Understanding Anger Management

​Anger is a natural emotion that every human experiences when they react to frustration, criticism or a threat. Anger can be a healthy, normal response to threats or it can be a natural reaction to feeling sad, lonely or frightened. Whenever anger becomes a full-blown rage however, it can impair rational thought and judgment and lead to unreasonable and irrational behaviors that are anything but healthy.
 
Anger has had survival benefits for humans over the centuries, and it forms part of our fight or flight response to any perceived threat or harm. When it becomes the predominant feeling and takes over our behavior, cognition and physiology, is when anger can become a very negative force in our lives. Even though some experts say anger is a natural emotion with functional survival value that everyone experiences from time to time, when it triggers an increase in the heart rate, blood pressure and levels of adrenaline in the body, anger can also make you ill. Anger causes the body to release stress hormones and also increases the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and breathing rate. Research has shown that regular episodes of uncontrolled or unresolved anger can eventually make people sick and lead to health problems including headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, stroke, heart attack and a weakened immune system. Anger can also lead to emotional and mental problems like depression, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, low self-esteem and overall moodiness.
 
When your anger results in health problems, emotional and mental problems, or is simply making you unhappy in general, it can lead to violent or dangerous behaviors that are a sure sign you need some help with self discipline through the practice of anger management.
 
Anger management is a process of acquiring the self discipline to recognize the warning signs of anger and taking the appropriate action to deal with the situation in a positive way. Anger is a normal human emotion when it is expressed properly, and anger management does not involve holding your anger inside or trying to keep from feeling it at all. Instead, anger management teaches people the self discipline needed to recognize their tensions and frustrations and deal with them in a way that allows them to remain calm and in control. In this way, anger management involves unlearning some of the bad behaviors people may have learned from dealing with the frustrations in their lives, and teaches them to cope in better ways.
 
Effective anger management counseling helps give a person the discipline to identify what triggers their negative emotions, and how to respond so that those situations don’t work against them. Anger management counseling teaches people how to redirect their energies and resources toward problem solving in those situations that might otherwise trigger anger and frustration. While it is possible to learn anger management techniques on your own, taking an anger management class is usually more cost and time effective. You might just benefit from an anger management class if you have numerous arguments, find yourself involved in frequent fights, threaten violence and often lose your temper and become reckless. Learning the discipline needed to express your feelings and needs assertively and non-aggressively can also lead to an increased sense of self respect and renewed respect for others around you.