Anger management (+How psychiatrist can help)
By
PsychReel
This article will discuss if a psychiatric treatment can help a person in need of anger management treatment. For that, the article will explain what anger is, how it can affect a person’s life, and when it is necessary to look for anger management treatment. Along with that, the article will explain how this form of treatment works.
Are psychiatrists part of anger management treatment?
Yes, psychiatrists can be a part of anger management treatment. Those professionals will help decide the better form of treatment for each patient. And because they are doctors, they are also able to prescribe medication and follow through with that type of treatment.
But let’s discuss some more about what anger is, when it becomes a problem, and how anger management treatment may help people dealing with anger issues.
What is anger?
Anger is a common emotion. It is an intense feeling of displeasure. Normally it is not harmful, and it is a fitting reaction to some events. It can happen when you go through a stressful situation, or when you experience failure or injustice.
Anger is a way people relieve their stress and are motivated to deal with their issues instead of keeping on in an unpleasant situation. Anger has more to do with how a person experiences the event than with the event itself.
Some behaviors can cause a person to become angrier. For example, if a person blames other people for whatever happens, they can become angrier.
If you see the world in a black and white manner, it might be harder to deal with the stress and frustration that life can bring. This makes it harder for them to reconcile reality and how they think the world should be.
Anger can also become stronger when a person doesn’t deal with their feelings as they come. This might make them pile up, to a point in which they will explode.
How it can be a problem in your life
Anger can become a problem when it leads to aggression and violence. A person with anger issues can start to throw tantrums, and are often yelling. This can impact their quality of life, making it harder for them to enjoy positive experiences. Becoming violent can lead to legal problems.
When anger gets too intense, it can lead to self-harm. People may become too critical of themselves, which can affect their self-esteem. And even though they might imagine something is wrong, they can be so overwhelmed by their emotions that they don’t know what to do.
When that is the case, anger management treatment might be a good way to go.
What is anger management treatment?
Anger is a common emotion, but when a person starts to have outbursts of anger, or it starts to affect their quality of life and relationships, it might be time to look for help. Anger management treatment can be the way to go.
This treatment aims to help a person to manage the emotional and physiological responses anger can give you. A person can’t remove all triggers of anger in their life, so the treatment will try to make you less sensitive to it and to cope with it in a better manner.
There are many forms of anger management treatment, let’s discuss what they are.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Through cognitive behavioral therapy, a person can understand their triggers for anger and great coping skills that will allow them to feel and behave differently when exposed to what makes them angry.
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavioral therapy is a form of CBT that helps people regain control of their anger through developing emotional regulation skills. For that, it can use mindfulness and better communications in your relationships.
Family therapy
When your anger often originates from family matters, family therapy can help your family group to improve its communications and resolve issues.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy can help you look deep within yourself to understand the root of your anger, and how you respond to it. Through it, you can identify and change your patterns.
Psychiatric treatment
Anger can have such an intense emotional effect that medication might be needed. Some people may need a mood stabilizer or a medication that can slow them down, and make them calmer. The psychiatrist will decide, based on what you tell them about your anger outburst, what is the best form of treatment.
Through anger management treatment, a person will be able to identify the triggers that cause them to become angry, and how you usually react to them. Through that, you will be able to learn new strategies that will make your anger reaction less intense, and with time it will be possible to alter your thought pattern and your attitude.
Main benefits of anger management treatment
Going through anger management treatment can have a positive effect on many aspects of your life. It can improve your mental health, that is because anger can consume most of your energy. It usually demands you to focus on it, and it can lead to mental health issues such as depression.
It also has a great impact on your physical health. Anger can usually make you tenser, causing even your jaw to clench. It can speed your heartbeat, and make your blood pressure higher, in time this can bring problems to your health. So learning ways to prevent anger can be beneficial for your physical health.
It can be extremely positive for your relationships and career. When you are having anger issues, being around people can become hard. You might have trouble dealing with differences, and turn aggressive, this can take its toll on your professional and personal relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Are psychiatrists part of anger management treatment?
What are the main mental health disorders that cause anger issues?
Anger is a common emotion, but it can also be key criteria to diagnose some forms of mental illness. According to the DSM-5, anger can be the main symptom of Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
Not only that, it is also part of a person that has Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. It is also present in people with Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder.
How can I tame my anger?
If you choose to not be a part of an anger management treatment, there are some ways you can take it in your day-to-day life. The first thing to do is to think before you speak. If you just react to your anger, you might regret it later.
So it might be important to take some time to reflect on what happened. And when you feel calmer, try to communicate clearly and honestly about how you felt. Having an exercise routine in your life, maybe running, can help you release your anger and all the energy it builds upon you.
If you notice there are times in your day when you feel more stressed, try to take some time out. Go to a calm and quiet place, take some time to breathe. This might prevent you from feeling angry in the future.
When you get angry, instead of just reaching for it, try to focus on solutions. Try to keep in mind that the outburst won’t fix anything, it might be better to just find a way out of the problem.
If you are angry at someone, try to explain what you feel, not necessarily pointing a finger. And if you reach an understanding with the person, remember to forgive. Holding a grudge will only be a heavy burden for you. And if you deal with what was wrong, it can make your relationship even stronger.
Humor is always a good way to release tension, so if possible, try to laugh it off to what is causing your anger. If that is not possible, having a meditation technique in hand or some breathing exercises can help you center yourself when anger hits you.
What are the types of anger?
There are 3 types of anger. There is the passive-aggressive, in which a person doesn’t want to admit they are angry. When being passive-aggressive, a person can sulk, or offer the other person a silent treatment. That might also pretend that everything is fine, and all of this comes from a need to be in control.
Anger can also be demonstrated in an open aggression manner. In this type, people tend to lash out and can become physically and verbally aggressive. This form of anger is usually a reaction to bullying, blackmailing, or being access to something.
The last type of anger is assertive anger. This seems to be the most controlled and confident way to deal with anger. In it, people tend to think before they speak, and when they do, they show honestly what they are feeling. People that show assertive anger can deal with their emotions and can forgive and move on.
Is anger a learned emotion or genetic?
There are both lines of research. Some researchers think that anger comes through genetically, and people can observe how people from their family tree expressed and dealt with anger.
That is also the case when anger is part of a mental health matter since it can have a genetic aspect.
But for other researchers, anger seems to be a learned behavior. You might learn how to manifest anger from your parents, depending on how they express it. That seems to make sense, especially when considering the aggressiveness anger can bring. Kids that have parents with anger issues, tend to develop it as well.
What are the stages of anger?
Anger is divided into 4 stages. At first, the person is triggered, they can get into an argument or feel uneasy about something that happened. After that, there is the escalation phase, in which you feel your body reacting to what just happened.
You may feel your heartbeat increase, as well as your blood pressure. Your voice might become louder, and your muscles tense up. What follows is the crisis phase, which is when your instinct steps in, your body feels ready to take action and the fight or flight behavior can happen.
You may lose your better judgment at this moment and are not able to think clearly. After that, you get into the recovery phase, in which your body starts to recover from what just happened, your adrenaline level reduces and you regain your judgment.
Conclusion
This article discussed if psychiatrists are part of anger management treatment. For that, the article showed what anger is and when this emotion becomes a problem. Not only that, the article explained what anger management treatment is and when you should look for it.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.