Anger is a strong emotion experienced in responses to a perceived threat, frustration, powerlessness or slight. It is normal to experience anger occasionally and it may range from mild annoyance to rage.
What the purpose of anger?
It exists to;
- Highlight threats. Emotions are how our instincts communicate with us. Anger is the voice with which our instincts shout that we feel threatened.
- Motivate us to act on those threats. Often the things that trigger anger could trigger other emotions, such as fear, however with anger there is another factor, which is that you feel you have some power or justification to redress things.
- Enable action. Anger is associated with the release of adrenaline which provides energy for action and appears to be associated with a reduction in rational functioning and empathy.
Types of anger
Expressed
Expressed is that which is shown. Shown anger may be expressed as verbal aggression (shouting, swearing), physical aggression (violence against objects or people). This often achieves results in the short term; many people will respond to this type of aggression immediately. However, in the long term people tend to distance themselves from people who express, or express back, and the expressed style can become abusive quickly.
Suppressed
Suppressed is when anger is held internally. This has the benefit of not creating secondary effects such as triggering other peoples upset. However, it often fails to fully do this with indications sneaking out as passive aggression, or deferred anger.
Passive aggression
Passive aggression is when anger is expressed through disparaging comments, undermining or obstructive behaviour. It has been theorized that this comes about due to the upset person being unable to directly express their annoyance. It may also have become disconnected from the roots which established it and become the persons automatic way of handling their own aggression.
Deferred
Deferred is when someone does not express anger at the time it occurs but holds on to it and expresses it later. This can lead to passive aggression but may result in other behaviours like punching walls once or excessive banging of pots and pans in the kitchen.
Displaced
Displaced is a type of deferred anger in which the aggression is redirected towards someone or something over which the person has a degree of power. This occurs when they are not safe to express at the point of it arising so wait until they can express it at someone or something in relative safety. This allows them to express and to enjoy a sense of power, which may sooth them.
Anger at self
This is when we direct the anger to ourselves. This may take the form of self-criticism (constructive or blaming). This retains a sense of control but easily leads into a sense of personal failure and self-hatred.
Anger at other
This is where we put the blame elsewhere. This may mean that we blame; someone else, the quality of the equipment we are working with, or the weather, anything but ourselves. This allows us to avoid feelings of personal failure but leaves us feeling little control over the world.
All of these types of anger have different benefits and costs to them. Some are more socially acceptable than other, some provide the person with a sense of power, but all take a toll on the body.
Angers toll on the body.
Regardless of how, when or if, it is expressed there are physiological impacts of anger, these include;
- Muscle tension.
- Raised blood pressure.
- Elevated heart rate.
- Sweating.
The body can cope with a certain amount of this, but if anger occurs too frequently then physical symptoms may develop. These symptoms can include;
- Gastrointestinal issues, like IBS.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Disruption to immunological function.
- Hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
- Insomnia.
- Teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism).
- Mild cognitive impairment, especially around problem solving.
Further, people with long term anger frequently experience;
- Relationship problems.
- Excessive use of harmful and addictive substances to help regulate themselves physically and mentally.
So what can someone with excessive anger do to help with it?
Hypnotherapy for Anger
A hypnotherapists may take any number of potential approaches to helping someone with anger to reduce their experience of anger. Remember that anger is a natural emotion and the aim of therapy is not to prevent you having anger but to reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of that anger. Common hypnotherapy approaches may include;
- Systematic desensitisation for triggers.
- EMDR for triggers, traumatic learning or aggressive self-talk.
- Suggestions for new beliefs.
- NLP approaches to help diminish, disrupt and decondition beliefs and triggers.
- Psychodynamic approaches, such as parts therapy, to help integrate new beliefs and ideas.
A hypnotherapist will work with those secondary symptoms; helping with the return of gastric function, immunity, erectile function or whatever secondary symptoms may have occurred.
To speak with an experienced therapist, contact Dr Matt on 0778 9097741 or email mattkrouwel@gmail.co.uk