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Anger Management Counselling

If you frequently lose control of your anger, you may soon find yourself isolated from the people and activities that you care about. But you are not alone.

Anger management counselling with an approach grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) may help you address the root cause of these outbursts so you can get your life and relationships back on track.

What is Anger?

Anger is a strong emotion that you experience when anything goes wrong or when someone wrongs you. Stress, frustration, and irritation are common feelings associated with it. Anger is something that everyone experiences from time to time. It's a typical reaction for challenging or stressful conditions. Anger becomes a problem only when it is shown excessively and begins to influence your everyday functioning and interpersonal relationships. Anger can range in intensity from mild irritation to outright wrath. It can be excessive or illogical at times.

I think I have anger management issues. What now?

Anger is an important, instinctive emotion that is necessary for survival, designed to keep us safe from threat or harm. However, if you find yourself often regretting your words or actions when you were angry, you may benefit from anger management counselling.

For some Irish therapy seekers, Dublin may be too far of a drive. Fortunately, online psychotherapy for anger management is effective, accessible, and affordable. Get anger management help today.

Anger Issues Symptoms

Physical symptoms of anger issues can be muscle tension, tingling, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and elevated body temperature. Emotional symptoms of anger issues can be feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, stress, frustration, and irritability.

 

Anger Issues Causes

It’s important to understand what causes people to have anger issues before they can be addressed. So, why do people develop chronic anger issues? Possible reasons can include childhood trauma or abuse, poor emotional regulation skills, or even bereavement. In fact, the stages of grief — denial, anger, depression, and acceptance — even have in them the four stages of anger: the buildup, the spark, the explosion, and the aftermath.

Anger management challenges may also be caused by disabilities or hormonal changes. For instance, Asperger’s syndrome, autism, and andropause in men over 40 can all come with trouble regulating emotions, causing normal frustration to turn explosive outbursts more quickly.

 

Anger Management Counseling

How to fix anger problems is not an easy question. Because anger can build up inside just like any other feeling, the moment of release is often unpredictable. But how does anger management work? Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) are both effective therapeutic treatments for anger control. Through self-reflection methods, anger DBT helps you identify prompts before the emotion of anger occurs. Essentially, an anger management therapist can teach you how to manage angry emotions and how to stop having anger issues so frequently.

 

Strategies to Reduce Anger in Everyday Life

1. Identifying Triggers

Knowing what makes you angry might help you plan ahead. Long lines, traffic congestion, and snide comments are just a few things that might make you lose your cool. You might decide to reorganise your day in order to manage your stress better. Alternatively, you might practise anger control strategies before encountering situations that you usually find stressful.

2. Cognitive restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is a valuable strategy for identifying and confronting unsatisfactory sensations and moods and the occasionally incorrect "automatic beliefs" that can be at the root of them. As a result, you can utilise it to reframe the unproductive negative thinking that we all have at times.

Bad moods are unpleasant, and they can affect the quality of your work as well as your interpersonal interactions. Cognitive restructuring aids in the transformation of negative or distorted thinking that is typically at the root of unpleasant moods. As a result, it assists you in approaching problems with a more positive mindset.

3. Problem-solving

Working through a series of processes or stages is frequently required for practical problem-solving. The first process would be to identify where the problem lies that is causing your anger. You can proceed to structuring the problem and looking for practical solutions to help with the situation or how you are feeling.

4. Communication

Communication is essential for practical problem solving, especially whether the issue is a relationship or a social issue that involves others. Because the focus turns from fixing the problem to either criticising the other person or defending yourself from criticism, anger inhibits the free flow of thoughts. Neither position is favourable to effective communication. It's a good idea to avoid conflict with another person to think about what you're saying – and how you're expressing it. You're less likely to grow upset and furious if you can convey your sentiments effectively, and the other person is less likely to react with anger as well.

5. Change of Environment

Take a break when a discussion becomes heated, and leave the meeting if you feel like you're about to burst out in anger. If your children are bothering you, go for a walk. A time-out might be beneficial in calming your mind and body. When your anger is increasing, one of the best things you can do is to get out of the situation as soon as possible.

When you need to take a break, explain that you're not attempting to avoid unpleasant topics; instead, you're working on anger management. When you're upset, it's impossible to have a meaningful talk or resolve a disagreement. When you feel more relaxed, you can continue the conversation or address the issue.

Setting a precise time and place to discuss the topic again can sometimes be beneficial. This gives your friend, colleague, or family member the assurance that the matter will be addressed—just at a later time.

6. Anger Prevention Mechanisms

Anger is a normal human reaction to an unfavourable situation. Though it’s a natural emotion, it can get out of control and cause irreparable damage. Oh 

Anger issues can be effectively prevented with the following mechanisms: 

  • Incorporating problem-solving in each area of life

  • Deep-breathing & Relaxation

  • Reframing of thoughts and behaviours

  • Improved Communication

  • Understanding One’s emotions

  • Counselling

  • Take necessary breaks 

  • Exercise

 

When to Get Help

If you're worried that you are having trouble managing your anger, look for the following patterns of behaviour:

  1. Having difficulty compromising or reaching mutual agreements without becoming enraged

  2. Problems expressing emotions in a healthy and calm manner

  3. Ignoring or refusing to communicate with others

  4. Self-harm or seclusion can result from inward aggression.

  5. Shouting, swearing, or being physically violent and threatening are examples of outward aggression.

If you have trouble controlling your anger, constructive criticism may be misinterpreted as a challenge to your authority or abilities, which can lead to aggressive behaviour.

 

Other types of therapy in Ireland

Couples Counselling - Couples Counselling, whether premarital or marriage counselling, seeks to improve the communication and overall operation of a couple as a unit. Though couples counselling is a critical aspect of a relationship as they navigate disputes, it’s also instrumental to help the couple to grow more intimate and gain a better bond and connection with each other. 

Therapy for Anxiety - Therapy for anxiety is very helpful in light of a disorder. The common type of mental health therapy typically used for anxiety is a form of talk therapy psychologically referred to as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT works by pinpointing negative behaviours and habits and then utilizing coping skills and strategies to minimise and fully eradicate the need to become fearful or act in avoidance. Cognitive behavioural therapy will improve thought processes and instil the courage to help combat anxiety triggers and attacks.  

DBT - Dialectical behavioural therapy is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy but specialises in the treatment of self-destructive behaviours. DBT works through an evidence-based system and provides healing for personality disorders as well. 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are some strategies in helping someone with anger issues?

Dealing with someone with anger issues isn’t easy. Knowing how to talk to someone with anger management issues can help. Sometimes the person is not aware of their anger triggers, and your observations can help them identify those triggers. Parents with anger issues are an entirely different challenge, especially if you are underage or still living at home. Family therapy is one route to consider.

What do I do if my partner has anger issues?

Anger issues are not uncommon. If the angry outbursts are mostly verbal, online relationship counselling may help you both learn how to control anger and frustration in a relationship. However, If your encouragement to seek therapy doesn’t work, it may be best to end the relationship, especially if the anger turns into violence or physical abuse. After ending the relationship, seek individual therapy for help in dealing with anger after narcissistic abuse.

Where can I find an anger issues test?

How to know you have anger issues is difficult to assess. Thankfully, The British Association of Anger Management provides an online test.

How do I control my angry outbursts?

There are a variety of methods for calming down and letting go of furious feelings, depending on what works best for you and what is most convenient at the time. Some of these methods include breathing slowly and focusing on each breath as you take it or relaxing your body by concentrating on each tense muscle and settling them in turn. You could also try mindfulness techniques to help you be aware of when you're getting angry and can help to calm your mind and body down.

What is the best therapy for anger management?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is frequently the treatment of choice for anger control. It can help you understand your anger triggers, develop, practice coping strategies, think, feel, and act differently in response to anger, allowing you to be calmer and more in control. Then you learn new methods to respond to anger with the guidance of a therapist. This sort of therapy could also be beneficial in the treatment of rage brought on by emotional trauma.

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