By Ashley Barnes, M.S.
What is anger?
Anger is, at its core, a very normal and human emotion. It is important to distinguish that we all experience anger and that it is okay. Anger can serve as data that something is making us uncomfortable, crossing our boundaries, or impeding on our sense of wellbeing.
Anger can be warranted, but sometimes it clouds our judgment. When we get angry, our nervous system is sent into fight mode as a result of perceived threat. Perceived threat could be an insult thrown our way or a wrongdoing directed towards us. When our nervous system is in fight mode, our amygdala is activated more than our prefrontal cortex; the prefrontal cortex is responsible for calculated decision making, understanding of long term consequences, and judgment (American Addiction Centers, 2022).
When angry, you may “see red” or get “tunnel vision.” You may experience rapid heart rate and rising blood pressure, a heat sensation in the body, trembling or shaking, and a variety of other intense experiences. This is an indication that your body is mobilizing to “fight” or defend yourself from a perceived threat. Though our body is trying to help us, it often leads to us saying things we don’t mean and that are hurtful to other people as well as other serious consequences.
Consequences of anger.
Anger can lead to legal implications, damaged relationships, and many more consequences. This is why it is important to learn ways to gain a sense of understanding and control over anger. This does not mean disowning and invalidating your feelings, but rather acknowledging how you feel and then taking steps to care for the anger in ways that will be most beneficial to your life.
One such way to gain a sense of understanding and control over anger is seeking anger management counseling. Regardless of if anger management therapy is court-mandated or voluntary, many claim that this form of treatment helps immensely and are thankful to have gone through the process.
Benefits of Anger Management.
Anger management can help improve the quality of life, enhance relationships, and improve overall functioning. In anger management, we can learn how to better identify triggers that cause the anger. Further, anger management can enhance our understanding of the behaviors that result because of the anger and their potential consequences.
Anger management can equip us with strategies to manage and diffuse anger so that it doesn’t feel outside of our control. Psychotherapists can help us utilize grounding and calming techniques that bring us back into our prefrontal cortex and good judgment. We will be able to pull from various techniques, problem-solve, and find a better sense of stability and control when angry.
We will also learn how to restructure our thinking in a way that reframes our anger. Oftentimes, we have attitudes and thought patterns that exacerbate anger. Some of these problematic thought patterns include rumination and catastrophizing.
Anger management therapy can improve our mental health, physical health, career, and relationships by helping us identify triggers, changing our thinking, helping us learn coping skills, and improving communication (Gupta, 2021).
If you are looking for mental health help with anger, please reach out to us by viewing our website or contacting our office!
Online Resources:
- SAMHSA Anger Management Workbook – a guideline for a group therapy setting that contains psychoeducation on anger, anger management techniques, and helpful activities.
- Positive Psychology: Anger Management for Kids – provides psychoeducation on anger in children, tools, activities, and games that children can engage in to develop a healthier relationship with anger.
References
American Addiction Centers. (2022). Physiology of anger. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://www.mentalhelp.net/anger/physiology/
Gupta, S. (2021). What is anger management therapy? Verywell Mind. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/anger-management-therapy-definition-techniques-and-efficacy-5192566