What Is Anger Management?

Anger Management therapy can be delivered in both group and individual therapy setting. It is the process of learning to recognise signs that you are becoming angry, and taking action to calm down and deal with the situation in a positive and constructive way. At the same time, Anger Management therapy is equally suitable for those people who have difficulty showing anger, who avoid confrontation and cannot stand up for themselves; those who assume the blame for their feelings of anger and experience guilt and shame instead.

Spotting The Signs

In cases when people struggle with expressing anger the most important part of therapy is learning how to trust and express anger, the consequences of “bottling up anger” and healthy ways of expressing anger. Such clients are invited to consider the fact that they are not responsible for how another person feels. People emotionally react to things according to their own personal thoughts and perceptions. Plus, they are responsible for the way they express themselves. they are shown how emotions are not “right” or “wrong.” Emotions arise according to our assumptions about how things are. Our assumptions may be mistaken or skewed, but our emotions will always be true to our assumptions. It is our assumptions that we must question. At the same time early life circumstances are explored. If anger was used as a weapon of fear or manipulation by your caregivers, the anger was misused. This does not mean anger is negative. The main message of the therapy process is that you have as much right to your feelings and emotions, including anger, as anyone else.

What Are The Steps In Anger Management Therapy?

Anger Management therapy includes several steps.

1. In cases of anger prone clients the first step is to help you recognise what makes you angry (triggers or catalysts for anger). Here the following questions about your anger are usually very helpful: “What type of people or situations make me angry?”, “What do I do when I am angry?”, and “How does my anger affect others around me?”.
2. Next part is to teach you how to best respond to these triggers without being aggressive. You achieve this by learning specific skills to help you manage triggers for anger effectively.
3. The next step is a cognitive restructuring process which helps you to identify irrational patterns of your thinking which often lead to emotional outbursts. 
4. This is followed by relaxation techniques and Mindfulness training to teach you how to how to stay calm and be peaceful when you feel a surge of anger.
5. Finally, the therapist helps you to learn some problem-solving techniques.  Solving problems can make you feel empowered and will reduce the risk of triggering anger or frustration.

When is Anger A Problem?

Anger becomes a problem when it begins to affect negatively you and those around you. To a large extent this will depend on how you typically express your anger. Not all forms of expressing anger are socially acceptable and some people have a tendency to keeping it to themselves/bottle up, and/or then express it at inappropriate times. On the other hand, some individuals tend to have angry outbursts frequently even if the triggers are mild. In any case, you are risking hurting not only to your health, but also your relationships. Inability to express anger healthily is very likely to affect all aspects of your daily life.

If anger problems remain unaddressed, this can have serious consequences. Those who don’t know how to express their frustrations and they keep their feelings to themselves, are at a serious risk of experiencing extremely unpleasant consequences, such as, increased self-criticism, self harming behaviours, self-blame, and low self-esteem. Other people feel angry more often or more quickly, and even at the smallest thing. Aggression can also escalate to physical abuse. This is usually when people loose their ability to control their anger, or express it constructively, when they need to consider seeking help. In such cases talking to a professional is the best option.

If you consider yourself as struggling with anger issues, please call, email us, or fill in the confidential contact form on this page. We will soon get in touch and, with all our expertise, we will support you on the journey, teaching you more about your anger and how to manage it effectively.