Beyond Grudge Grinches: A Professional Guide to Understanding and Managing Anger

Let’s begin with two simple questions:

How do you know if you are an angry person?

Can you tell the difference between being genuinely upset and having a real anger management problem?

Before you can effectively manage anger, it's vital to understand what it is and how it affects you. We all experience anger, which can be a positive and motivational emotion that serves as an adaptive survival response. It enables us to react to a perceived threat to our physical or emotional well-being. However, when anger is expressed out of context or becomes a persistent state, it can be a significant liability.

The expression of anger exists on a spectrum, from a calm state to a state of blind rage. Most people experience a graded response, but for some, the experience is polemic, with no middle ground. For these individuals, anger is a consistent, simmering emotion that taints their daily lives and the lives of those around them.

Here are a few professional pointers to help you identify whether you need to take stock of your anger and consider professional support.

The Behavioural Signs of Anger

• Impatience and Interrupting: Individuals with anger issues often have little patience. They may frequently interrupt others in conversation and display signs of impatience, such as fidgeting, as they struggle to wait for others to finish speaking.
  

• Chronic Complaining: A constant, venomous pattern of complaining about others, politics, or daily life can be a sign of a deep-seated anger issue. This anger is often misdirected, as its true source may be long forgotten.
  

• Holding on to Grudges: The inability to let go of past conflicts is a strong indicator of simmering anger. For some, past grievances are not allowed to be resolved and are instead kept at the forefront of their mind, where the memory becomes distorted, fuelling resentment and frustration with each recollection.
  

The Physiological Toll of Anger

Our physical body often reflects our inner emotional state. The classic red-faced caricature of an angry person is an exaggeration of the physiological responses to anger: blood rushing to the face, tense muscles, increased heart rate, and adrenaline flow. These responses, while normal in an occasional context, can become a significant health liability if you are constantly angry. Numerous studies have shown that prolonged anger is linked to high blood pressure, as well as an increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

Hypnotherapy for Anger Management

Beyond its behavioural and physical effects, anger is an emotional state that can be effectively managed. You can learn to understand and work with anger rather than being controlled by it. Clinical hypnotherapy is a powerful, non-invasive method for achieving this.

Hypnotherapy for anger management works by addressing the underlying emotional and psychological roots of the issue. A skilled hypnotherapist can help you to:

• Identify the triggers and beliefs that fuel your anger.

• Release the emotional charge from past events.

• Foster a calmer, more controlled response to frustrating situations.

• Improve your ability to manage stress and frustration.
  

Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Anger

Below is a list of common signs of anger. Take note of these, be aware, and do not let anger control your life.

Physical Symptoms

• Clenching jaws or grinding teeth

• Headaches and stomach aches

• Increased and rapid heart rate

• Sweating, especially on your palms

• Feeling hot in the neck or face

• Shaking or trembling

• Dizziness
  

Emotional Symptoms

• Irritability or feeling easily annoyed

• Feeling resentful or anxious

• Sadness or depression

• Craving a drink, a smoke, or other substances to relax you
  

For more information on how you can use clinical hypnotherapy to achieve better control and to work on anger issues, contact us at LSCCH.

It is worth remembering that anger can be positive, motivational, and appropriate in many situations. It is, after all, an adaptive survival response that allows us to respond to situations where we face a threat to our physical well-being. However, when expressed out of context it can become a liability.

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About the Author

Peter Mabbutt is the Academic Head of the London School of Clinical Communication and Hypnosis (LSCCH) and the President of the British Society of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Integrative Psychotherapy (BSCHIP). Peter has co-authored two books on hypnotherapy and reviews newly written books related to hypnosis and hypnotherapy for Crown House Publishing. Find out more about Peter here.