Anger doesn’t have to mean yelling or throwing punches. If you’re struggling with anger issues, such as managing aggressive behavior or an explosive temper, it can harm your relationships, interfere with work, or even impact your physical and mental health. Whether you’re an adult struggling with anger or your child is overly aggressive, private counseling for anger can teach you healthy techniques for controlling your temper.
At Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates in Andover, we can coach you or your child on how to manage anger and find a peaceful balance.
The Anger Cycle: Identifying Triggers and Managing Its Effects
Anger is a basic human emotion. Along with happiness, fear, and disgust, anger is rooted in survival instincts and tied to the fight-or-flight response as it prepares you to act. This emotion can range in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. However, anger issues are often misunderstood, especially in young people. Children who seem overly aggressive may actually be experiencing distress. In these cases, managing aggressive behavior becomes important, as aggression may become their default reaction when overwhelmed.
While unleashing anger may feel good in the moment, the more this emotion is practiced, the more deeply it gets reinforced. This can lead to excessive anger, which is unpredictable and destructive. Left unchecked, it may require anger management counseling or emotional regulation therapy to address, as it often causes problems at work, in relationships, or in personal well-being.
How Anger Can Manifest Itself
Anger manifests itself in a variety of ways, including:
- Passive-aggressive behaviors. This could include withholding affection or doing something you know upsets someone.
- Sarcasm. Sarcasm involves using humor to cut another person down.
- Cold anger. This could include the “silent treatment” or withdrawing from intimacy.
- Hostility. Hostility could mean raising your voice or showing signs of frustration.
- Aggression. This is what you may usually think of when you picture anger and can include acting out physically, yelling, name-calling, or cursing.
If you’re looking for help with managing aggressive behavior or learning how to stop yelling when angry, anger management therapy can help you develop healthier coping strategies.
Inward vs. Outward Anger
Outward anger is aggression directed at another person, circumstance, or thing. Inward anger, on the other hand, is intense negativity directed toward yourself. Inward anger includes:
- Self-hatred.
- Self-criticism.
- Viewing oneself as pathetic or powerless.
- Self-injury.
Usually, inward anger stems from a traumatic experience in your past, such as an assault or physical, verbal, or sexual abuse. At Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates, our team specializes in providing self-harm therapy for teenagers and adults who engage in self-injury as a way to cope with pent-up inward anger.
Many individuals view self-harm as a method to regain control after a particularly disturbing or traumatic event. We understand how challenging it can be to break free from these behaviors, and our therapists are highly experienced in offering counseling for self-injury, inward-directed anger, and outward-directed anger.
How to Control Anger
If you’re struggling with anger, it’s important to learn how to deal with it before it gets out of control and turns destructive. There are many techniques you can try to help control feelings of aggression, including:
- Changing your environment.
- Meditation or prayer.
- Calming and breathing techniques.
- A long walk.
- Exercise.
- Problem-solving.
- Better communication.
- Humor.
In addition to these techniques, seeking professional help through anger management counseling or emotional regulation therapy can provide you with tools tailored to your unique situation. Therapy can help you identify triggers, develop healthier coping mechanisms, and learn how to stop yelling when angry or reacting impulsively.
If you are experiencing inward anger that leads to self-injury or self-harm behaviors, self-harm therapy can be an effective way to address these destructive patterns. Our therapists specialize in helping individuals regain control and find healthier ways to cope with intense emotions.
How to Know When It’s Time for Anger Management Counseling
If your anger feels out of control, such as an explosive temper or struggles with managing aggressive behavior, or if it’s impacting your close relationships or other important parts of your life, anger management counseling or emotional regulation therapy may be your best solution. Counseling helps both adults and children learn healthy techniques to address anger without suppressing it. Anger management and counseling for aggression also allow you to find inner peace free from the tumultuous feelings of anger.
Therapy for Anger at Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates
If you live in Andover or the surrounding communities, our young and highly trained team wants to help you learn coping skills to deal with anger. From acts of rage to self-harm, we understand how destructive anger can be. Contact us today to learn more about anger management and self-injury counseling. Or, give us a call at (978) 482–7351.
Reviewed By
Dr. David Rainen, PsyD.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist with an extensive background treating a variety of different ages, situations, emotional and mental health disorders in individuals and their families. As part of my 10 year professional and training career in psychology, I have developed and refined my skills and approaches through my work in a variety of diverse settings including: hospitals, community outpatient facilities, college counseling centers, secure and unsecure inpatient/residential treatment programs, and therapeutic day schools.
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