"Anxiety is often a symptom of anger" - anyone heard that before? Therapist threw me a bit

[theladybirdheard]

So I went to see about an Anxiety course my GP had recommended and the therapist explained it to me. It sounds good but then she said that anxiety is often a symptom of anger which threw me a bit. Anyone else heard this? Is she right??????

Not heard that before. Did she elaborate? Reference it?

Anger? Eh? Fear, yes. Anger...not so much.

I have heard that depression is anger turned inward.

All sounds cod to me. My (diagnosed) anxiety is due to post traumatic stress after I saved my DS from choking to death. Nothing to do with anger at all.

I would have thought it was the other way round....

The fight/flight response in response to fear....so if you are anxious, you will either run away, or be aggressive. Anger resulting from fear...?

I've heard depression can be, so maybe she's lumping anxiety/depression together?

Just an aside, or is there a huge rise in anxiety disorders in recent years? Depression was always quite well known, if not accepted, but in the last few years I have noticed anxiety being spoken of a 'thing'. Maybe it's just my perception though.

Yes I would also agree that it is the other way round and that anxiety can manifest itself as anger.

I think she was trying to say that anxiety can manifest itself in people who can't express anger for some reason or other….But I admit I was surprised and it made wonder about any course she runs….

Frankly I'd avoid. Not all therapists are helpful or know what they're doing...

I would say it's true in some people anxiety CAN manifest itself in people who struggle to express anger through health means. Certainly widely recognised as true for depression in many people.

Anxiety is the medical name for fear as far as I understand. Of course all our emotions can get "masked" by another emotion. Some people get angry when they really feel sad/guilty/hurt and so yes scared as well. Maybe it will become clear if you do the course.

I'd say it was the other way round. My DD displayed incredible amounts of anger, but it all turned out to be anxiety. Once we discovered that, the anger melted away.

But surely your DD was "masking" her fear with anger?

sorry nana- I was responding to OP, though it looks as though I was responding to you!

Yes, she was masking her fear with anger- the anger was the symptom, the anxiety the cause.

Well on all those forms you have to fill out to see how anxious you are, there's always a question about how irritable you've been, so I can see it that way round clearly. Maybe I misunderstood her? But from what I thought she said it was that the anxiety was really anger displayed in another way. I guess I have heard that in relation to depression and people who take there own lives but never anxiety before…I don't know. It just unsettled me…

It really depends on what was said exactly in the therapy session. All emotions are closely linked for example anger hides fear all too often. I would not discount what was said but clarify with the therapist at the next session what exactly they meant. So much happens in that therapeutic hour its hard to remember and clearly recall everything. Don't worry about what could and could not have been said you're only getting yourself back in the stress /anxiety situation again.