Anger
Anger is a normal reaction when we feel threatened or treated unfairly. People respond differently to situations and experience anger in different ways. Anger can become a problem if it happens too often or is too strong.
Angry thoughts and feelings can be caused by the way we react to certain situations. This includes when people are under a lot of stress from areas in their lives such as work, money or personal relationships.
Experiencing anger regularly can affect the way that we get on with people close to us and can affect our health both mentally and physically e.g. depression, anxiety and high blood pressure.
The symptoms commonly experienced with anger may be:
- Feeling angry or irritable
- Flashes of rage
- Poor concentration
- Unhelpful negative thoughts
- Violent or aggressive behaviour
Some of the physical symptoms associated with anger may be:
- Pounding heart and head
- Tight chest
- Feeling hot
- Sweating
- Weak legs
Self Help Strategies
There are some strategies you can use to help control anger. Making sure you have a healthy lifestyle will help e.g. eating a healthy balanced diet and making sure you get enough sleep. Taking regular exercise can help relieve tension and release endorphins which help us relax.
Practical ways to keep calm can include counting to ten before you act, removing yourself from the situation and taking slow and regular breaths.
Some people may find it helpful to imagine what they would say to someone else in their position such as ‘calm down'.
Identifying your thoughts when you are angry can also help. Negative or ‘angry' thoughts make us feel worse and can maintain your anger. It can be useful to challenge these thoughts when they occur to help you stay in control of the situation. One technique for this is ‘balancing'. This involves writing down your angry thought, and then replacing it with a more balanced, positive thought.
If you continue to experience problems, a mental health professional may help you to improve your communication techniques and help you to understand your anger.
If someone close to you is experiencing difficulties with anger, it may help if you stay calm yourself, keep in mind the calming techniques above and help the other person identify why they're angry. If you feel afraid or threatened, ask for help.