Anger Management

So many of the individuals I work with come to me with issues surrounding anger.  I would like to share my thoughts and suggestions on anger.

Anger is a natural feeling that can help protect you in potentially threatening situations.  It is a signal that either something is wrong with the situation or the way you perceive it.  Anger only becomes negative when you do things that are harmful to yourself or others. Anger can then become a caustic acid that destroys relationships and diminishes the quality of your life.

Often individuals feel hostility and anger, and just cannot seem to figure out how to stop being angry.  It is not uncommon to think that other people are the cause of our anger and rarely look to ourselves for a solution.  Though it may be true that others can behave in ways that we think are annoying or downright rude, we do not have to react in an aggressive way or become hostile.

We are not victims of circumstance; we can take control of our anger.  How we choose to perceive a situation plays a major role in how we will react.  Our perceptions are based on our past and current life situations.  What choices have you made when faced with adversity?  Think about how anger is affecting your life. 

Below is a brief anger inventory, designed to help you identify areas where your anger has negatively affected your life. Read the following and think about the effects your anger has had on your life and relationships.

_____ People tell me I am quick tempered and easily angered.

_____ I often feel irritable and easily annoyed by other people.

_____ When I am angry, I have taken out my anger on an 

_____ When I get angry, I have thrown or broken things.

_____ When I get angry, I have threatened, shoved or hit others.

_____ When I get angry, I have verbally attacked others, unable 

_____ Other’s have told me I am an angry person.

_____ I have lost relationships and friendships due to my anger.

_____ I do not assert myself when others treat me disrespectful, 

_____ When I get angry, I have hurt myself or placed myself in  

_____ When I get angry, people tend to want to get away from 

If you answered True to any of the above questions, you may have a problem managing your anger. 

Look at your answers and notice any patterns you may have.  Is your anger directed toward a particular person or situation in your life or is it-generalized anger?  Identifying people or situations that trigger your feelings of anger, can better help you to pinpoint areas to work on, or relationships that are unhealthy.

Recognizing that there is a problem is the first step toward changing it.  Do not let your anger take control of your life, there is help.