GP Pathfinder Clinics
at Hazeldene Medical Centre,
Crest, Eagle Eye and
Chamberlayne Road Surgery
    • Managing Anger

    Managing Anger

    Anger is a common and often powerful emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It’s a perfectly natural response to specific situations and can even be positive and motivating. However, uncontrolled anger can be destructive and have significant impacts on relationships, personal well-being and overall quality of life for you and the people around you.

    Recognising Anger

     

    Identifying early signs of anger is critical for effective management. These signs may include physical cues like a faster heartbeat or clenching your fists, mental symptoms such as feeling tense or easily irritated, and behavioural changes like raising your voice or feeling an urge to break things.

    Recognising these signs can help you take prompt action to manage your response.

    Symptoms of Anger

     

    Physical Symptoms:

    • Faster heartbeat

    • Tense muscles

    • Clenching your fists

    • Tightness in your chest

    • Feeling hot


    Mental Symptoms:

    • Feeling tense or nervous

    • Being unable to relax

    • Being easily irritated

    • Feeling humiliated

    • Resenting other people


    Changes in Behaviour:

    • Ignoring people or sulking

    • Shouting

    • Starting fights

    • Breaking things

    • Self-harming

    Causes of Anger

     

    Everybody experiences situations that make them angry. Some common reasons for feeling anger are:

    • Being treated unfairly

    • Feeling threatened or attacked

    • Other people not respecting your authority, feelings, or property

    • Being interrupted when trying to achieve a goal

    How you react to anger can also be affected by a number of factors, including current levels of stress and your past. Things that can affect how you respond to stressful or enraging situations include:

    • Current stress levels: If you are dealing with a lot of stress, you may find it far more challenging to control your anger than you usually would.

    • Family history: You may have learned unhelpful ways of dealing with anger from people in the adults who were around you when you were growing up.

    • Past trauma: Many people who have suffered from traumatic, frightening or stressful events in the past can develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can lead to outbursts of anger.

    • Substance use: Using drugs and alcohol can make people react more aggressively than usual.

    The Impact of Anger

     

    If not adequately managed, anger can severely affect your relationships. It can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings and cause long-lasting damage to connections you have with friends and family. Anger can also be highly stressful for other people to deal with, meaning your anger could be harming those around you.

    In a professional situation, uncontrolled anger is usually not tolerated, and angry outbursts can lead to strained relationships with colleagues and decreased productivity. It is also not uncommon for anger in the workplace to lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.

    Understanding and controlling anger is vital for maintaining healthy and harmonious relationships in all areas of life.

    Strategies for Managing Anger

     

    While controlling your anger can be difficult, there are a number of things you can do to try to moderate your response to anger.

    Immediate coping techniques

     

    • Practise deep breathing exercises to calm the mind and body.

    • Count to ten before reacting to give you time to process and respond calmly.

    • Take a time-out or step away from the situation to prevent immediate, often regrettable reactions.

    Long-term anger management

     

    • Engage in regular physical exercise such as running, walking, or yoga to help release tension and stress.

    • Work on building self-esteem through activities that foster a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

    • Seek support from groups or therapists who specialise in anger management, providing a space to understand and address underlying issues.

    Seeking Professional Help

     

    • Engage in regular physical exercise such as running, walking, or yoga to help release tension and stress.

    • Work on building self-esteem through activities that foster a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

    • Seek support from groups or therapists who specialise in anger management, providing a space to understand and address underlying issues.

    Important:


    Help and support for extreme cases

    In severe cases where anger leads to domestic abuse (violence or threatening behaviour in a relationship), accessing immediate support is crucial. The following organisations can offer help and support:

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