Anger and difficult emotions

Articles on anger and other hard emotions: what sits underneath them, how to notice the early signs, and how to respond without hurting people. They're for anyone whose temper is costing them relationships, work or peace of mind.

Anger is a normal emotion, and it often covers something else: hurt, fear, stress, or feeling disrespected or overwhelmed. Our articles on men's mental health note that men in Nigeria are often raised to hide their feelings, so depression can show up as anger, a short temper or overwork rather than sadness. Sudden, outsized anger can also trace back to a harsh childhood, including the strict discipline many people were told was normal.

Start with anger management techniques that work. If anger sits alongside low mood, read signs of depression in men, and if it seems to come from the past, childhood trauma in adults.

If anger is damaging your relationships or feels out of your control, licensed therapists who work with anger and conflict on Mytherapist.ng can help you work out what drives it and practise other ways to respond.