5 Signs You Might Need Anger Management Therapy
Anger is something everyone deals with pretty regularly. It’s totally normal to feel and even express your anger to those around you. Although anger might make you feel aggressive, loud, and upset, most people know how to control their actions when angry.
But sometimes, the feeling of anger can be very overwhelming and uncontrollable. This typically results in loud outbursts of rage, destructive behaviour, and loved ones getting verbally or physically hurt.
Sometimes it can be hard to identify the difference between experiencing angry feelings and struggling with managing your anger.
At KMA Therapy, we know that exploring your anger can feel complicated and overwhelming. In our 15 years of experience, we've helped many clients identify an anger issue and find the right people to speak to.
By the end of this article, you’ll understand what anger management therapy is, five signs you or someone you know might need anger management therapy, and what steps to take next.
What is Anger Management Therapy?
Anger management therapy is a form of psychotherapy that is targeted at identifying and alleviating anger issues while equipping you with tactics and tools to make your anger manageable.
Whether you’re someone who internalizes your anger to a detriment, or someone who has visible outbursts of anger, anger management therapy can help you understand the source of your anger and learn new ways to express it and cope with it.
Anger management therapy can help you:
- Identify your anger style
- Recognize triggers and prompts
- Learn different strategies to help manage anger
- Examine and learn conflict resolution skills and styles
If your anger has started to feel like it's controlling you, speaking to an anger management therapist can help you regain control of your anger.
5 Signs You Need Anger Management Therapy
Identifying the signs of anger management issues can be difficult, especially if you are in a situation where you are surrounded by triggers.
These five signs can help you recognize if you or someone you know needs anger management therapy.
1. You physically or verbally hurt those around you
If you’re someone who is frequently hurting the people around you due to your anger, this is a clear sign that therapy can help.
Experiencing intense anger can feel overwhelming for you, so the ramifications of your anger for those around you often go unnoticed.
Your loved ones may be in constant states of anxiety or feel the need to walk on eggshells around you, leading your anger to negatively impact your relationships if left unmanaged.
2. You always find yourself feeling angry
Are you constantly worked up by the most minuscule things? Constantly feeling angry is another indicator that you might need anger management therapy.
It’s not normal to be angry all the time, and feeling that way can lead to some pretty major health risks.
Prolonged anger can cause:
- High blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle aches
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
3. You often feel like your anger is out of control
Even if you get caught up in the heat of the moment, you can usually recognize when you've taken it too far.
After your anger has subsided, it can leave you feeling:
- Disappointment
- Sadness
- Regret
- Guilt
It's normal for these feelings to lead to even more feelings of anger, taking you right back through the cycle of anger.
Any of these feelings can prompt an outburst, so lots of people who struggle with anger management end up having outbursts over and over again.
If you think your anger has prompted you to take it too far time and time again, it might be time to check out anger management therapy!
4. You frequently regret something you said out of anger
Any time you do something out of anger, it’s easy to feel regret about it.
Feelings of regret are especially common amongst those who have trouble controlling their anger.
If you’ve noticed you’re regularly being spiteful, and have trouble holding your tongue when dealing with conflict, anger management therapy can be a great place to learn conflict resolution techniques.
This can help nourish your current relationships and repair those you might have damaged due to your actions while angry.
5. You notice that small things make you angry
Have you ever had one of those days when the smallest thing can infuriate you? If you're already having a terrible day, stubbing your toe or spilling a cup of coffee can be infuriating.
These days are normal to have every once in awhile, but if you're struggling with anger management, you might feel on edge like this every day.
If minor inconveniences are frequently leading to large emotional reactions, it can be a sign that anger management therapy could be a good option to explore.
Anger management therapy can teach you tools to help keep you calm when you start to feel that anger starting to boil up.
Next Steps for Beginning Anger Management Therapy
After reading this article, you've learned five signs to help you figure out if you or a loved one needs anger management therapy. The good news is that acknowledging your anger is a problem is the first step. That means you are already off to an amazing start.
At KMA Therapy, we’ve helped connect so many people to the right therapist to help guide them through their therapy journey. Your next step might be doing some research on what anger management therapy might look like, and who the best people are to talk to.
If you feel like you might benefit from anger management therapy, fill out our Registration Form and someone from our office will reach out to you.
If you’re not ready to chat yet and want to learn more about therapy in general or have some other questions you need answered, some good reads are:
- The Top 5 Anger Management Therapists in Toronto
- How to Convince Someone to Go to Therapy
- 22 Questions to Ask Your New Therapist
About the Author
Tre is KMA's rockstar recruiter. As a podcast host and entrepreneur, he’s learned to utilize both creativity and charisma to help remove walls between employer and employee, while creating a space for transparency and authenticity.
