthy anger. Knowing the difference can help you decide whether treatment is right for your family.
Healthy anger helps your teen release steam over unfair or upsetting situations, is expressed constructively, and can be used as a tool for advocacy, change, or self-protection without causing harm to others or themselves. Here are some examples of healthy anger:
Standing up for themselves or others when they witness unfair treatment or are being treated unfairly themselves, such as being wrongly accused of something.
Expressing frustration in non-violent ways, like screaming into a pillow, jumping up and down, or having conversations about something that upset them (after they’ve calmed down.)
Channeling anger through positive outlets like exercise, art, or writing. For example, after a hard day, going for a run, hitting the gym, or creating expressive art can help release big feelings of anger or frustration.
Using assertive communication to address grievances with peers or family, explaining why they feel upset, and working toward a resolution.
Unhealthy anger often involves explosive reactions that are disproportionate to the situation. When expressed like this, anger can erode relationships, mental health, and even physical well-being. Some signs of unhealthy anger in teens include:
Frequent outbursts over minor inconveniences or perceived slights, such as yelling, saying mean things, or slamming doors when things don’t go their way.
Aggression like hitting, pushing, or throwing objects when angry, can lead to harm or damage.
Holding grudges or constantly replaying events that provoke anger, can cause continuous anger and resentment cycles.
Blaming others for their feelings without taking responsibility for their own reactions or behaviors.
7 Reasons for Teen Anger and Frustration
Teen anger and frustration often stem from complex emotional challenges that can feel overwhelming and isolating. From trauma and loneliness to underlying anxiety, there are a lot of reasons your teen might be angry. Understanding what lies beneath these emotions is key to addressing them. Here are seven common reasons for anger in teens:
Trauma or Grief: Teens who have faced a significant loss or traumatic experiences can feel intense emotions that they aren’t ready to front, such as sadness, confusion, or deep pain. These unprocessed emotions often surface as anger and aggression, serving as a shield from vulnerability.
Bullying: Teen bullying and cyberbullying is a growing concern for teens, especially those with marginalized identities, such as LGBTQ+. Bullying can cause all kinds of problems to arise, including anger issues, anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors.
Substance Abuse: Some teens turn to substances as a way to cope with difficult emotions or to fit in with their peers. Many substances result in temporary feelings of euphoria or relaxation but often amplify mood swings, irritability, and frustration in the long run.
Loneliness: Adolescents often experience loneliness and a sense of disconnection, especially if they feel misunderstood or isolated from their friends and peers. This loneliness can lead to feelings of frustration, resentment, and anger.
Depression: Depression in teens doesn’t always look like sadness. Instead, it can manifest outwardly as irritability, rage, or moodiness.
Anxiety: Teens deal with constant stressors, including academic, social, and personal pressures. This regular stress can lead to chronic anxiety anxiety. Teen anxiety symptoms include anger, frustration, and a general sense of overwhelm.
Other underlying mental health issues: Sometimes anger is an expression of other unresolved behavioral or mental health issues, such as mood disorders, neurodivergence, or other concerns.
How to Help Your Teen Process Anger
Having a kid who can express healthy anger and frustration starts with helping them feel safe to feel all their emotions, no matter how intense they may seem. Here are some ways you can help your child express their feelings in a healthy way:
Model and encourage expression of all emotions, including hard or “negative” ones like anger, grief, and sadness.
Encourage open conversations about what caused the anger, helping your teen gain awareness of their triggers and emotions.
Validate the teen’s feelings without judgment.
Suggest physical activities like running, dancing, or other forms of exercise to help release pent-up energy.
Explore creative outlets like drawing, painting, music, or writing poetry, allowing your teen to process emotions in a reflective and personal way.
How Therapy For Teens Can Help Teen Anger
When your teen’s anger issues aren’t enough for you to manage on your own, consider professional support. Therapy for teens can transform a teen’s relationship to anger, frustration, and irritability. Here’s how our teen therapists help teens and their families:
Building Emotional Regulation Skills: Each of us at Liz Morrison Therapy is trained specifically in teen health. We work with teens to identify and manage their emotions more effectively. By learning skills in mindfulness, self-soothing, and impulse control, teens develop healthier ways to understand and express their feelings.
Addressing Underlying Issues: Anger in teens is sometimes a surface emotion that conceals deeper struggles. Therapy helps teens process and heal root causes like trauma, grief, or depression, allowing them to feel what needs to be felt rather than simply responding to everything with anger.
Developing Healthy Anger Expression: Let’s be honest, most of us weren’t taught how to express our anger in a healthy, productive way. Therapy can change that. Imagine if you were taught as a teenager how to have a better relationship with your anger, and how to express it in a way that actually helped rather than hurt. Therapy can help your teen learn how to cultivate a healthy relationship with anger.
Creating Healthy Communication Skills: Many teens lack the tools to communicate their emotions in constructive ways, leading to frustration and misunderstandings. Therapy can teach them how to articulate their feelings appropriately, improving their relationships with family and friends.
Building Resilience and Coping Mechanisms: We guide teens in building resilience and developing healthy coping mechanisms to handle stress, rejection, difficult emotions, and disappointment. These tools equip teens to treat themselves with compassion and feel empowered to handle all of life’s curveballs.
Support Your Teen in Healthier Anger Management in Manhattan, New York City, Brooklyn, and Anywhere Else in New York
Our specialized therapy program at Liz Morrison Therapy offers tailored support for teens struggling with anger, moodiness, and other intense emotions. We’re here to get to the root of your teen’s struggles and provide resources and skills your teens can use throughout their lives. Take the first step toward a brighter future for your teen by reaching out for guidance and support with therapy for teens. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
1. Contact us to schedule an appointment for therapy for teens
2. Begin meeting with a skilled teen therapist
3. Start on the path toward anger reduction!
Additional Services Offered at Liz Morrison Therapy
Our team at Liz Morrison Therapy is here to help you and your family no matter your mental health struggle. In addition to supporting your teen in reducing their anger in therapy for teens, our services also include Parenting Support for those looking to create healthy relationships with their children to help them live their best lives, Young Adult Therapy for individuals looking for support, guidance, and real-world strategies to help them deal with their struggles, and Anxiety Therapy for those wanting to cope with their anxiety in healthy ways. We offer services for the whole family. Our online therapy services are offered in Westchester County, Manhattan, New York City, Brooklyn, and anywhere else in New York state. For more about us check out our Blogs and FAQs.