Is there a definitive root-cause of an angry personality type?  Is it
attributable to early family environment, metabolic disorder,
psychological personality disorder (i.e., defined as a mental
illness), or is it just a bad habit?

---

Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 17 Aug 2004 19:07 PDT

Purrsian,

Normally I would dig right into a meaty question like this one, but at
the moment I am having some family problems involving a mentally ill
person, and the prospect of gathering information on this subject
inspires more dread than delight. I do hope that one of my colleagues
will be able to help. It's certainly an interesting field; the
nature/nurture aspects of mental illness have been written about at
length, so there is a wealth of information (and speculation) out
there.

You might want to narrow down the subject matter. For instance, you
could ask a Researcher to discuss various kinds of psychiatric or
neurological conditions that can cause anger management problems. Or
you could ask for information regarding theories of the origins and
causes of personality disorders. The more clearly-defined the
question, the better an answer you're likely to get.

~Pink

---

Clarification of Question by purrsian-ga on 19 Aug 2004 15:09 PDT

I suppose what I need to understand is, is someone who is affected by
personality disorder go through phases?  Is it an organic phenomenon
or purely behavioral?  Are there "cures" for impulsive anger that
don't involve talk therapy?  How does anger management difficulties
affect the overall health of the individual who has the disorder?

Purr...

I took your last comment as an approval of my remarks as an answer.
I will consolidate them here for the sake of future readers:


Responding strictly from my own experience in the field of mental
health, here are some thoughts in response to your queries:

"...does someone who is affected by personality disorder go through
 phases? 

Yes. The literature on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
suggests that, with or without therapy or hospitalization, a
person suffering from this disorder will, in time, outgrow the
more radical mood swings which accompany the onset and early
experiences of this disorder. Simply, they seem to mellow with
age, becoming more emotionally stable around middle age.

"Is it an organic phenomenon or purely behavioral?"

As with many mental illnesses, the literature speaks of there
being an 'organic component' to BPD, involving the hereditary
aspect of the condition. Though this component is, as yet, 
obscurely defined, it is clear from the statistics that the
condition runs in family histories.

Still, impulsive anger, in and of itself, can arise from any
and all of the factors you mentioned in your original question,
aside from a diagnosis of BPD. Family environment, metabolic 
disorders, as well as head injuries, low self-esteem, lack of
training in assertive communication, a background of emotional
or sexual abuse, etc., can all contribute to anger management
issues, singly, or in combination.

"Are there "cures" for impulsive anger that don't involve talk
 therapy?

There are many approaches to therapy, which fill the spectrum
between strictly talk therapy to ratio-emotive therapies (which
attempt to educate the client as to the beliefs and thoughts
that give rise to feelings of anger and other emotions), to
assertiveness training, to more physical therapies that involve
beating a mattress with a baseball bat.

"How does anger management difficulties affect the overall health
 of the individual who has the disorder?"

Interestingly, anger is thought of as a 'secondary' emotion, 
masking a more primary emotion such as grief, sadness, or
self-loathing. Impulsive anger can come about through the
inability to access these suppressed emotions, as well as
from the inability to express 'normal' anger, in moderation,
during the course of one's life. A negative self-image can
contribute to this, in that the person doesn't feel worthy
of standing up for themselves, or defending their integrity.

The literature suggests that suppressed emotions of any kind,
and certainly anger, can be major contributing factors to
a slew of physical conditions and ailments, from the obvious
ones, like high blood pressure, to any and all conditions
which might be negatively affected by a compromised immune
system, which is certainly a possible effect of suppressed
emotions and self-loathing.


> ...always having to please and not complain, has just been
> diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and a failed
> thyroid gland.

Interestingly, I had a teacher who used to say "little old ladies
get arthritis because they never hit anybody".

> ...since I am in an intimate relationship with the brother,
> how do I "manage" this syndrome?  Is it possible that love
> and acceptance will mollify his emotional responses?

While anything is possible, it's best not to set yourself up
with essentially unrealistic expectations. You certainly can't
'manage' the issue for him. The fact is, he needs to do his
own work on managing his own issues. Believing you can do it
for him will put you in the realm of the codependent enabler,
who makes excuses for his failures, and rationalizes that it
is your inadequacies, not his, that result in his continued
problems. Caring more for the progress of another than that
individual cares for it himself is a recipe for burnout, 
whether you're a professional in the field of mental health,
or a personal friend or relative of the troubled individual.

While love and acceptance *may* ameliorate the expression of
inordinate anger for a time, it may also lead to a crisis of
conscience vs behavior, such that, though he knows the anger
is irrational, and may be able to withhold it for a time, it
may eventually surface in spite of, as much as because of, this
atmosphere of acceptance. The key to its ultimate resolution
lies in his ability to finally connect it with its true source,
which may be difficult to accomplish without the assistance of
experienced professional help.

Nonetheless, I have known individuals, myself included, who have
managed the task of tracing anger to its roots in suppressed
emotions without any assistance from the professional community.
However, this takes a solid commitment to personal growth, and
a certain faith in one's inner integrity to accomplish this on
one's own. This is most easily accomplished during the years of
emerging personal strength in the age from 25 to 30, or later,
in the time of the so-called midlife crisis.

Best regards...

sublime1-ga

"Angry personality type" covers a lot of territory. Anger control and
related matters are part of quite a few personality disorders. One
that springs to mind is Borderline Personality Disorder:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00442.html

In addition to psychological factors, there are also organic
neurological conditions that can cause inappropriate outbursts of
anger.

Ah, PF, we meet again, and again!  

From your answer, personality disorder appears to play a strong role. 
But, can you elaborate a bit please?  How does the personality become
disordered?  Are there any working theories?  How does early childhood
abuse affect the individual?  Would an emotionally repressive early
family environment play a role?  Are biochemical imbalances really
involved or is science still shooting in the dark when it comes to our
mysterious internal chemical reactions?
Is the narcissistic personality born or made?  

I appreciate the page you did send and the fact that people affected
by the personality disordered personality should have an objective
attitude toward that person's behavior.

PF is right. "Anger" covers a lot of ground.  For men, high
testosterone levels can be one factor.

Dear Pink,

Please accept my sympathy with what you may be experiencing now, and
total understanding of your not wanting to delve further into what
would cause you a great deal of pain.

I've noticed that there is another comment that was posted, so I'll
explore that now.

Very best wishes with your family.

Purr

Purrsian...

Pinkfreud pointed this question out to me, knowing of my extensive
background in the field of mental health. I am watching the question
closely. If I had the time to compose a complete answer, I'd be more
than happy to do so, but my time is very limited lately.

If noone answers the question (and perhaps, even if they do), I will
make it a point to post at least a comment addressing your questions
based on my experience only, without adding links to online resources.
This will take considerably less time than composing a fully documented
answer.

sublime1-ga

purrsian...

Responding strictly from my own experience in the field of mental
health, here are some thoughts:


"...does someone who is affected by personality disorder go through
 phases? 

Yes. The literature on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
suggests that, with or without therapy or hospitalization, a
person suffering from this disorder will, in time, outgrow the
more radical mood swings which accompany the onset and early
experiences of this disorder. Simply, they seem to mellow with
age, becoming more emotionally stable around middle age.

"Is it an organic phenomenon or purely behavioral?"

As with many mental illnesses, the literature speaks of there
being an 'organic component' to BPD, involving the hereditary
aspect of the condition. Though this component is, as yet, 
obscurely defined, it is clear from the statistics that the
condition runs in family histories.

Still, impulsive anger, in and of itself, can arise from any
and all of the factors you mentioned in your original question,
aside from a diagnosis of BPD. Family environment, metabolic 
disorders, as well as head injuries, low self-esteem, lack of
training in assertive communication, a background of emotional
or sexual abuse, etc., can all contribute to anger management
issues, singly, or in combination.

"Are there "cures" for impulsive anger that don't involve talk
 therapy?

There are many approaches to therapy, which fill the spectrum
between strictly talk therapy to ratio-emotive therapies (which
attempt to educate the client as to the beliefs and thoughts
that give rise to feelings of anger and other emotions), to
assertiveness training, to more physical therapies that involve
beating a mattress with a baseball bat.

"How does anger management difficulties affect the overall health
 of the individual who has the disorder?"

Interestingly, anger is thought of as a 'secondary' emotion, 
masking a more primary emotion such as grief, sadness, or
self-loathing. Impulsive anger can come about through the
inability to access these suppressed emotions, as well as
from the inability to express 'normal' anger, in moderation,
during the course of one's life. A negative self-image can
contribute to this, in that the person doesn't feel worthy
of standing up for themselves, or defending their integrity.

The literature suggests that suppressed emotions of any kind,
and certainly anger, can be major contributing factors to
a slew of physical conditions and ailments, from the obvious
ones, like high blood pressure to any and all conditions
which might be negatively affected by a compromised immune
system, which is certainly a possible effect of suppressed
emotions and self-loathing.

I hope that helps...

sublime1-ga

sublime1,

Your last paragraph is actually quite helpful in allowing me to
understand the behavior.  In this public forum I'm reluctant to go
into greater detail, but there are two individuals from the same
family who seem to have been affected by a combination of the factors
you mention.  The brother, who has anger management issues, suffers
from psoriasis, which, in my limited experience, is probably an
"outcome" of repressed emotions.  I also believe that the skin
condition has shamed him quite deeply and he probably does have quite
a few issues with grief over lost opportunities.

His sister, always having to please and not complain, has just been
diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and a failed thyroid
gland.  Does that appear to resonate with your comments?  My one big
question is, since I am in an intimate relationship with the brother,
how do I "manage" this syndrome?  Is it possible that love and
acceptance will mollify his emotional responses?

Purrsian...

> ...always having to please and not complain, has just been
> diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and a failed
> thyroid gland.

Interestingly, I had a teacher who used to say "little old ladies
get arthritis because they never hit anybody".

> ...since I am in an intimate relationship with the brother,
> how do I "manage" this syndrome?  Is it possible that love
> and acceptance will mollify his emotional responses?

While anything is possible, it's best not to set yourself up
with essentially unrealistic expectations. You certainly can't
'manage' the issue for him. The fact is, he needs to do his
own work on managing his own issues. Believing you can do it
for him will put you in the realm of the codependent enabler,
who makes excuses for his failures, and rationalizes that it
is your inadequacies, not his, that results in his continued
problems. Caring more for the progress of another than that
individual cares for it himself is a recipe for burnout, 
whether you're a professional in the field of mental health,
or a personal friend or relative of the troubled individual.

While love and acceptance *may* ameliorate the expression of
inordinate anger for a time, it may also lead to a crisis of
conscience vs behavior, such that, though he knows the anger
is irrational, and may be able to withhold it for a time, it
may eventually surface in spite of, as much as because of, this
atmosphere of acceptance. The key to its ultimate resolution
lies in his ability to finally connect it with its true source,
which may be difficult to accomplish without the assistance of
experienced professional help.

Nonetheless, I have known individuals, myself included, who have
managed the task of tracing anger to its roots in suppressed
emotions without any assistance from the professional community.
However, this takes a solid commitment to personal growth, and
a certain faith in one's inner integrity to accomplish this on
one's own. This is most easily accomplished during the years of
emerging personal strength in the age from 25 to 30, or later,
in the time of the so-called midlife crisis.

If I have provided satisfactory responses to your questions,
despite a lack of formally researched links, I would be pleased
to consolidate them in the form of an official answer.

As you wish...

sublime1-ga

Sublime1,
Your comments have made me reflective and sober, first thing in the
morning.  I agree that my investing hope to turn around bad bahavior
through positive role modeling is probably somewhat futile.  He and I
have already been in marriage counseling, so I did make him aware of
his behavior and how disappointed I was.  He's changed remarkably
since then, but does occasionally have difficulty; perhaps long
engrained habits take a while to change.

And, yes, friends, relatives and counselors have told me that it's
best that I take care of myself, which I've done.

Unlike many people I know who have emerged from troubled families, my
husband is unwilling to come to terms with his father's tyranny.  My
husband had already been through therapy when he was in his twenties,
but won't tell me what for - although I know that his therapist at the
time told him that he shouldn't repress his anger, but act it out. 
Our marriage counselor said that it was not good to do that
(obviously!!), but to contain his anger in work projects or exercise. 
So, my husband did take her advice to heart.  I think that when my
husband acknowledges that his father brought his workplace culture
(prison guard) into the household, and that it was destructive, will
he begin to heal.

Thank you for your compassionate answer.

Purr