Anger Issues
Anger can cause many problems if not expressed healthily. It can ruin relationships, affect you in school
and the work place and even threaten your safety and that of others, especially if it is fuelled by alcohol
or drugs.
Anger as an emotion is not wrong or bad. It gets a bad press because it is usually associated with
anti-social behaviour, aggression and violence. Anyone can feel angry from time to time but it becomes a
problem when it gets out of control and turns to rage which hurts people and property.
Like any other emotion, anger occurs for a reason. In counselling you can explore what is causing the
anger. Usually there are underlying feelings, that when not acknowledged, can manifest themselves in
anger. Some of those feelings could be hurt, rejection, grief and loss, feelings of low self-worth.
Anger can act like a mask. It has been developed to protect the person from further hurt and rejection
but it often adds to the sense of aloneness as it keeps people away. Its a vicious circle. The hurt and
rejection could be something that stems from childhood and as such is not available to the person's
conscious mind. Instead they have been labelled as ‘an angry person’.
Often people will talk about ‘exploding’. Using the analogy of a volcano, pressure builds up beneath the
surface and, when it is eventually released, it is usually unrelated to the source of the anger or in
proportion to the current situation.
If you recognise this as a pattern in your life then talking it through with a trained counsellor will help
you get perspective. You can learn how to recognise what triggers your anger and how to deal with it
as it occurs instead of bottling it up.
Remember: It's ‘OK’ to be angry but don't hurt yourself, don't hurt other people and don't damage
property. Do seek support and talk it through.
Counselling involves being facilitated to understand the 'triggers' that cause anger. Early warning signs
of the onset of anger – both in body sensations and in the brain gives opportunity to take control.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is just one of the therapies that can help you to understand the causes
of your anger so that you can begin to make changes to your thinking and livestyle and enable you to
express your emotions in a more healthy way.