Anger. It’s something all of us experience. Although
unpleasant, it is a normal human emotion. Is anger good? Is it bad? Should we
hold it in? Let it out?
Just about everyone has heard of anger management, but do
you know what anger management therapy entails? Let’s back up. First, let’s
explore the ways we express our anger.
We can choose to express our anger in healthy or unhealthy ways. Frequently flying off the handle, screaming, spewing abusive words, throwing things and punching holes in the wall are obviously
unhealthy expressions of anger. But so is bottling it all up inside, ruminating
about what made us angry and refusing to speak to the person we’re angry with.
In other words, both aggressive and passive anger are detrimental to ourselves and
to others.
Unhealthy anger makes us—well—unhealthy. Headaches and stomach
aches, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, anxiety, depression and impaired
judgment are just a few of the health issues that can evolve from unhealthy
anger. Worse yet, uncontrolled anger frequently leads to broken relationships
and acts of violence.
But there is help. Anger management therapy helps us learn
techniques to calm down, redirect our energy and develop healthy communication
skills and coping strategies. It helps us explore the roots of our anger and recognize
our triggers and physical symptoms. Group therapy for anger management provides
the opportunity to share and learn from each other. Individual therapy for
managing your anger is also effective.
