Anger Management in Melbourne

Gain insight into your anger and acquire skills to effectively manage it.

What is anger?

Anger, though a natural emotion, may express itself in undesirable ways. Aggression and high adrenaline trigger physiological reactions such as a raised heartbeat, higher temperatures and palpitations. It can cause us to behave aggressively and inappropriately which can negatively impact on our relationships on either a personal or professional level.

Signs you have anger issues

• You often feel angry.
• People close to you are worried about it.
• Arguments often end in heated words or behaviours.
• People are fearful of you.
• It leads to problems at work or home.
• You often become annoyed while driving.
• You loose temper very quickly over small matters.
• You are directing your anger onto those close to you.

What are the anger triggers?

If you struggle to manage your aggression, it is important to identify and actively avoid the most common triggers for it. The things that cause anger triggers may differ from person to person and for many people, the most common triggers are:

• Driving – road rage
• Frustration
• Relationship conflict
• Alcohol or drug use
• Feeling powerless
• Feeling that you have been treated unfairly
• Running late for an appointment

Speaking with a fully trained psychologist can help you to learn what to do when you can’t avoid a trigger and you start to get angry.

What is Anger Management Counselling?

Everyone loses their temper once in a while, but when it starts getting out of control, it’s time to seek professional help. A psychologist can understand the causes and teach you ways to manage anger so that it doesn’t get out of control. Learning healthy ways to show feelings will assist in the treatment process. Aggression levels range from mild to extreme rage. Sometimes people who are experiencing extreme anger may be verbally or physically abusive and be unable to control their behaviour.

That’s where anger management program comes into place. Aggression have very destructive effects on a person and their closest friends and family. If it is negatively affecting your life, your relationships or your work, it’s important to seek help. Counselling services can help with all anger problems or issues from mild irritation to explosive rage. At The Three Seas Psychology, we work with you to manage your aggression levels and to minimize angry confrontation or self-harm.

How it can benefit you to manage anger?

• Understanding the root causes of your irritability.
• Examine the thoughts, feelings and behaviour that make you annoying.
• Gain self-understanding and insight, including identifying triggers.
• Improve your communication skills and self-expression.
• Develop coping strategies to manage provoking situations.
• Learn techniques and tools that are applicable for the long-term.

When a person gets angry, their ‘fight or flight’ response is triggered and this releases hormones, such as adrenalin into the body. The long-term side-effects of extreme aggression can potentially be harmful to a person’s health and lead to other medical and psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Out-of-control aggression is also often found in connection with alcohol or drug use.

Check out the following video in which Psychologist Clinton Batty discusses psychological issues.

The Three Seas Psychology Group psychologists are highly experienced in treating anger management issues. If you wish to seek the best treatment, make a booking by calling us on 03 98091000 today.

Anger in Children and adolescents.

Children and adolescents feel aggressive exactly the same way that adults do.The roots of aggression in humans are ancient: the original purpose was part of the generalised alarm response or the innate fight or flight reflex when faced with danger. This would have been useful when we were living in caves but in the modern world, aggression and rage serve little purpose.

They often remove our ability to think logically and with reason. One thing is for sure: having even one angry member in the home impacts the entire family.

It is important to realise that it is a natural part of life and that the way we manage it is the key to a happy life. The way we deal with it is crucial. Expressing aggression in most circumstances is not beneficial but neither is burying your feelings if you are upset about something. If you understand what is causing angry outbursts, you can begin to work on the problem from both ends. Here are some of the most common causes of anger:

Annoyances

Sometimes children and adolescents have a low patience threshold and are easily annoyed. This can be a learned behaviour from a parent or a unique trait uncommon in other family members. People are mainly annoyed by: people, animals or the actions of either – e.g. the incessant barking of a dog or the revving of an engine.

Irritations

Almost anything can get on a teenager’s nerves, especially when a younger sibling is concerned, and can be unnoticeable to an adult. Being interrupted, breaking something by accident or tearing a special piece of clothing can all cause an angry outburst.

Stress

Children and adolescents are sensitive to stress and when they don’t recognise the feelings in themselves, they may vent in the form of an angry outburst or be more finely tuned to another trigger.

Frustrations

Often children or teens feel frustrated with the world. Their lack of control in their lives can cause this, and they may direct their outbursts at siblings, parents, or teachers.

Disappointment

If a child or adolescent has been let down in a situation, the hurt they may be feeling can easily be transferred into aggression as a way of voicing their emotion.

Resentment

Broken promises or unmet expectations can build resentment and aggression in children and adolescents.

Abuse

Physical or verbal abuse and violence of any kind can cause the generalised alarm response and lead to anger.

Bullying

If a child is being bullied they may hide anger from the bully and internalize their feelings, then vent with parents or siblings. It might not be obvious to them that it has been held and transferred, or they may be hiding the fact they are being bullied, in either case they won’t communicate the cause of their aggression.

Injustice or unfairness

Children and adolescents often possess a highly sensitive moral compass and can become very angry if they perceive an injustice done to them or someone else. This anger can also arise from being lied to or misled.

Trauma

Traumatic life events can cause instant or delayed anger in children and adolescents. They may not be able to process what is happening for them at the time but be very angry later on.
It isn’t always possible to limit or prevent the aggression triggers shown above. Arm your child or teen with the coping mechanisms to deal with whatever life throws at them.
Getting help from a psychologist can be the fastest way to learning these skills. If you find that your child or adolescent are getting uncontrollably angry, our psychologists can teach them techniques for managing those feelings in order to avoid nasty, belligerent confrontations.

Individual counselling sessions are available to assist you in anger management.

Call for an appointment today (03) 9809 1000