Everybody gets angry, but how can you know if you are coping and responding healthily? What if your anger is hurting those around you? Nearly everyone can benefit from anger management techniques. Philly Family Life Counselling LLC. provides Philadelphia anger management counselling.
Signs of dysfunctional anger include destructive tendencies, out of proportion reactions, and not being able to let minor offenses go. There are many ways anger can be experienced and expressed (healthy and unhealthy), here are four examples:
1. Retaliatory Anger & Passive-Aggressive Behavior
This anger is reactionary and can present itself in two different forms. One is retaliatory and revenge based. This anger is more outwardly aggressive and often weaponizes words and actions against those closest to us. On the other hand, passive – aggressive behavior utilizes icy coldness, the silent treatment, and sarcasm. Rather than discussing the issues, passive anger expression avoids direct confrontations and allows resentment to grow.
2. Repressed Anger
Repressed anger most often occurs when a person either feels powerless to change their situation or is too afraid to confront relational issues. This is dangerous because it allows anger to fester and boil until it erupts long after the triggering incidents. It can result in anger that is out of proportion compared to what caused it. In the end, repressed anger tends to hurt the person carrying it the most.
3. Overwhelming Anger
Overwhelming fear of insecurity is often the catalyst for overwhelming anger. This anger can result from being over-extended at work, with family, or suffering from intense internal stress. Overwhelming anger occurs when internal and external factors combine to make healthy coping feel impossible and most often presents itself in the form of a temper tantrum.
4. Healthy Anger
Anger is not inherently wrong. It’s often our body’s way of signaling that we need to protect ourselves or others. Anger is a natural response and it is okay when it is proportional to the circumstance and coped with properly. If we allow anger to cause reflection instead of reaction, it can inform us about our surroundings, relationships, and our own motivations. After reflection, we can proceed to making healthy decisions. For example, having a necessary conversation with your boss, creating daily space to relax, leaving a relationship, or seeking and accepting forgiveness.
Anger Management Counseling in Northeast Philadelphia
If you want to discover healthy anger management methods, contact Philly Family Life Counseling through our online form or call 215/677-3810 to schedule an appointment with a therapist.
Leave a Reply