Humans have six universal core emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, and anger. Anger is often misunderstood and viewed negatively. However, it can be beneficial in certain circumstances. Anger can motivate solving conflicts and challenging situations or be constructive in helping set boundaries.
Anger becomes problematic when suppressed or it results in impulsive, aggressive, or destructive behaviors. Individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) often have difficulty with healthy expressions of anger. Learning anger management techniques is crucial for recovery success.
At Gulf Breeze Recovery, we offer an anger management treatment program as part of our approach to comprehensive addiction treatment. Call 833.551.2304 to learn more about our programs, including anger management.
What Is Anger Management?
Contrary to what many believe, anger management is not about learning to suppress anger. Never getting angry can be just as unhealthy as inappropriate expressions of anger. Instead, anger management involves the process of learning to recognize and control anger constructively. It entails learning strategies to cope with anger effectively rather than allowing it to escalate into destructive behaviors.
The following are typical goals of an anger management program:
- Recognizing anger warning signs – Anger can seem to come out of nowhere, but there are signs to pay attention to, like a racing heartbeat, a knot in your stomach, clenching your fists, pacing, or feeling like you are “seeing red.”
- Exploring and identifying sources of anger – Anger often masks more complex emotions like depression, anxiety, embarrassment, guilt, hurt, or shame. Anger management helps you uncover and address these issues.
- Identifying triggers – Paying attention to situations, people, and places that trigger your anger or certain times when you feel more angry can help you plan and utilize healthy coping skills.
- Identify solutions – Instead of focusing on the source of anger, you learn to identify solutions to your problems.
The core of an anger management program is education about the difference between feeling angry and behaving aggressively. Through anger management therapy, you learn that anger is natural and cannot be avoided. You also learn to reduce your overall level of anger and approach daily life from a more positive perspective.
5 Anger Management Techniques to Help Calm Down
Individuals with anger issues have deeply rooted and persistently negative thinking patterns and often tend to perseverate on negative experiences. They spend most of their time feeling irritable, hostile, and argumentative. Some people suppress their anger and isolate themselves to avoid having angry outbursts. Still, others threaten violence, behave violently, or demonstrate other frightening or intimidating behaviors.
The following are five anger management techniques to calm down when your anger is getting out of control:
- Take a timeout – Giving yourself short breaks during stressful times of the day can help you control your feelings of irritation and anger.
- Practice relaxation skills – Yoga, meditation, deep-breathing exercises, repeating a mantra, journaling, listening to music, or taking a walk can all help calm you down.
- Cognitive restructuring – Challenging irrational or unhelpful thinking patterns or reframing your perspectives that contribute to anger.
- Take a pause – Pausing before you say anything can help you calm down and prevent you from saying something you might regret.
- Find the funny – Humor can lighten the mood, reframe problems, and keep things in perspective. Be sure not to confuse sarcasm with humor, which can feel passive-aggressive.
Anger management therapy will help you develop strategies to address the underlying issues that contribute to your anger. You will also learn communication and stress management skills.
Call Today to Find Lasting Recovery with Anger Management Techniques at Gulf Breeze Recovery
While anger is a normal emotion that can’t be avoided, it can also be harmful when not adequately managed. If you struggle to manage your anger, or it is negatively impacting your life, you can benefit from anger management therapy.
At Gulf Breeze Recovery, our unique beachfront location provides the perfect environment for reflection and growth. Here, we help clients develop insight into the underlying sources of their struggles with anger and addiction to find lasting recovery.
Call 833.551.2304 today or complete our online form to learn how we can help you or your loved one regain control and live your best life.
