How Is COVID-19 Causing Anger? Anger during coronavirus may be a symptom of something unexpected: grief. Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the famous “5 stages of grief” in her landmark 1969 book, On Death and Dying. The idea is that there are generally five phases of coping after a loss. These are:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Well, right now we are all experiencing loss. It may be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a career, or even simply mourning the way life used to be. People become attached to routine and security just like we get attached to other people. In any case, these stages of grief almost always surface when dealing with a death or intense change. We can easily draw parallels to our collective reality. Currently the world seems to be in phase 2...anger. Savings are gone, jobs are gone, loved ones have passed. Plus this pandemic is still going on. The anger about these grievances can sometimes spill into other facets of life. People displace their anger in various ways: yelling at their kids, fighting with their spouse, road rage, etc. It turns out this displacement of anger is a defense mechanism. Anger is linked to the “fight or flight” arousal state, which evolved to help us survive in nature. But in this case it leads to lashing out without knowing the true source of the rage. Worse case scenario this leads to things like domestic violence. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Many overcome their anger and depression with healthy coping skills or a bit of professional help. Have you been experiencing anger and rage because of coronavirus, or changes brought about because of it? The solution: engage in therapy or talk with trusted, good friends. This way we uncover what we are truly angry about, and gain an awareness and understanding of it. Then we see where we displace it. Kids, marriage, community? By understanding anger we can devise appropriate, constructive solutions. Owning our emotions brings peace to our inner world, and makes the outer world a better place. If you or a loved one have been struggling with mental health problems since the pandemic, please reach out for professional help.  Bregman MD has decades of experience treating various disorders, and we are here to help. Schedule an appointment online at www.bregmanmd.com or call 305-740-3340. References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coping-with-coronavirus-grief/art-20486392 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/stress-coping/grief-loss.html