Anger & Rage

28% say that they worry about how angry they sometimes feel.

20% say that they have ended a relationship or friendship with someone because of how they behaved when they were angry.

(British Assoc. for Anger Management)

Understanding Anger & Rage

Let’s first look at the definition of ANGER:

a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility

Let’s break that down further.  Annoyance and displeasure are emotions belonging to us: to become annoyed or displeased.  Hostility, however, involves turning our attention outward with haste toward the thing/person that annoys or displeases us. 

Now, let’s look at the definition of RAGE:

violent, uncontrollable anger

In this sense, rage is when the hostility of anger becomes violent and uncontrollable.  

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Anger

Anger is a natural emotional response.  Allowing ourselves to feel, process, and subsequently move forward from the feeling of anger is healthy, and necessary. 

Anger can become burdensome and unhealthy in the following ways:

• When we experience anger, we are unable to move on from in to other emotions.
• We cannot control our anger.
• Our anger turns to rage.
• Our anger becomes violent.
• We lose control over our senses when we become angry
  (example: “I see red when I get angry,” or, “I don’t remember anything from when I was angry.”)
• Our relationships, jobs, and other important aspects of our lives become impacted because of our anger.

Anger as a Symptom of Trauma

Sometimes our inability to feel, process, and move forward from anger in a healthy manner is because it is an emotion we became trapped with after experiencing trauma without the necessary skills, resources, or developmental maturity to process it effectively at the time.

Simply: we become trapped in anger from our past.

At The Bridge to Recovery, we help out clients heal from their unresolved trauma.  Part of that process is to revisit our anger, shame, grief, and a number of other emotions that we are unable to move forward from.  By doing so in a safe environment with resources surrounding us to nurture those emotions, we are able to heal.

If anger, and subsequently rage, is something that is hindering your ability to live a happy & healthy life, reach out to us today to learn more.