While some people shout and scream when theyre angry, some people cry when theyre mad.

Heres what it’s crucial that you know about your emotional response to anger and how you canmanage it.

Below, Romanoff explains some of the emotional reactions people experience in response to anger.

Young depressed man crying in bed

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Aggression

This can include overtaggressionor action, such as breaking things or punching walls.

Depression and Anxiety

The most common secondary emotional reactions to anger are depression andanxiety.

We are taught at a young age that anger is corrosive and threatens attachments and relationships.

The consequence is that we must bear the burden of these internally distressing emotions.

Criticism

People also tend to become critical when theyre angry.

Instead of constructively addressing the problem, they find fault in others in the pursuit of retaliation.

It is okay to cry when you get mad.

It is always helpful to use your emotions as a guide.

Tears help you understand more about yourself and the impact the situation has on you.

Sometimes people experience their tears as coming out of the blue.

This can indicate that they have little awareness or insight into the intensity of their emotional reactions.

Tears can act as a compass, directing you to areas that require deeper examination and processing.

This could be due to how you believe it might change their perception of you.

Therefore, its important to process and communicate how you are feeling.

This gives the other person reassurance that youre not being avoidant and also gives you space to regulate yourself.

it’s possible for you to also venture to compartmentalize the thoughts that are triggering your tears.

Commit to yourself that you will revisit these emotions later and then return to the task at hand.

Visualizationcan be helpful in these moments.

If you are unable to control your emotions, you always have the opportunity to leave.

It is a built-in mechanism to process and manage intense feelings.

These activities can help induce a relaxation response that can ease stress and may help you stop crying.

Crying can provide emotional release and help you understand your feelings better.

However, crying in public or with people youre not comfortable with can be embarrassing and frustrating.

2020;20(7):1279-1291. doi:10.1037/emo0000633

American Psychological Association.Controlling anger.

Nemours Foundation.Dealing With Anger.