Counselling For Anger Management – Although small, angry outbursts might be warranted in certain instances, anger itself can be an incredibly damaging emotion. When feelings of anger overtake your brain, rational thinking goes by the wayside, and you are no longer able to have full control over your words and actions. Often, in these fits of anger people say and do things that they immediately regret, resulting in damaged personal and professional relationships. When someone is in a fit of anger, they are unable to look at themselves and the situation in an objective manner, and this makes it very hard for people to admit that they might need help dealing with their anger, as their rage seems perfectly justified in the moment.
The key to anger management is learning how to calm yourself down enough to regain control over the logical thinking functions of your brain—eventually moving towards enough stability to prevent yourself from becoming dysregulated in the first place. Not all strategies work for every person and getting control of your anger is an intensely personal process that requires self-control and introspection. This is why individuals struggling to control their anger often find it most beneficial to reach out to a professional counsellor for help as they learn ways to manage their overpowering fits of rage.
How to deal with anger in the moment
A large part of preventing an outburst of anger, as well as regaining control in the midst of one, is by giving yourself enough time to put some mental space between yourself and the events that are triggering you. Not all strategies work consistently but having a few options in mind could very well help you to overcome your emotions in the heat of the moment.
- Pause before you respond: Rather than letting your emotions snowball into a blind rage, force yourself to pause and count to 10 before responding. This is often enough time to allow your rational brain to respond instead of giving in to your instinctive, angry response.
- Breathe deeply: Feelings of rage and uncontrollable anger go hand-in-hand with your fight or flight response. When you feel your emotions rising, breathe deeply, allowing your lungs to fill all the way up before pushing the air out. This helps to calm down your nervous system, putting a damper on your arousal, and slowing down these feelings of fight or flight.
- Work through it physically: Engaging in rigorous exercise can help to create endorphins in your body that counteract the anger. Running, walking, swimming, and sports such as tennis are all great ways to move your body to deal with your feelings in a productive way.
- Learn the warning signs: As you develop strategies to check your anger, start to pay attention to how your body is feeling right before you implement those calming strategies. This can help you to start to take action before you ever become dysregulated by noticing when you start to become angry.
Counselling for anger management
If you find yourself constantly fighting to control your feelings of irrational anger, it could be a sign that you should reach out to a counsellor for assistance. Seeking the help of a professional will allow you to investigate the emotions behind these outbursts and work to develop coping strategies and other solutions that can work for you long-term. Typically, anger management counselling occurs in private, one-on-one sessions where you can safely talk though your feelings and triggers, as well as problem solve what has worked for you and what hasn’t. Counselling can also help you to begin to repair the relationships that may have been damaged by anger.
If overwhelming anger is consuming the life of you or someone you love, take steps to prevent further damage by reaching out to the expert counsellors at Horizon Plymouth to start making meaningful changes in your life today.