Anger Management

Understanding Anger, Treatments, Causes and Types

About Anger

Having problems controlling your anger?

Do your family, friends, associates complain or comment about your anger behaviours?

Do you sense others are afraid or weary of you, do you feel a sense of restraint from people when they are interacting with you, do people tend to keep their distance from you?

Anger causes may be from stress, early childhood trauma, resentment in a relationship, jealousy, lack of communication skills, frustration, trauma and poor behavior training, as a psychotherapists I will treat anger problems with a range of therapies (CBT, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Ericksonian hypnosis, NLP, Counselling, etc.).

Your brain and mind, your thought patterns can be repatterned with therapy.

It is important to understand that just because you have anger problems resulting in dysfunctional behavior around lack of impulse control now, it does not mean your behaviors cannot be changed and modified. You can undergo the changes you want, change your thoughts, your words and behaviors as relate to anger.

The idea that you must always be the way you have been fails to understand how flexible the brain and the mind can be. As neuroscience has shown us, with the right psychological stimulation, even the physical structure of the brain can be changed during your lifetime.

Anger is a natural emotion but when anger is excessive and not appropriate for the situation, it may cause a great deal of damage to ourselves and our relationships both physically and mentally.

Anger can range from a mild annoyance to full blown rage. It may result physiological changes such as an increased heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating and a cocktail of stress hormones can start flooding our bodies. Behaviors associated with anger often result in yelling, destruction (property, relationships, etc.), violence on other persons and sometimes criminal charges.

Anger is often a result of frustration in response to our expectations. When we perceive injustice or unfairness, or feel a great deal of stress or hurt, it can an attempt to regain a sense of control.

Because anger is a subconscious behavior, it happens rapidly and often in an uncontrolled way. A person who has had a violent outburst often feels embarrassed or disappointed in themselves after the feelings of anger have dissipated resulting in loss of self-esteem and confidence.

Anger is rarely a productive way to handle problems in the long run. Anger often becomes the problem itself, rather than allowing us to focus on the issues at hand. Relationships are often damaged beyond repair from the effects of anger. The prolonged stress response also weakens our health and immune system.

Hypnotherapy (clinical and Ericksonian) and CBT are the most effective and rapid solutions for anger management. Hypnosis is one of the most effective methods to change our subconscious pattern and relationship with anger, CBT provided the tools to reduce triggers of anger. Thus clients re-train their subconscious mind so that they react to situations in life in a much healthier way and utilize tool skills to reduce triggers. Results being that instead of anger control you, you take charge of your emotions and manage triggers of anger.

Book your FREE appointment today, learn how to manage your Anger.

Managing Anger Problems

To help understand if clients have anger management problems and the process of management them I use a three step procedure.

The first step is for the client acknowledge they have a problem. Cognitive Bevaviour Therapy (CBT). CBT helps you understand your triggers for anger, provides develop and practice coping skills, and encourages to think, feel, and behave differently in response to anger, so you are calmer and more in control.

The second step is identifying the cause of your anger. Ericksonian hypnotherapy is gentle, non- intrusive and very effective means for the client to examine and identify their strengths that may apply in the management of anger.
The third is finding a way to stop the switch that flicks to anger. CBT, clinical Hypnosis and NLP provide you with tools and behavioral modifications for anger management.

Types of Anger

1. Passive Aggressive
   This one is the most avoidant type of anger and arguably the most irritating to those around such person. It indicates the person’s unhealthy relationship with this emotion, believing that it’s inherently wrong, punishable, or socially unacceptable. It can stem from certain childhood traumas, such as being forced to bottle up all the negative emotions. This type of anger can be much more emotionally and physically draining to the one expressing it than the more overt types. It can be expressed by silence treatment, sarcasm, procrastination, or mockery. Suggested management Reconnecting with anger as a valid emotion; improving communication skills; exploring the fear of confrontation; relaxation techniques.
2. Volatile / Sudden
   This type of anger comes as if out of nowhere. It’s an impulsive reaction to whatever is perceived even the tiniest bit annoying. Because it’s so unpredictable, it can eventually force everyone around such person to walk on their tip-toes or avoid the person altogether. And rightly so, as this sort of manifestation of rage can be very destructive, emotionally and physically. Suggested management Trigger journaling; relaxation techniques; identifying physical signs before the outburst.
3. Deliberate
   This type of anger is one of the positive ones. This is used as a technique by managers, coaches, leaders, activists, and other people whose interest is to hype up, motivate and prepare their teams or audiences for a battle, a game, a protest, or a personal transformation. Suggested management Careful and minimal employment of this emotion is advised.
4. Behavioral /Attacking /Destructive
   This type of anger manifests in a very straight-forward way – physically. An enraged person can physically attack someone or start smashing and breaking inanimate objects. Such a person tends to act first and think later. The emotion can be very overwhelming and vanish as suddenly as it appeared. Suggested management: Anger management counseling; breathing techniques; Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy; learning to recognize the physical cues of rising anger; removing yourself from conflicting situation to regain self-control.
5. Self-abusive
   This type is the one driven by covert shame, guilt, and low self-esteem in general. It can be expressed indirectly by negative self-talk, substance abuse, physical self-harm, and disorderly eating patterns. It can also manifest in rage outbursts towards others, which only deepens the feelings of loneliness, alienation, and guilt. Suggested management Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy; positive psychology techniques; mindfulness meditation; self-love and affirmation journaling.
6. Chronic
   This type indicates the long-lasting and unresolved emotional issues. These manifest themselves indirectly by constant frustration and resentment towards others and, often, towards oneself. This type of person is likely to be described as bitter, mean, or spiteful. It can seriously affect a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Suggested management The longer this type of anger is accumulated, the deeper roots it has, so long-form psychotherapy that focuses on childhood and adolescence might be useful. Loving-Kindness meditation; gratitude journaling.
7. Addictive / Habitual
   This type of anger is closely connected to the adrenaline and dopamine rushes that a person experiences when enraged. This is a sort of natural “high” that can become emotionally and physically addictive. Also, the powerful stance over others also chips in the need to repeat this scheme of communication. Just like with most addictions, they grow from habits and eventually take over the wheel of control. Such communication patterns can usually be seen in other members of the family, so it could have been learned at home. Suggested management A person may not see it as a problem, not even when others around them tell them it is. It can be very problematic to convince such a person to change the very behavior that they know is making them feel good. Family intervention; meditation; anger management courses.

Our Lake Macquarie Psychotherapy Treatments

Can Change Therapy offers the following treatments in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle: