Expert Doctor Tips for Anger Management

Anger is a normal human emotion, which can range from feeling annoyed to intense rage. Every human being will get angry at some point. Anger is good in a way because it allows us to express our emotions. Anything in a balanced way will not cause much harm to the body. But anger if not managed, can cause severe problems, which includes interpersonal relationship and career. Hence in order to avoid any complications associated with anger, it is always good that we manage and control our anger. 

Anger management refers to a process where we can help people identify stressors. They will teach people in steps how to stay calm and control their anger. The main aim of anger management is to help people decrease anger. It will help in reducing the emotional and physical arousal that anger can cause.

Causes of Anger:

The causes of anger are listed below:

• The causes of anger are a situation that we think is unfair
• Situation where you feel someone has put you down
• Anger can be caused due to stress
• Embarrassment 
• Relationship problems with family, friends, and workplace
• Situation where you feel, you are powerless or frustrated
• When people treat you unfairly being invalidated.

Symptoms of Anger:

The symptoms of anger are listed below:

• Depression
• Increase in stress levels
• Increase in heart rate and pulse rate
• Increase in blood pressure
• Body’s fight or flight response
• Tightness in the chest and clenched muscles
• Hot flushes
• Severe sweating
• Rapid breathing pattern
• Headache
• Build-up of severe pressure inside the brain.
• Dizziness
• Shaking or trembling

Physical effects of anger

Some of the short and long-term health problems that are associated with unmanaged anger are listed below:

• Headache
• Increased anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Profuse sweating
• Palpitations
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Low self-esteem
• Insomnia
• Digestion problem, abdominal pain
• Heart attack
• Stroke

Can anger be controlled?

Yes, anger can be controlled by recognizing the above-mentioned physical signs. There are several methods that will help us to stay calm and control ourselves before things go out of control. 

What are the steps followed to manage anger effectively?

The steps followed to manage anger effectively are listed below:

• Breath slowly
• Relaxation- Taking a deep breath, chanting some mantras, or repeating calming words or phrases can help to calm the anger.
• Exercise- Include yoga, walking, or any other physical activity that can help in reducing the stress which can be triggering the anger. 
• Take a timeout- Giving yourself short breaks during the daytime that tend to be stressful. Taking a small break and staying calm without doing any work will help you to think and handle the situation without getting angry or irritated.
• Use humor to release tension
• Problem-solving
• Identify the things that make you angry- One should identify the cause of anger and try to avoid them. 
• Cognitive reconstruction- It means changing the way how we think matters a lot for controlling anger. 
• Create distractions- Distraction techniques include dancing, meditation, walking, singing, drawing, and listening to some good music of your choice can provide distance from the issue and help you to relax and control anger.
• Mindfulness- Medication is one of the best mindfulness techniques. This technique will help in shifting the mind away from anger during triggering situations. Mindfulness requires regular practice in order to have control over the situation and act accordingly.

Who can benefit from anger management?

Anger management course is basically useful for people who are in the field of business, court-referred, or health care. It can help anyone who wants to improve their control over anger, and who wants to develop a healthy relationship with others. Anger management can also help certain social group people, which include:

• People with bullying behavior
• People with mental or cognitive health issues that make it difficult to control anger
• People who have undergone PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
• People who are on substance abuse, or people who are undergoing recovery
• Violent offenders
• People who have undergone traumatic brain injury

What are the limitations of anger management?

Everyone is not benefitted from anger management therapy, there are certain cases where anger management does not work. They include:People with severe learning disabilities may find difficulty in responding to anger management

• People who are not aware of their anger issues
• People with other mental health issues might find it difficult to respond to anger management 

What are the therapists that help in anger management?

The therapists who can help an individual in controlling anger management are listed below:

• Psychiatrist- Psychiatrists can help people administer therapies for their mental health treatment. A psychiatrist is a certified doctor who can prescribe medications to the patient if required.
• Psychotherapist- A Psychotherapist is also called a “talk therapist.” Psychotherapist is the most common type of mental health professional who can treat patients for anger management. 
• School counselors- They are licensed medical professional who is eligible to treat children, teens, and college students. 
• Play therapists- Younger children are usually benefitted from psychotherapy in the form of play therapy.[7]

What are the therapies that work best for anger?

The therapies that work best to control anger are listed below:

• Cognitive behavior therapy- It is a psychotherapy technique that is helpful in treating patients who have undergone emotional trauma. 
• Play therapy- It is a form of psychotherapy technique mainly helpful for young children. The main goal of this therapy is to help children how to cope with their challenges and improve their self-esteem. 
• Psychodynamic therapy- Psychodynamic therapy is mainly advised for people who are assuming that their anger is affecting them and the people around them badly. This therapy mainly works on self-reflection. They mainly learn how to express anger in ways that do not affect their friends, relatives, and co-workers.
• Group therapy –This therapy allows a group of people to get together on a regular basis and is led by a certified and trained professional. 

What are the steps that can be adopted to control anger?

There are three steps that can be adopted to control anger.

They are listed below:

• Recognizing the early signs of anger
• Giving yourself some time or space in order to process the cause of anger
• Apply techniques that can help you to control anger

References

1. "Anger Management" goodtherapy.org                      
2. "How to cope with anger" mind.org.uk
3. "Anger management" healthdirect australia 
4. "Anger - how it affects people" betterhealth channel
5. "Therapy That Works for Anger" healthline
6. "Anger Management" GoodTherapy®
7. "How can I control my anger?"  medicalnewstoday