Anger
What causes someone to have anger issues? Stress, financial issues, abuse, poor social or familial situations, and overwhelming requirements on your time and energy can all contribute to the formation of anger. As with disorders such as alcoholism, anger issues may be more prevalent in individuals who were raised by parents with the same disorder.
While you can’t cure anger, you can manage the intensity and effect it has upon you. Effective therapeutic strategies exist for managing anger and can help you become less reactive. You can even learn to develop more patience in the face of people and situations you cannot control.
What Is Anger Management Therapy?
Anger is a normal human emotion that most people experience every now and then. However, if you find yourself feeling angry very often or very intensely, it may start to become a problem.
Rage, persistent anger, or angry outbursts can have detrimental consequences for physical health, quality of life, and relationships.
Anger management is an approach designed to help you manage the emotional and physiological arousal that accompanies anger. As it’s often not possible to change the circumstances or people that elicit anger, anger management can help you recognize your triggers for anger and learn to cope with them more effectively.
The aim of anger management therapy is to help minimize stressful or anger-evoking situations, improve self-control, and help you express your feelings in a healthy manner, according to Engle.
Types of Anger Management Therapy
These are some of the different approaches to anger management therapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is often the treatment of choice for anger management, according to Engle. She says it can help you understand your triggers for anger, develop and practice coping skills, and think, feel, and behave differently in response to anger, so you are calmer and more in control.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
According to Engle, DBT is a form of CBT that can help individuals with intense or frequent anger regain emotional control through developing emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills, mindfulness, and effective communication in relationships.
Family Therapy
This form of therapy can be helpful in situations where anger is often directed at family members. It can help you work together to improve communication and resolve issues.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy can help you examine the psychological roots of your anger and your response to it, so that you can identify and correct unhealthy patterns.