Counselling for Anger Management in Birmingham
Anger is an emotion that is considered a normal and healthy part of the human experience. This emotion may be triggered in specific circumstances but is usually managed and controlled. When we don’t have a healthy way of dealing with our anger or a safe outlet to express this emotion, then anger may become a problem.
If this is a regular occurrence, it may be a good idea to consider accessing local support to cope with your anger, which can help you with anger management in Birmingham.
When Is Anger a Problem?
If your anger often feels out of control or you’re worried you may harm yourself or others around you in a moment of anger, then we would recommend seeking help with managing your anger.
Anger management can help you to find safe and healthy ways to express this emotion, rather than turning to unhelpful behaviours.
Types of Anger
Anger can take many forms, especially when it presents in unhelpful behaviours. The way your anger presents itself is often a direct result of how you personally manage your emotions as well as how you’ve learned or been taught to express your feelings. Learned, unhelpful ways of expressing anger may look like:
Internalised or inward aggression: This is anger that is directed at or affects yourself. This behaviour may still cause mental and physical harm but will affect the person that is angry instead of anyone else. Examples include, negative thoughts, isolating yourself, harming yourself, or not allowing yourself basic needs.
Outward aggression or violence: This type of anger is projected. It can present either verbally, through shouting, threatening, and swearing, or physically, by throwing things, hitting, slamming doors, and other violent acts.
Passive or non-violent aggression: You may not think it but this way of expressing anger can be just as unhealthy and harmful as other types. Common examples of this reaction include the “silent treatment” or otherwise presenting as upset while deliberately avoiding addressing the reason.
Side Effects of Anger
When expressed in an unhelpful, destructive, or violent way, anger can have all sorts of negative consequences. These side effects may include a detrimental impact on your mental or physical health, especially when coping with the aftermath of an outburst.
The more your anger is allowed to control your actions, the more it becomes your instinctual emotion. In fact, sometimes your ability to feel any other emotion may become blocked.
Strategies of Anger Management in Birmingham
In the short term, there are several coping strategies that you can utilise to manage your anger when it is triggered. These techniques may include:
- Learn your warning signs, like how your body responds when you’re getting angry.
- Identify your triggers, what makes you angry? Why?
- Don’t automatically react, instead buy yourself time to think and gain control. Try counting to 10 or taking a short walk!
- Manage your feelings. This could be through breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, or releasing pent-up energy through exercise.
- Try a distraction technique to stop the anger from escalating.
- Restructure your thoughts and break any negative thought patterns. Try not to think ‘always’ or ‘never’ when interpreting a situation.
- Develop communication skills to help express thoughts and feelings effectively, without anger.
- Develop emotional resilience. This will improve your ability to handle difficult situations and emotions.
Anger Management Counselling or Therapies
In the long term, the aim of your anger management practice is to get to a point where you can recognise what triggers this emotion and how best to manage it before can even fully manifest.
To do this effectively and safely it is recommended to use talking therapy or counselling services to support you and assist in identifying the core issues behind unhelpful behaviours.
By understanding where your anger comes from it is possible to work on these parts of yourself and get to a point where healthy anger management becomes second nature as a practice.