Anger Management

Anger is a normal experience. It can even be helpful when used appropriately to assert yourself or to manage a negative confrontation. However, when it starts to negatively affect aspects of your life, such as your relationships or work, it can be problematic. If this is the case for you, you are not alone. Many people struggle with anger concerns without any help until it begins to severely impair important work or personal relationships.

Some indications that your anger has become problematic includes:

• Having a constant or regular feeling of irritability, rage and anxiety
• Commonly resorting to verbal, emotional or physical attacks when conflict arises
• People close to you have expressed their concern about your anger
• You have an increasing number of concerns and conflicts within your personal relationships
• You are using alcohol or drugs to manage your anger
• Your anger lasts a lot longer or is more extreme than one would normally expect given the situation
• Situations unrelated to the event that made you feel angry often become negatively impacted by your mood
• You feel down or regretful after experiencing an explosion of anger

Besides these more visible effects, anger can also have a negative impact on your health in the long term, regardless of whether it’s expressed or bottled up. Some of the concerns that are at a higher risk for people with anger problems include headaches, insomnia, other mental health problems (i.e. depression and anxiety), high blood pressure, skin problems, and in the long-term it can even increase the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

If you are experiencing even mild anger management concerns that are having an effect on your happiness, the practitioners at VCPS are specialised in providing you with the support to overcome it. Some of the methods that may be used to support you include:

• Teaching you to identify and change the thoughts that trigger your anger
• Developing strategies to appropriately manage anger and other negative emotions as they arise
• Relaxation and mindfulness training
• Teaching you ways to be assertive and use other alternatives to resolve conflict