Does anger typically increase as people grow older?
Written by
Natalie Hamilton
Reviewed by
Prof. Benjamin Murphy, Ph.D.While most people believe that anger increases with age, research indicates that emotional regulation generally improves with maturity. Life experience develops coping skills. Wisdom develops perspective. While old wounds will fester or come to light, chronic stress or health issues can introduce new conflicts. The relationship is complicated.
Your brain's prefrontal cortex helps enhance your ability to control emotionality, the center of impulse regulation, when you're older than 25. It fully develops around that age. Eventually, practice improves the skill to regulate through middle adulthood, though neurodegenerative conditions can alter this progress later. Lifestyle factors greatly modulate this process.
Neurobiological Factors
- Prefrontal cortex maturation improving regulation
- Neurotransmitter changes affecting emotional responses
- Age-related cognitive decline potentially increasing frustration
Psychological Development
- Increased emotional intelligence from life experience
- Improved perspective-taking abilities
- Accumulated unresolved trauma potentially resurfacing
Social Context
- Retirement transitions changing identity and purpose
- Social isolation increasing vulnerability
- Financial pressures creating chronic stress
Physical Health
- Chronic pain conditions lowering frustration tolerance
- Hormonal changes affecting mood stability
- Medication side effects altering emotional responses
Coping Resources
- Established emotional regulation habits
- Supportive social networks
- Access to healthcare and therapy
Lifestyle factors have a tremendous influence on how a person experiences anger across the life span. Moderate exercise helps maintain brain health. Social networks act as emotional buffers. Stress reduction prevents build-up. I've worked with a 75-year-old client who had much better emotional control than a 30-year-old in the same situation. A consistent practice will outweigh the years.
Address Prolonged Issues before they become compounded problems. Childhood traumas can recur during life transitions. Retirement can trigger an identity crisis. Therapy works proactively to help build strategies against. Building skills early establishes mental functional stability for life. Your future self will appreciate it.
Read the full article: 10 Proven Strategies How Manage Anger Effectively
