Do you ever feel like you are going to explode with rage? Do you say things you regret later out of anger? Maybe you reacted too quickly in the heat of the moment, and now you regret it? Does your blood pressure skyrocket when someone cuts you off in traffic? Or do you feel like breaking things when you get mad? The target of your wrath might be a stranger, a loved one, or even yourself.
Yes, we know you don’t need anger management; people just need to stop making you angry! Learning to manage anger can be a challenge for everyone at times, but it’s essential to deal with it positively.
Key Takeaways
- Anger is a biological response to perceived threats, but it can be retrained through consistent practice.
- Unchecked hostility impacts cardiovascular health and long-term mental clarity.
- Telehealth mental health counselingprovides a safe, private space to address emotional triggers.
- Working with a mental health therapist in CAcan help you reclaim control over your reactions.
So, What Exactly Is Anger?
Anger is a totally normal human emotion as it’s your body’s natural response to threats, injustice, and disappointments. However, it can lead to complicated situations when it gets unmanageable and turns destructive, affecting the overall quality of your life. An adrenaline rush, tense muscles, a sudden rise in your blood pressure, heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating, trembling, clenched fists, and jaws are your body’s physical responses to anger. It is not bad to feel angry. It is only bad when it becomes uncontrollable and leads to other reactions that can be detrimental to your relationships and life. Different factors trigger different emotions within us.
- Do you feel like you are generally an impatient person?
- Do you feel like your voice is not being heard? Does that make you angry?
- Does injustice trigger anger for you?
- Do you keep remembering traumatic events?
- Are your personal problems making you more frustrated than usual?
How Can I Handle My Anger?
The goal of anger management is to manage both your emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that happens because of anger. You cannot get rid of the things or the people that enrage you, nor can you change their nature, but you can learn to manage your reactions. There are various ways to deal with this.
- Expression: Try to express your anger rationally by discussing why you feel angry – either with someone who made you upset or someone who is not directly involved. Avoid having outbursts. Going for a short run or walk also helps. The adrenaline gets burned through such exercises. It may help you feel better, almost instantly.
- Suppression: This means suppressing your anger and channeling it into other ways. However, this may be problematic because you may turn passive-aggressive, which feeds resentment. Most of the time, others may not realize you are upset with them, which can make you feel more angry. It can build unnecessary walls between you and your loved ones, for reasons they may not be aware of. Do you bottle up your emotions and feel like a boiling teapot? Direct communication is the solution. Suppression is not ideal, as it can build up and make you feel worse.
- Be aware of your anger and let it subside: This is when you wait for your anger to diffuse before you say or react to anything irrationally. Counting down from 10 or 20 may also help redirect your focus from your anger to those numbers. Learn your anger, where you feel it in the body. Identify the cause of anger, is it from pain, fear or frustration? Have this inner dialogue with yourself.
What Is Anger Management?
Anger management comprises positive ways of handling your anger. You may be thinking, anger and positivity do not really go hand in hand, so how is this possible? Here is how.
You need to be aware of what makes you feel angry, what exactly is triggering you and how you react in such situations. You can figure out how to handle it constructively and positively by remaining calm and composed. Express how you feel during the initial stage of your anger before it blows up. Suppressing it is not ideal, as it may appear later on, worse than ever, when you least expect it, after accumulating and building up over a period of time.
Anger management is a skill. It takes commitment, effort, and time to develop the patience to control such feelings. It takes dedication to be able to recognize the patterns of triggers and consequent behaviors. Just give yourself the time and freedom you deserve to acknowledge this and to become more self-aware. Just know that you are not alone. You got this!
How To Manage Your Anger Without Therapy?
Some people were put on this planet to test your anger management skills; still, you can’t physically lash out at every person that annoys or irritates you; social norms, laws, and common sense place limits on how far your anger can take you. However, there are some techniques that you can use to keep your anger at bay.
- Breathing exercises to exhale the anger out.
- Tension release exercises to make different muscles in your body tense, and then release them.
- Mindfulness and meditation can shift your mind from anger to a state of bliss, with consistent practice.
- Find a channel for your anger like exercising, running, or practicing martial arts. Alternatively, you can tear up paper, get something soft to hold onto when clenching your fist out of frustration, or scream into your pillow, to name but a few.
- Distancing yourself from the triggerby drawing, sketching, singing, or even listening to music. Music can be therapeutic and can make you feel better instantly. Positive sounds can lower your vibrations.
- Get at least six to eight hours of sleep every day to reduce irritability and short temper. Sleep deprivation is known to contribute to this.
Practice these techniques daily. Try to shift your focus from what is engendering you to become this angry and resolve this situation. Focus on the solution, not the problem.
What Is the Best Therapy for Anger Management?
Anger is not only harmful to you, but it can jeopardize your relationships with others as well. Different types of therapies can help you figure out the root cause of your anger and how to combat it effectively. MindShift Psychological Services focuses on a long-term approach to improve how you deal with your emotions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anger management can help you redirect your thought and behavioral patterns. It enables you to identify negative thoughts and change them. It also makes you aware of how you react to such situations. For instance, the situation may trigger anger for you, and you may not be able to control it. As a result, you may be prone to experiencing a violent outburst. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you respond to such circumstances more effectively and positively. It is a hands-on approach to psychotherapy, which involves talking it out with your therapist.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anger management can help with:
- Learning your anger and forming a healthy relationship with it.
- Chronic pain caused by anger
- Stressful life situations contributing to angry feelings,
- Emotional trauma triggering anger
- Establish goals for you, to guide you through dealing with anger, step-by-step
- Help you understand other people’s perceptions and motivations – misunderstanding those may be triggering anger for you
- Identify ways to manage anger
- Managing your anger holistically
Anger Management
If you have a short temper, you may feel like there’s nothing much you can do to tame the beast. But you have more power over your anger than you think. With insight into the real reasons for your anger and anger management counseling, you can easily keep your temper from hijacking your life. Anger can be caused by various factors, like shame, guilt, frustration, regret, pain, insecurity, anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness, low self-esteem and trauma. Anger Management Counselling can help in numerous ways:
- It can help you understand the source of your anger
- The therapist can help you develop ways to deal with this anger
- It can teach you how to express your anger without negatively impacting others
- You also learn that you are in charge of your anger, your anger cannot control you, your actions and your behaviors
Mastering the art of anger management takes effort and time, but the more you practice, the easier it will get. And the payoff is tremendous. Learning to manage your anger and expressing it appropriately will help you achieve your goals, build better relationships, and lead a healthier, more satisfying life.
The Connection Between Anger and Mental Health
Often, chronic irritability is a physical sign of an underlying struggle with your mental health. While many see rage as an isolated issue, it is frequently a secondary emotion masking feelings like fear, abandonment, or profound sadness. If you find your temper flaring without a clear reason, you might actually be looking for therapy for depression.
In men especially, depression doesn’t always show up as withdrawal or tears; it often manifests as a “short fuse” or constant agitation. A mental health counselor in CA can help you peel back these layers to see what is really driving the hostility. By addressing these root issues, you stop just managing the symptoms and start healing the source.
Choosing online therapy for anxiety and depression gives you the privacy to discuss these sensitive topics without the stress of a public waiting room. It allows you to build a foundation of emotional stability from a place where you already feel safe. This is the first step toward a life that isn’t defined by the next outburst.
Strengthening Relationships with Virtual Support
Uncontrolled rage is one of the quickest ways to damage a partnership. It creates a cycle of defensiveness and fear that prevents true intimacy. If your reactions have caused a rift at home, telehealth couples counseling can provide the tools needed to rebuild trust.
Working with a marriage and family therapist in California allows both partners to speak their truth in a moderated, safe environment. You can learn how to set boundaries and communicate frustrations without resorting to verbal attacks. This professional intervention is often what saves a family from a permanent break.
By opting for marriage counseling telehealth, you can prioritize your relationship even with a busy schedule. Whether you are in Corona or Riverside, the convenience of virtual sessions ensures that you don’t miss a beat in your recovery. Learning to be a partner rather than an adversary is a skill that benefits everyone in the home.
The Power of Digital CBT and Professional Care
Cognitive behavioral therapy remains the most effective clinical tool for emotional regulation. It helps you identify “cognitive distortions”—those irrational thoughts that make a situation seem more threatening than it actually is. Once you spot these patterns, you can pause the physical reaction before it starts.
For those looking for a psychotherapist online, virtual cognitive behavioral therapy offers the exact same rigor and results as in-person visits. A cognitive behavioral therapist in CA can guide you through real-world exercises that you can practice immediately in your daily life. This “real-time” application is what leads to lasting personality changes.
If you are a parent, you may also worry about how your behavior is affecting your household. Our experts in child psychology in Corona can help address the impact of a high-conflict environment on your children. This holistic approach ensures that the entire family moves toward a healthier future.
Do you need anger management counseling?
Mastering your emotions is a journey that requires the right support system. You don’t have to face the beast of rage alone. Professional intervention through online cognitive behavioral therapy can give you the life of calm you deserve.
Contact MindShift Psychological Services today to schedule an appointment. Whether you need a licensed therapist in California for individual psychotherapy or you are seeking telehealth mental health counseling, we are here to support your growth. You are in charge of your future—take the first step today.
Call us at (714) 584-9700.
We accept Medicare, Medi-Cal, IEHP, and Tricare insurance plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I get anger management help through telehealth?
Yes. Telehealth therapy services are highly effective for anger management, providing you with the tools to regulate your emotions from the safety of your own home. - Is it normal for anxiety to make me feel angry?
Absolutely. Many people experience “anxiety-induced irritability,” where the stress of a racing mind leads to a shorter temper. A mental health therapist in CA can help you distinguish between the two. - What is the role of an LMFT in California for anger issues?
An LMFT in California specializes in how individual behaviors affect the family system. They are excellent for helping you repair the bonds broken by chronic temper issues. - How does outpatient therapy services help with emotional regulation?
Our outpatient therapy services provide structured, consistent care that allows you to work on your behavioral goals while maintaining your daily responsibilities. - Do you offer affordable couples therapy online?
Yes, we accept a wide range of insurance plans, including IEHP and Medi-Cal, to ensure our telehealth couples therapy remains accessible to all.