When you’re angry, do you start name calling? Do you get angry when someone wants you to open up and share your feelings? Do you lack patience? Are your family members or kids afraid to talk to you?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it may be time to consider anger management therapy.
No one wants to admit they get angry. Anger is a normal emotion, but healthy relationships depend on how you deal with it. Anger can cause irreparable damage to relationships, especially when it gets out of control and hurts the ones we love.
Anger Management has proven to be effective for the following types of individuals:
- Violent offenders
- People who display bullying behaviors
- People affected by behavioral changes associated with traumatic brain injury
- People who experience behavioral changes associated with post-traumatic stress
- People experiencing substance dependency or undergoing recovery
- People with cognitive or mental health issues that make it difficult to control anger
Anger issues aren’t uncommon and the first step towards change is admittance of the problem. Learning to deal with issues of anger management isn’t as simple as some may think, but together we can come up with a game plan tailored exclusively to you.
Signs of an Out-of-Control Anger Problem
Anger is a perfectly normal human emotion, but when it begins to dominate your life or make you act erratically, it becomes a mental health issue. Here are some of the most common signs that you may have an anger problem:
- You overreact to small or petty things
- You find yourself lashing out at those close to you
- You say and do hurtful things when you get angry
- You notice that you feel angry most of the time
- You’ve had instances where your anger got out of control
- You find yourself regretting things you’ve said or done when angry
- Your relationships are becoming impacted by your inability to control your anger
If your feelings of anger affect your quality of life or cause relationship issues, it may be time to seek anger management counseling.
Anger Management Strategies
Anger is a powerful emotion. There’s no shame in needing some help to control your anger response. Many people find that practicing at-home relaxation techniques and healthy coping skills helps them keep their anger under wraps and avoid destructive and impulsive behavior. These include:
Pause Before Responding
Time can be your best friend when it comes to resisting anger. When something makes you upset, simply take deep breaths for 10 seconds before responding. This helps you achieve more emotional balance and avoid saying or doing something you’ll regret.
Get Some Exercise
“Blowing off steam” is a great way to even out your emotions and resist stressful or frustrating situations. Joining a team sport can help you work better with those around you, and solo exercises like lifting weights and running have been proven to help with anger.
Take Others’ Perspective
Sometimes, a little empathy is what’s needed to reduce the conditions for uncontrolled anger. If someone does something that makes you mad, try to see things from their point of view.
Don’t Hold Grudges or Resent People Who Upset You
Many people with anger management issues hold onto their anger. All this does is make it more likely that you’ll have an outburst in the future. Practice letting go of your anger when something or someone makes you upset.
How Counseling Can Help You Learn to Control Anger
When at-home anger management techniques don’t help you experience healthy emotions more easily, the answer may be to seek anger management counseling.
At Get Centered, we use proven anger management techniques to help you identify your triggers — the things that make you angry — so you can develop strategies to avoid them. We also work with you on anger diffusion techniques so when you do get angry, you can calibrate your emotions more easily. Finally, we use a number of therapeutic techniques to help you examine your thought patterns and reduce your capacity for angry feelings in response to a broad range of triggers.
When to Seek Help for an Anger Problem
If any signs of out-of-control anger issues sound familiar, it’s a sign that anger management counseling might be the right choice for you. If your anger isn’t already affecting your quality of life or personal relationships, it might only be a matter of time; we’re here to help.
If you or someone you know is experiencing anger management issues, please contact us today so we can schedule an appointment.