Search results
That’s why—for your health’s sake—the experts at Harvard Medical School have created Anger Management: How to Manage Your Volatile Feelings in a Skillful Way. It’s the research-proven online guide that reveals the effective tools to help redirect your anger in a more positive direction. About this Report Excerpt Customer Reviews.
- hhp_info@health.harvard.edu
- Overview
- Procedure Details
- Risks / Benefits
- Recovery and Outlook
- When to Call the Doctor
Everyone gets angry. But anger can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Anger management is a type of therapy that improves your coping and communication skills. It also teaches relaxation techniques so you can keep your cool.
Contents
Arrow Down
OverviewProcedure DetailsRisks / BenefitsRecovery and OutlookWhen to Call the Doctor
Contents
Arrow Down
What happens during anger management classes or therapy?
In anger management therapy, you’ll learn coping skills that help you understand what makes you angry and what anger looks like for you. Your therapist might ask questions like: What makes you angry? What are you really angry about? Is the intensity of your anger appropriate for the situation? Is your anger masking another emotion? Fear? Anxiety? Hurt? Shame? An underlying health problem? Is it a reaction you learned as a child? How does anger feel in your body? Then, you’ll work with your therapist to develop coping skills or strategies. These are practical skills and things you can do when you notice that you’re angry. Anger management coping skills include: Changing the way you think about situations. Your healthcare provider might call this cognitive restructuring. Instead of dwelling on or exaggerating negative feelings, you’ll learn to shift your perspective. You might swap negative self-talk like, “This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” with something more positive. Instead, you might say: “This is bad and it’s OK to be upset, but it’s not the end of the world.” Communication skills to help you express your anger in healthy ways. You’ll learn different ways to gauge your reactions and talk about your feelings. You may also benefit from assertiveness training. Relaxation techniques to help you pause before reacting. They can also help you let go after you’ve resolved an issue rather than rehashing the same issues over and over again (rumination). This may include meditation, breathing exercises or yoga. Or you might work together with your therapist to figure out what’s calming for you. You’ll also practice these new skills with your therapist during your therapy session. Anger management classes often include practice outside your therapy sessions as well. You’ll need to practice your new plan until you’ve had some success managing your anger (a reduction in the number or severity of angry outbursts) and the techniques start to feel more natural. There are different approaches to anger management therapy. It also looks different depending on your age, so it’ll be different for your school-age child than your teen, and different for you than your parents. Your therapist’s approach will be based on their previous experience and what they think will work best for you. Care at Cleveland Clinic Mental Health Care Make an Appointment
What are the potential benefits of anger management?
With anger management therapy, you may notice improvements in your relationships at home and at work. You’ll feel more in control of your emotions. You may even sleep better and be less likely to get certain diseases. Advertisement
What are the risks or complications of anger management?
During anger management therapy, you might feel some discomfort talking about your feelings. After developing a trusting relationship with your therapist, they may ask you questions about your past bring back old hurts. But dealing with these uncomfortable thoughts and memories is often a necessary step to feeling better in your daily life.
How long will I need this treatment?
Anger management therapy generally involves a series of sessions with your therapist over several months. If you’re diligent about practice, you can start to see the effects of your new techniques fairly quickly. Your relationship with your therapist may last beyond the anger management series, and it’s normal to need to revisit therapy as things change in your life. For example, the anger management skills you need as a young adult are different from what you need as the parent of a toddler. Work situations change and life events happen, so give yourself some grace and don’t beat yourself up if you need a bit of a tune-up in anger management. Advertisement
When should I call my healthcare provider?
If your symptoms get worse or you’re worried that you might hurt yourself or others, reach out to a provider right away. If it’s after hours or your distress feels overwhelming, call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. A note from Cleveland Clinic Anger is a normal part of being human. But sometimes, it can get out of hand. If you’re feeling like you’re angry more often than not, or if you’ve hurt someone you love with harsh words or actions, you might benefit from learning anger management skills. It can be painful to explore negative events and emotions. So, it’s important to choose your therapist carefully. Make sure you see a licensed professional who’s trained to teach anger management and assertiveness skills. But you’ll also be spending hours with your therapist throughout your treatment, so it’s important to find someone you feel gets you. Don’t be discouraged if it takes couple times to find the right fit. Medically Reviewed Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/26/2023. Learn more about our editorial process.
People also ask
How does anger management affect your health?
What is anger management & how does it work?
Can anger management therapy help?
- Relaxation. Simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery, can help calm down angry feelings. There are books and courses that can teach you relaxation techniques, and once you learn the techniques, you can call upon them in any situation.
- Cognitive restructuring. Simply put, this means changing the way you think. Angry people tend to curse, swear, or speak in highly colorful terms that reflect their inner thoughts.
- Problem solving. Sometimes, our anger and frustration are caused by very real and inescapable problems in our lives. Not all anger is misplaced, and often it’s a healthy, natural response to these difficulties.
- Better communication. Angry people tend to jump to—and act on—conclusions, and some of those conclusions can be very inaccurate. The first thing to do if you’re in a heated discussion is slow down and think through your responses.
Mar 19, 2024 · It is also associated with other mental health conditions, such as depression and substance use disorders. Physical health: Anger manifests physically in the body with a surge of adrenaline, a rapid rise in heartbeat, higher blood pressure, and increased muscle tension in the form of a clenched jaw or fisted hands, says Engle. Over time, this ...
Nov 1, 2017 · If you see a psychologist for help with anger problems, you can plan on examining the triggers that set you off. You’ll explore how your experiences of anger were helpful or harmful, both in the short-term and in the long-term. You’ll probably examine the thoughts that precede your anger and explore whether they’re accurate assessments of ...
Sep 10, 2023 · People use a number of conscious and unconscious processes to handle their anger. Common approaches include: Expressing. Suppressing. Calming. While anger may be a normal and healthy emotion, how we respond to it makes a big impact. Anger management can help you respond in healthy, constructive ways.
Mar 25, 2022 · Deep breathing exercises are a great way to reduce your stress levels and reset. When you stop and take some deep and controlled breaths, you calm your mind. When the mind becomes calm, your body ...
