Anger Management

If the struggle with anger continues over a period of time, it is likely that an individual will develop unhealthy behaviors as a way to cope with it.

Some people act out verbally. Some people act out aggressively. Some people act out in both ways. Some people internalize the anger and eventually experience impulsive outbursts that are inappropriate to the situation and environment in which it occurs. 

Anger serves as an emotion that is meant to protect us from danger. It helps us to feel powerful and safe. However, it can become dangerous in and of itself if we react to the emotion inappropriately. When we feel angry, we look for ways to release the emotion because it is extremely uncomfortable and overwhelming. When we haven’t learned healthy ways to release or cope with the emotion we do what we have learned works. Maybe it was a learned behavior from parents or siblings. 

Maybe one’s attempt at releasing the anger worked initially, so they continued to utilize the same behavior. However, it only worked in one or two circumstances and now that individual doesn’t know how to change this behavior. However these behaviors are exhibited, they often end up being unproductive and harmful to us, our relationships, our careers, and other aspects of our lives. 

If you have identified that anger is becoming a problem for you because it is impacting your life in a negative way, then it may be time to seek out treatment.