Anger Management Counseling
When you can’t seem to “just calm down."
Anger is a powerful emotion that ranges in severity from mild annoyance through intense fury. It’s also a perfectly normal and acceptable human emotion. Aggression is a natural way to express anger and can help you to fight or defend yourself.
However, if you are overwhelmed by anger and unable to control the way you express your anger, you may have a problem. It’s not helpful or safe to aggressively lash out every time you get mad about something.
Symptoms of Anger Management Issues
If we have trouble managing anger and reactivity it can become destructive in many areas of our lives, at work, in our close relationships, and it can affect our overall sense of well-being.
Some important signs that it’s time to consider anger management counseling are:
Feeling like you constantly have to “hold in” or repress your angry feelings.
Frequent arguing with your family, friends, co-workers or acquaintances.
Trouble with the law, or disregard for rules.
Physical violence, such as hitting, loud shouting, door slamming, etc.
Threats of violence against people or property.
Out-of-control behavior, such as breaking things or reckless driving.
If your anger is disrupting your life, it could stem from a perceived loss of power. You may feel powerless in anything ranging from pride and justice to money or even love.
Anger is a powerful emotion, and you may feel stronger and safer expressing your anger rather than the fear or sadness that could accompany and feed into your anger.
Treatment for Anger Management
Working with a therapist who specializes in anger management can help you learn to control your emotions, stopping your anger before it becomes an unstoppable force. Then you can learn to convert or redirect your feelings instead of acting out aggressively.
That’s not to say that you should stop feeling angry. The point of anger management therapy is to help you recognize your anger and express it appropriately.
During your sessions, you and your therapist explore situations and other anger triggers and discuss strategies and techniques to acknowledge your emotions and control the way you express them.