When Tempers Flare

Your mom just told you there's no way she's letting you out of the house until you clean your room. What starts out as mild annoyance (now you'll be late for Chrissy's party) turns into red-hot anger as you pick up the magazines and dishes from your floor. How dare she? You're not a child! Before you know it, you've kicked a big dent in your closet door, broken a dish, and yelled at your sister. Now you're grounded for the whole weekend — plus, you feel terrible about the way you acted.

So why did you fly off the handle so quickly? And why are there days when you feel like you just wake up angry?

Some of it may be the changes your body's going through: All those hormones you hear so much about can cause mood swings and confused emotions. Some of it may be stress: People who are under a lot of pressure tend to get angry more easily. Part of it may be your personality: You may be someone who feels your emotions intensely or tends to act impulsively or lose control. And part of it may be your role models: Maybe you've seen other people in your family blow a fuse when they're mad.

No matter what pushes your buttons, one thing is certain — you're sure to get angry sometimes. Everyone does. Anger is a normal emotion, and there's nothing wrong with feeling mad. What counts is how you handle it (and yourself) when you're angry.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/cancer_center/feelings/deal_with_anger.html#a_When_Tempers_Flare