When anger becomes a problem

Anger is natural – we all feel angry from time to time. When expressed in a healthy way and resolved quickly after being triggered, there is nothing inherently wrong with feeling angry or annoyed.

However, intense, ongoing and destructive fits of rage are not healthy and can have a catastrophic effect on your life and the life of those around you. When anger leads to violence, domestic abuse, and criminal charges it is especially devastating.

Unlike depression or anxiety, anger issues aren’t diagnosed as a specific condition.

Signs of an anger problem can include:

• Frequent feeling of anger
• Anger results in violent behaviour, or verbal or emotional abuse
• Work and personal relationships are impacted
• Using aggression and force to get what you want
• Feelings of anger aren’t comparative to the trigger (ie – losing control over something inconsequential)
• Using drugs or alcohol to manage anger problems
• Anger continues long after the triggering event

Often anger has other side effects, like depression, PTSD disorder, or substance abuse issues.

Seeing a psychologist about anger management

If you are dealing with anger issues, speaking with a psychologist can help. They will take you through therapy sessions focused on techniques to control the anger associated known as anger management therapy.

What is Anger Management Therapy?

Anger management therapy can be conducted by a psychologist, therapist, social worker, or counsellor.  During the process you’ll work through understanding your anger, what triggers angry outbursts and learn healthy coping strategies to control them.

Anger treatment can take place in group therapy or one-on-one sessions. Depending on your situation, the sessions may take place over a few weeks or months.

During anger management therapy, your psychologist will use different techniques to help you explore the thoughts and beliefs around your outbursts and introduce new behaviours to cope with them. We explore these techniques further along in this article.

What Anger Management Therapy Can Help With?

Frequent and uncontrolled anger and rage can have a profound effect on your physical and emotional health. It can also cost you intimate, family, social, and professional relationships. 

The benefits of working with a psychologist to help get your anger under control include:

Improved mental health and mood

Unhealthy anger diminishes feelings of wellbeing. This, in turn, can lead to depression; the two issues often go hand in hand. Learning how to express anger in a rational way can have a dramatic impact on overall feelings of life satisfaction, mood and happiness.

Better physical health

Anger triggers a range of physical symptoms; energy pumps through your body and adrenaline enters your bloodstream. Your heart rate and blood flow increase, and your muscles tense up. Over time, unchecked rage can affect your cardiac health, lead to high blood pressure and compromise your immune system. 

Healthier, happier relationships

Relationships with loved ones can be destroyed through episodes of rage and angry outbursts. Processing emotions and learning new coping skills with your psychologist will improve communication with friends and family members. It may even encourage reconciliation for estranged relationships.

 A more fulfilling career and workplace environment

Is your anger sabotaging your career? Explosive outbursts and seething passive aggression towards your co-workers can have a disastrous impact on your career. Strained professional relationships also increase the stress and tension in the office each day.

Through anger management, you’ll find ways to to help improve your work environment and forge productive relationships with your coworkers.

What is the best therapy for anger management?

There isn’t really a definitive ‘best’ therapy for treating anger but the most widely used type of therapy in this area is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Depending on your situation, there are various techniques and types of therapy a psychologist may employ in your sessions together.

Types of therapy for anger management therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is based on the idea that if we change our thoughts, we can change how we feel and behave. In anger management, CBT helps identify negative thought patterns and understand why you get angry. Then, you’ll explore new coping skills to deal with triggering situations in a calmer way.

Psychodynamic Therapy

During Psychodynamic therapy, you’ll reflect on the underlying psychological reasons for your anger. When you’ve identified the root of your emotional distress and maladaptive behaviour patterns that follow, new ways to cope can be introduced.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behaviour therapy blends aspects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)  with concepts like acceptance and mindfulness.

It focuses on changing unhelpful behaviours and ways of thinking while practising acceptance of who you are. This form of therapy is particularly well suited to those who experience overpowering emotions, such as anger.

Common techniques in therapy sessions

Throughout the sessions, your psychologist will use a series of techniques to treat anger issues.

These techniques can include (but aren’t limited to) the following:

Relaxation-based interventions

As we covered above, anger triggers physical response and relaxation-based interventions are techniques that focus on the body.  You’ll learn to use relaxation techniques to lower the emotional and physiological arousal response to anger.

This may include breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or rhythmic movement. Exercising these relaxation techniques will blow off steam, and in a more relaxed state, we can think through responses and behaviours with clarity.

Social skills training

Anger issues can result in antagonistic behaviour towards others. Social skills training strengthens listening and conflict management skills and considers the impact of a person’s anger on others.

Social skill development and learning how to communicate calmly can prevent angry emotions and conflict from spiralling into rage or violent behaviour.

Cognitive restructuring

At its essence, cognitive restructuring means changing your thoughts. Through therapy, you’ll learn to recognise flawed thinking patterns and beliefs that can spark anger responses.

For example, feeling angry about a comment that was not intended to be taken personally.

Thoughts are not fact, and our beliefs can often skew our sense of reality, which means we’re likely to respond (in this case, in anger) based on a false reality. Through therapy, you’ll learn to develop more supportive, rational thinking processes to diffuse an aggressive response.

Stress inoculation

This technique involves rehearsing internal dialogue (coping statements) to prepare to handle anger-inducing situations with more self-control,  in advance.

Inaccurate thoughts increase the chance of expressing anger in an explosive, confrontational way while a coping statement can calm the situation. For example:

Inaccurate thought – She’s picking on me with this presentation feedback

Internal coping statement – It’s not personal, it’s work and it is fair to receive feedback

You may create various internal coping statements to help reframe a difficult situation.

No matter what technique is used, the practical coping skills you’ll learn in therapy will equip you to manage anger, frustration, and feelings of rage whenever they arise.

Can anger management issues be cured?

Anger is a normal human emotion that will continue to arise throughout life.  Rather than ‘cure’ it, the aim of therapy is to learn how to manage anger in a healthy way without negative consequences.

Working with a trained mental health professional can help regulate intense emotions and play a key role in shaping appropriate anger responses.

To find out more about dealing with anger issues with one of our experienced psychologists, reach out to our experienced team at Inspire Health and Medical.

Via: https://www.inspirehm.com.au/

“It blows my mind how much attention, money, and energy people put into their gear but then don’t put into the thing that uses the gear,” says Nicole Haas, a physical therapist based in Boulder, Colorado. “Everyone knows you need to tune your skis and tune your bike. PTs are quite literally the mechanics of humans.”

Nicole Haas

There are a lot of misconceptions about physical therapy: it’s a long and expensive process, it’s only for severe injuries, you’ll have to stop doing what you love. But often it takes just a session or two to get back on the right track, and plenty of PTs encourage their patients to keep doing their sport (with modifications) during the recovery process. The faster you seek help, the faster you’ll likely be back in action.

Deciding to see a medical professional is the first and hardest step. Once you’ve committed, follow Haas’s advice, below, on how to make the most of physical therapy.

Recognize When You Need Help 

Chronic overuse injuries can be challenging to recognize and accept. If something has been lingering for two weeks or longer and isn’t getting better, Haas recommends seeing a medical professional for an evaluation. The discomfort doesn’t need to be consistent throughout the day, Haas adds. “If the pain shows up whenever you do a particular sport or activity, there’s a biomechanical problem,” she says.

Whether you should see a PT or your primary-care physician first is another consideration. The direct access law allows patients in all 50 states to see a licensed PT without a prescription or referral from a physician, according to the American Physical Therapy Association. However, there are limitations in certain states. If you think your injury is biomechanical and doesn’t stem from any underlying medical issues, going directly to a PT can save you valuable time, not to mention co-pays. If your PT has any concerns, they can always refer you back to your doctor.

You might be inclined to just take a few weeks off, but passive rest won’t correct the underlying issues that led to the injury in the first place. Early intervention means quicker recovery, potentially fewer visits, and higher odds that you’ll be able to continue doing your sport (with modifications) during the recovery period.

Choose the Right PT

Physical therapists span a broad spectrum of approaches, training, philosophies, and experience. Research a PT’s education, specialization, and experience, and ask around for recommendations. Physical therapists who work with athletes frequently—and, ideally, are athletes themselves—will better understand your passion and goals.

If your PT is part of a larger practice, ensure you’ll get to see the same person each time, rather than a rotating cast. It’s useful to ask how much face-to-face time you’ll get during each session, too. If the PT keeps an open line of communication between visits, responding to calls, texts, or emails, you may see faster progress and more personalized care.

Be a Good Historian

Your PT is a detective. During your initial evaluation, they need as much information as possible to create a treatment plan. Create a timeline of your injury in advance, including how it has progressed or changed over time, what aggravates the pain, and what makes it feel better. Note when the pain showed up and whether anything in particular provoked it, like a crash or a tweaky movement. If there wasn’t a specific incident, think about when you first started to feel symptoms. What else was going on? Did you increase or change your training? Even simple things like new running shoes or ski boots or long hours at your desk can trigger a problem. 

Use Physical Therapy as an Educational Opportunity

Haas sees two types of patients: those who treat their appointment like an obligation and move disinterestedly through a laundry list of exercises, and those who show up curious to learn about their body and how to care for it. “The success of therapy isn’t just about doing the exercises but understanding the issue and the things that can be done throughout one’s daily life,” says Haas. Come with an open mind, and ask questions.

Overcommunicate

Tell your PT what you’re feeling throughout your appointment, whether you think it’s important information or not. “If I have you move in a certain way, I’m not just looking for pain, I might be looking for tightness or other sensations.” Haas says.