Anger in adolescents can be caused by hormonal changes, difficulty adjusting to social situations, depression, and grieving. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) can also be a reason for consistent anger and frustration. Teens may resort to anger if they are uncomfortable expressing themselves or have difficulty processing their emotions. ODD is characterized by a desire for revenge, excessive quarrels, defiance, and a lack of responsibility.
There are many well-known causes of anger in adolescents, including ever-changing hormones and difficulty adjusting to peers and social situations, but other reasons may not be as obvious. Teens may find it difficult to control anger if they are feeling depressed or grieving. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) could also be a reason why a teenager consistently shows signs of anger and frustration.
Teens are most likely going through hormonal changes, so the confusion could erupt when the transformations happen at a pivotal time in their lives. Anger in adolescents might be obvious when they are having a hard time adjusting because they may not fully understand what is happening to them. Likewise, the teenage years are often an important time for young adults to assimilate into social situations. If adolescents don’t fit in or feel wanted in certain settings, controlling anger may not be easy for them. Teens may feel overwhelmed and lash out in frustration and anger because of their extracurricular activities, significant amounts of homework, or other responsibilities.
Depression may also be an underlying cause of anger in adolescents, although it may not be immediately apparent. Mental health professionals note that anger is one of the most common signs of depression during adolescence. Teenage girls are twice as likely to be depressed than their male counterparts. When adolescent boys are depressed, they are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior and anger problems.
If teens aren’t comfortable expressing themselves in front of others or aren’t sure how to show their emotions when they’ve suffered a loss in their life, they may resort to using anger instead. Grieving teens may be expressing their frustration and anger at the world around them instead of communicating and processing their feelings. Anger in adolescents might become apparent if they are involved in the death in any way, feel responsible for the death, or have seen the death happen. They may try to compensate for feeling useless and powerless by resorting to anger instead.
A teenager who displays unhealthy anger and has difficulty controlling anger may be suffering from oppositional defiant disorder. This disease is characterized by specific traits, such as an insatiable desire to seek revenge at any cost, excessive or incessant quarrels, defiance, and a complete lack of responsibility in accepting blame for mistakes. All teens might exhibit these behavior patterns at some point, but a teen who has ODD will lash out and be continually disruptive.
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