Anger Management

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• QHow can I control my anger?

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  A Dr. Michelle Cleere - Sharecare Fitness Expert, PhD , Psychology, answered on behalf of Nike SPARQ Training Network

  Dealing with anger depends on the individual. The key to anger is being aware of it and then trying to recognize what triggers it. Once you come to realize what triggers your anger you can try:

  • Becoming aware of the words that pop up in your mind during an anger producing situation, write them down in a journal or in a list and then come up with a complementary list of positive phrases. Next time you are in an anger producing situation see if you can be aware of those negative thoughts, stop them and replace them with something more positive.
  • Potentially not put yourself in those situations that anger you.
  • Similar to the first managing technique try to become aware of the anger producing situations. Write them down in a journal or a list. Now come up with a positive key word that will trigger your mind to recognize when you are in an anger producing situation. Next time you are in an anger producing situation see if you can be aware of the situation and use the key word to stop the progression of that situation so you can relax or move into another direction. It is important to come up with a list of alternative ways to deal with anger producing situations. Anger is in your control.

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• QWhat is intermittent explosive disorder?

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  A Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD , Psychology, answered

  

  Intermittent explosive disorder is when anger appears to come out of nowhere, followed by an outburst of emotion. In this video, psychologist Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD, explains how road rage is a good example of this explosive, angry behavior.

  

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  What Is Intermittent Explosive Disorder?
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• QHow do I let go of resentment?

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  A Deepak Chopra , Alternative & Complementary Medicine, answered

  Realize that there is no such thing as a missed opportunity. "I should have done that" and "If only I had said that" bring to mind all our failures, big and small.
  
  Resentment wastes energy, yet it lingers seductively because it always comes with a ready-made target. The alternative is to look inward, mourn what might have been, take responsibility, and move on. Your soul sees no missed opportunities. In reality every road you traveled offered up an experience as a gift, and as the complex fabric of life wove itself, each experience added to your growth. In the deepest sense your life has been a string of opportunities that you met successfully.
  
  Affirm today that there is nothing and no one to resent. For every small desire that didn't come true, your soul has widened the way for fulfilling your highest aspirations.
• QWhen I'm angry, does it help to let out my aggression?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Most people are misinformed about the best way to handle anger. While you may think that lashing out or hitting a pillow or punching bag helps you release tension, the opposite is true. It teaches you to develop a behavior pattern: Get mad, punch. Get mad, get even. Get mad, harbor stress until it eats away at you like ants on crumbs. Instead, it's better to use behavior and mental techniques that have been shown to reduce anger and anxiety.
• QHow can I reduce anger?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  It's no secret that anger doesn't help anyone. Not the fellow motorist you're swearing at. Not your kids, who are seeing you lose it. And most of all, not you. Anger has been shown to lead to a higher incidence of heart disease and other health problems.
  
  These behavior and mental techniques have been shown to reduce anger and anxiety, as well as the chronic heart problems associated with them. If you're one of the 16 million Americans who have anger issues, try these techniques to make a change that we'll all be thankful for:

  1. Do the Opposite. Research has found that "letting it rip" with anger actually escalates anger and aggression and does nothing to help you (or the person you're angry with) resolve the situation. In general, to cope with an emotion, you have to do the opposite. The opposite of anger isn't to withdraw or lash out, but to develop empathy. So instead of swearing at the guy who cut you off, think that maybe there's a reason he did so—like, he just got a call that his wife is in labor. It helps to remind yourself that few people are jerks on purpose. Getting angry just forces you to justify your actions, so you act out to make sense of how crazily you just acted.
  2. Find Your Pattern. Keep thought records with no censorship of all the emotions you feel (and why) during the day. This helps you identify and find a pattern in the core beliefs that are associated with your anger. Do you get angry at a lack of respect, or wasted time, or insults?
  3. Do Push-ups. Somehow, you do have to acknowledge that you are experiencing a physiological response to your anger. Telling yourself to "stay calm" is one of the worst things you can do (second only to being told to "calm down"), because we're supposed to act out when we feel threatened and are angry. So act out in a way that doesn't burn bridges, by doing push-ups or stretching or deep breathing. This dissipates the physiological burden of anger.
  4. Choose Smart Words. Be careful of words like "never" or "always" when talking about yourself or someone else. "This machine never works!" or "You're always forgetting things!" are not only inaccurate, they make you feel that your anger is justified and that there's no way to solve the problem. They also alienate and humiliate people who might otherwise be willing to work with you on a solution.

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• QIs habitual anger unhealthy?

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  A Dr. Charles J. Sophy, MD , Adolescent Medicine, answered

  

  Anger can impact more than just your mood. In this video, psychiatrist Charles Sophy, DO, discusses how habitual anger can affect your health.

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  Is Habitual Anger Unhealthy?
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• QWhat are the physical effects of anger?

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  A Dr. Charles J. Sophy, MD , Adolescent Medicine, answered

  

  If you're frequently angry, you may be creating serious health problems for yourself, both now and in the future. In this video, psychiatrist Charles Sophy, DO, describes some of the most common consequences of habitual fury.

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  What Are the Physical Effects of Anger?
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• QWhat is anger management therapy?

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  A Ms. Betty Davis, LPC, NCC , Mental Health, answered on behalf of MDLIVE

  Anger Management contains a series of techniques that a person can apply to their own anger in order to manage and control the anger into a more acceptable expression.

  The goal of Anger Management is to help you control and reduce your emotional feelings and the physical sensations and triggers that accompany anger. It is important to remember that you cannot always avoid the events of people that enrage you, nor can you change them, but you can learn to control your reactions and respond rather than react to these people and events in harmful ways. You can learn to deal with your anger so that you can express your angry feelings in far more acceptable and less destructive and less violent forms.

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