|
What is anger?
Anger is a very powerful emotion that can stem from feelings including
frustration, hurt, annoyance and disappointment. Anger is a normal human emotion
that can range from slight irritation to strong rage.
Anger can be harmful or helpful, depending upon how it is expressed. Knowing
how to recognize and express anger in appropriate ways can help people to reach
goals, handle emergencies and solve problems. However, problems can occur if
people fail to recognize and understand their anger.
What are the dangers of suppressed anger?
Suppressed anger can be an underlying cause of anxiety and depression. Anger
that is not appropriately expressed can disrupt relationships, affect thinking
and behavior patterns, and create a variety of physical problems. Chronic anger
has been linked to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart problems,
headaches, skin disorders and digestive problems. In addition, anger can be
linked to problems such as crime, emotional and physical abuse, and other
violent behavior.
What steps can I take to help manage my anger?
- Try to interrupt the anger cycle with tactics such as deep
breathing, positive self-talk, or stopping your angry thoughts. Breathe
deeply from your diaphragm. Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as
"relax" or "take it easy." Repeat it to yourself while
breathing deeply.
- Although expressing anger is better than keeping it in, anger
should be expressed in an appropriate way. Frequent outbursts of anger are
often counter-productive and cause problems in relationships with others.
Anger outbursts are also stressful to your nervous and cardiovascular
systems and can make health problems worse. Learning how to use
assertiveness is the healthy way to express your feelings, needs and
preferences. Being assertive can be used in place of using anger in these
situations.
- Seek out the support of others. Talk through your feelings and
try to work on changing your behaviors.
- If you have trouble realizing when you are having angry
thoughts, keep a log of when you feel angry.
- Try to gain a different perspective by putting yourself in
another’s place.
- Learn how to laugh at yourself and see humor in situations.
- Practice good listening skills. Listening can help improve
communication and can facilitate trusting feelings between people. This
trust can help you deal with potentially hostile emotions.
- Learn to assert yourself, expressing your feelings calmly and
directly without becoming defensive, hostile or emotionally charged up.
Consult with self-help books on assertiveness or seek help from a
professional therapist to learn how to use assertiveness and anger
management skills.
What else can I do to deal with my anger in a healthy way?
If you believe that your anger is out of control and is having a negative
affect on your life and relationships, you might want to seek the help of a
mental health professional. A psychologist or other licensed mental health
professional can work with you to develop techniques for changing your thinking
and your behavior. A mental health professional can help you to deal with your
anger in an appropriate way. Choose your therapist carefully and make sure to
seek treatment from a professional who is trained to teach anger management and
assertiveness skills.
|
