Anger Management
Anger is a natural human emotion. We all feel angry sometimes, and denying that anger can be as much of a problem as anything else. However, if you struggle to control your anger and find it impacting important aspects of your life, you may benefit from anger management counseling. At Rivia Mind, we work with experienced anger management counselors and other mental health providers to make sure that anger does not become the ruling factor in your life.
Where Does Anger Come From?
Anger is a secondary emotion, often a reaction to something deeper lying under the surface. Fear, sadness, or hurt are difficult emotions to manage. Sometimes it may seem easier to default to anger rather than seeming vulnerable. Similarly, people who have experienced deep-seated trauma may be more prone to angry outbursts. Anger can be a protective shell from the primary emotion or from experiencing more pain.
The problem is that when you find yourself lashing out at loved ones or becoming angrier than the situation calls for, your anger is no longer serving you. At that point, anger is controlling you. Fortunately, you can learn to manage it. Much of learning to manage your anger has to do with understanding other emotions.
Treatments for Anger Management
Having difficulty managing your anger does not make you a terrible person. Nearly 8% of people in the United States struggle with controlling their anger. There are treatments available that can help you manage your anger and get your life back under control. Here are some of the most effective:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT aims to change unhealthy behaviors by addressing the harmful thoughts that begin those behaviors. For instance, maybe you get angry because you feel helpless or under attack. By reframing that perception, you can better manage your anger.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT is similar to CBT in that it addresses target behaviors — like angry outbursts or snapping — but it takes an approach of acceptance and balance. Rather than judging yourself for your outbursts, with DBT, you will learn your triggers as well as some coping mechanisms you can use to reduce your target behaviors.
Family Therapy
Sometimes anger can be intensified in living situations with family. It’s also with your family that you least want to lose control of your anger. In family therapy, you can work out your interpersonal issues together and reduce the root causes of your anger.
In some cases, uncontrollable anger may be rooted in trauma. While all of the above therapies can also serve as trauma therapies in some ways — especially CBT — another therapy that can help you process trauma is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Through EMDR, you will reprocess those traumatic memories so that your trauma — and consequential anger — no longer controls you.
When you need help managing your anger, Rivia Mind has experienced and compassionate mental health providers who are here for you. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
