The cycle of anger. Anger is a natural emotion that usually stems from perceived threat or loss. It’s a pervasive emotion. It affects our body, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Anger is often described in terms of its intensity, frequency, duration, threshold, and expression. Anger typically follows a predictable pattern: a cycle. Understanding the cycle of anger can help us understand our own anger reactions and those of others. It can also help us in considering the most appropriate response. Illustrated below are the five phases of the anger cycle: trigger, escalation, crisis, recovery, and depression.
