Anger can be a violent and temporary emotional state that can range from moderate irritation to outrage and fury.
Anger, like any other emotion, is a reaction to an event. But, one must not be confused. It is never an event in itself that triggers emotion and rage. It is always the result of an interaction between a desire, an expectation, and a contrary event. The perceived obstacle of the desire triggers it. Intolerance of frustration generates anger. For the angry person, his or her desire must be satisfied immediately and he or she does not understand and does not accept the non-satisfaction of his or her desire. Anger is a signal that indicates the frustration of a desire, the questioning of an expectation, or the challenge of a value. In anger, desire takes precedence. We plan and anticipate a real outcome. Anger appears when reality does not correspond to our expectations of ourselves or others. Its function is therefore to inform us but especially to inform the other that we are not satisfied, that he must react to correspond to our desire.
When to consider anger management therapy?
Anger is normal and useful, it shows that something isn’t right. But it becomes a problem when it is caused by inappropriate interpretations and anticipations. That’s why it is necessary to seek therapy to target this issue. For our readers from Mississauga, we always offer our help and support with ‘Life Changes Therapy’. Reach out and get in touch with our therapist for your comfort and well-being.
Here we discuss Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT) for anger.
Anger is painful to oneself and others. It is immediate, sudden, and can be violent. It can make us lose control.
How can we manage our emotions?
Cognitivism focuses on “cognitions”, i.e. the individual’s thoughts immediately before, during and after anger. The work on thoughts is the most important to help the angry person to regain control of his emotion. However, it should not be forgotten that anger is always the expression of a frustrated desire specified by anticipations. CBT for anger, therefore, consists in helping someone take charge of their anger.
Usually the CBT therapist asks the client to log a chart in order to identify his or her anger in between therapy sessions. He fills in the first column entitled: situation. Here, he enters the information of the situation in which he felt anger: place, date, time, people, or objects. The second column concerns the emotion, and its nature, in our case, it is anger, but especially its subjective intensity between 0 and 10. The third column is the most important, namely the thoughts. It is about identifying your thoughts during anger. What is your inner monologue when you are angry? The last column is reserved for your behavior, for what you do.
This work based on charting angry outbursts, has a double function, namely, for the individual and the CBT psychotherapist, to better understand the patient’s anger, as well as to help them regain self-control. The psychotherapist helps the client to identify his/her triggers and also identify cognitive, behavioural and physiological signs in order to prevent the anger from escalating. As well, coping strategies are given to the client to help take control of the anger which allows him/her to start managing the anger more productively. Thus, the client is better able to negotiate his/her needs in any given situation.
Once we have spent the time necessary to identify the constant cognitive, behavioural and physiological patterns when you become angry, you and the CBT psychotherapist work together using coping strategies and cognitive strategies to successfully reign in your angry outbursts for a happier life.
Feel the anger, understand it and express your desire directly.
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