Do you get paingry?

Updated September 3, 2026

It's easy to become angry when living with chronic pain. I've even heard the term “paingry” used to describe it.

Anger may be directed toward ourselves, our circumstances, healthcare providers, family members, or other people.

Anger is a normal human emotion. It can sometimes be helpful and motivate us to address problems. But when anger becomes intense, persistent, or difficult to control, it can increase distress and interfere with relationships, functioning, and quality of life.

Anger and chronic pain
Research suggests that anger can be particularly important in chronic pain.

A 2026 study of 735 adults seeking treatment for chronic pain identified different patterns of anger and perceived injustice.

People with higher levels of anger and perceived injustice had more severe pain-related outcomes, both at the initial assessment and at follow-up about five months later. These findings show an association rather than proving that anger causes worse pain, but they highlight the importance of recognizing and addressing anger as part of chronic pain care.

Anger can also become part of a cycle.

Pain can lead to frustration and anger. Anger can increase stress and distress. And increased distress can make it harder to respond to pain in helpful ways.

The goal isn't to eliminate anger. It's to learn how to recognize it and respond differently.

How to manage anger

• Recognize it. Notice when anger is building and pay attention to what's behind it. What happened? What are you thinking? What are you expecting? What are you telling yourself about the situation? Recognizing anger gives you an opportunity to change how you respond to it.
• Breathe and calm down. When anger starts building, slow down. Mindful deep breathing and other relaxation techniques can help reduce the physiological arousal associated with anger. Sometimes the best response is to pause before saying or doing something you'll regret.
• Use cognitive restructuring. Anger can be fueled by thoughts such as "This always happens,” "Nobody cares," or "This shouldn't be happening to me." Cognitive restructuring involves recognizing unhelpful thoughts and working toward more balanced ways of thinking and responding. This doesn't mean pretending that everything is okay. It means asking whether the way you're thinking about a situation is helping you or making things worse.

What about perceived injustice?
Chronic pain can sometimes create a strong sense that life isn't fair.

“Why me?”
“The doctors should have fixed this.”
“Other people don't understand.”

These thoughts are understandable. Sometimes people really have experienced poor care, unfair treatment, or circumstances that shouldn't have happened.

But repeatedly dwelling on injustice may keep anger alive and make it harder to move forward.

The 2026 study mentioned above found that higher perceived injustice, particularly when combined with higher levels of anger, was associated with the most severe pain outcomes.

The goal isn't to deny injustice.

It's to recognize when dwelling on it no longer helps.

Don't let anger take control
You don't have to eliminate anger.

You can't control everything that happens around you, and there will be times when anger is a completely understandable response.

But you can learn to control how you respond.

Recognize the anger. Understand what's behind it.

Pause before reacting.

Challenge unhelpful thoughts. Then choose how you want to respond.

Anger is something you experience. It doesn't have to control what you think, say, or do.

I explore the role of emotions, cognitive restructuring, and other strategies for managing chronic pain in my book, Trapped by Chronic Pain? Break Free and Take Back Your Life.

Learn more

• Control anger before it controls you 
• Distinct multidimensional anger profiles predict current and long-term chronic pain outcomes 
• When Chronic Pain Leads to Chronic Anger​​