Being angry all the time is an awful way to live. You’re tense, your stomach is all knotted up, and people can go out of their way to avoid you. No one really chooses to live life this way and there are a few things that can contribute to feelings of anger.
• If you have a sensitive personality where you feel emotions more intensely, act impulsively, or lose control, you have a higher chance of experiencing anger issues.
• If you witnessed a lot of anger growing up either in your family or in your community you may be more susceptible to anger quickly because that is your ‘normal.’
• Lastly, people who are under a lot of stress also tend to anger easily.
Some symptoms of having an anger management problem include:
- • Feelings of constant irritability
- • Difficulty responding to people who do not agree with your point of view
- • Inability to control emotions when losing in sports activities or recreational games
- • Difficulty sleeping due to thoughts of those who have ‘wronged’ you
- • Easily frustrated
- • Rude towards strangers and friends
- • Hold on to resentments that are long past
- • Impatient at work, at home, and with family and friends
- • Regretting behaviour after an outburst
- • Feeling a sense of relief after an angry outburst.
If you find yourself nodding your head reading these symptoms, you might want to seek some help. Do some online research, check out the anger management books at the library, and/or seek counsellor assistance who specializes in anger management. You can make changes and your friends and family will thank you.
If you find yourself nodding your head reading this while thinking of a family member or friend, you will want to be very clear with boundary setting and knowing your own personal limits to protect yourself physically and emotionally. If you ever feel like you may be in danger of being harmed, reach out for help from family and friends, or in extreme situations law enforcement. In some cases it may be in your best interest to step back from the friendship or relationship until the person receives help and you begin to see change for the better.