Anger is a feeling that affects us all. Things that can make us feel angry include a threat to us or people close to us, a blow to our self-esteem or social standing in a group, being interrupted when we’re pursuing a goal, being treated unfairly and feeling unable to change this, being verbally or physically assaulted, or someone going against a principle we feel is important.
Anger is an important emotion, according to Celia Richardson of the Mental Health Foundation. “It’s the one that tells us we need to take action to put something right,” she says. “Anger is a problem-solving emotion. It gives us strength and energy, and motivates us to act.”But for some, anger can get out of control and cause problems with relationships, work and even the law.
Physical signs of anger
Everyone has a physical response to anger. Our body releases the hormone adrenalin, making our heart beat faster and making us breathe quicker and sweat more.This allows us to focus on the threat and react quickly, but it can also mean we don’t think straight, and maybe react in ways we might regret later on.
“One person in five has ended a relationship because of the way the other person dealt with anger,” says Celia.“Reports show that anger problems are as common as depression and anxiety, but people don’t often see it as a problem, or don’t realise there are ways to tackle it.”
Individual reactions to being angry
How people react to feeling angry depends on many things including the situation, their family history, cultural background, gender and general stress levels.
People can express anger verbally, by shouting. Sometimes this can be aggressive, involving swearing, threats or name-calling. Some people react violently and lash out physically, hitting other people, pushing them or breaking things.
Other people might hide their anger or turn it against themselves. They can be very angry on the inside but feel unable to let it out.
It’s important to deal with anger in a healthy way that doesn’t harm you or anyone else. Intense and unresolved anger is linked to health conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and heart disease. It can also affect your relationships and your work, and get you into trouble with the law.
Dealing with anger in a healthy way includes:
recognising when you get angry
taking time to cool down
reducing the amount of stress in your life
Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully. Anger is frequently a result of frustration, or of feeling blocked or thwarted from something we feel to be important. Anger can also be a defensive response to underlying fear or feelings of vulnerability or powerlessness. Anger management programs consider anger to be a motivation caused by an identifiable reason which can be logically analyzed, and if suitable worked toward.
"We all experience anger; anger only becomes a serious concern when an individual is angry too frequently, too intensely, and for too long." - Raymond W. Novaco, 1984
Anger management is a term used to describe the skills you need to recognise that you, or someone else, is becoming angry and take appropriate action to deal with the situation in a positive way.
Anger is a perfectly normal human emotion and, when dealt with appropriately, can even be considered a healthy emotion. We all feel angry from time to time, yet this feeling can lead us to say or do things that we later regret. Anger can reduce our inhibitions and make us act inappropriately.
Anger management concerns recognising the triggers for anger as early as possible and expressing these feelings and frustrations in a cool, calm and collected way. We often have learnt-behaviours as to how to deal with strong emotions, so anger management is about unlearning ineffective coping mechanisms and re-learning more positive ways to deal with the problems and frustrations associated with anger.
There are many anger management techniques that you can learn and practise by yourself or teach to others. However if you, or someone you know, experiences a lot of regular anger or very strong anger (rage) then seeking help, usually in the form of a counsellor, can be more effective.
You should seek professional help if anger is having a long-term negative impact on your relationships, is making you unhappy, or is resulting in any dangerous or violent behaviour.
Do You Need Professional Help with Anger?
If you answer yes to any of these questions then you may need professional help to manage your anger.
Your behaviour has led to any sort of criminal or civil wrongdoing.
You are violent towards your partner, children or other people.
You threaten violence to people or property.
You have outbursts of rage which involve deliberately breaking things.
You have constant arguments with people close to you, your spouse/partner, parents, children, colleagues or friends.
You feel angry frequently but internalise the emotion.
You think that you may need professional help with your anger.
All what you need is Anger Management Therapy. Also, pray through.
