Anger
What is it?
Anger is an emotional state that varies in intensity from slight irritation to intense fury and rage. It is accompanied by physiological and biological changes that may be caused by both external and internal events. The emotion of anger is neither good nor bad. It’s perfectly healthy and normal to feel angry when you’ve been mistreated or wronged. The feeling isn’t the problem—it’s what you do with it that makes a difference. Anger becomes a problem when it harms you or others. Learning to control anger is a challenge for everyone at times. If your anger is causing you to do things you regret, hurts those around you, or is taking a toll on your personal relationships, counseling may be needed.
Signs and Symptoms of Anger:
Irritability and crabbiness
Shouting
Intimidating and bullying others
Bombarding someone with hostile questions
Withdrawing socially
Pounding heart
Rising blood pressure
Headaches
Feeling clammy or flushed
Difficulty concentrating
Tensing your shoulders
Treatments for Anger
Identifying what triggers your anger so that you are able to recognize signs before your anger turn into aggression.
Exploring underlying feelings, such as sadness or depression.
Learning to use “I” statements, not “you” statements, to discuss your anger.
Learning to avoid situations or people that trigger your anger.
Using healthy methods to express emotions such as, walking, journaling, listening to music, etc.
Focusing on taking care of your personal health such as, getting proper sleep, limiting alcohol, having a balanced diet, etc.
Learning how to be assertive so that you will feel more in control of situations.
Learning to use new problem-solving techniques so that you feel empowered and begin to have less triggers.
Using better communication with others so that you don’t jump to inaccurate conclusions.
Incorporating simple relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery to help calm down angry feelings.
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