Anger Problems

Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. On the other hand, anger is a natural, adaptive response to threats; which allow us to fight and to defend ourselves when we are attacked. A certain amount of anger, therefore, is necessary to our survival. However, anger that gets out of hand is likely to be a real problem for you as well as for others and might be a very uncomfortable feeling in your life.

People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious processes to deal with their angry feelings. In therapy you can learn how to deal with the three main approaches of anger that are: expressing, suppressing, and calming. In therapy you further learn ways of handling anger through observation or through your own responses to certain situations.

For example cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly successful in helping people to learn how to manage their anger and to use more effective, successful ways of interacting. Understanding how the patterns developed and finding alternative ways of reacting are key in breaking these patterns that are ultimately self-defeating.