Anger is a normal human emotion. Feeling irritable, annoyed, or even enraged isn’t something to worry about. Everyone experiences different levels of anger throughout a day, week, or month.
What’s not normal is when anger escalates and becomes uncontrollable. When anger is uncontrollable, it’s not a normal reaction; it’s a problem.
Can Anger Be Healthy?
When expressed in a healthy way, anger is a way to release feelings of frustration, annoyance, or rage. Healthy expressions of anger can also relieve stress or tension. A controlled expression of anger is normal.
What Causes Anger?
Anger stems from various sources. Take, for example, being stuck in traffic on a day when you’re already late. Feeling frustrated at whatever is the cause of the slowdown is normal. On the other hand, road rage is an unhealthy form of anger.
Other causes of anger can include:
- Relationship or work issues: Maybe your employer gave someone else the project you wanted. It’s okay to feel angry. Or perhaps you argued with your partner. Anger is a natural response to conflict or feeling passed over.
- Unpredictable outside influences: Sometimes you can control your environment, and other times you can’t. For example, say you have plans to go out with a friend, and they cancel at the last minute. You might feel frustrated because you were looking forward to going out. You can constructively convey your frustration or disappointment. Taking time to focus on your breathwork is a productive way to channel your feelings and release harmful reactions.
- Mental health disorders: Some mental health disorders, like anxiety or depression, can make you feel irritable.
What About Trauma?
Traumatic events can leave you with physical and mental scars. Feeling angry after sexual, physical, or mental abuse is natural. When faced with intense situations, your mind and body go into fight-or-flight mode. The instinct to survive can include anger at the person or situation. Childhood trauma is another source of anger.
When you experience trauma, your muscles tense. While this is normal, when your muscles remain tense for an extended period, your body and mind are holding onto the traumatic experience. As a result, you may have frequent flare-ups of emotions like rage or anger. You can learn to release your anger by participating in traditional or somatic therapy. Additionally, as you explore and learn how your body holds onto memories, you can find healthy coping skills.
Anger is a natural response to many situations. However, if you have frequent, uncontrollable outbursts of rage, you should consider therapy at The Guest House. Through traditional, holistic, and somatic therapy, you can discover positive ways to express your anger. In some cases, you may release harmful memories, freeing your body and mind from trauma. Your therapy is unique to your needs and can change as your needs change. At The Guest House, the ambiance of our historic estate tucked away near Ocala, Florida can provide exactly what you need to heal. Call us at (855) 483-7800.