Keith Golin, Ph.D., LLC - Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Excessive Anger ...

Of course, everybody gets angry now and then. Anger in and of itself is not a problem. It becomes a problem when the anger we feel can not be controlled, contained or handled. People with anger problems can become explosive, yell uncontrollably, throw things, hit walls, or even strike at the people they love. The guilt after these episodes is extreme, and no further outbursts happen for a while. Unfortunately, they typically come back. One type of anger control disorder is called Intermittent Explosive Disorder, which is defined as:

Several discrete episodes of failure to resist aggressive impulses that result in serious assaultive acts, or destruction of property.

The degree of aggressiveness expressed during the episodes is grossly out of proportion to any precipitating psychological stressors.

Cognitive-behavior therapy for Anger:

Cognitive-behavior therapy can help people better understand their angry reactions and learn coping strategies to change thoughts and behaviors in order to reduce angry behavior and feel more in control.

Sometimes people who have problems controlling anger tend to ignore early warning signs of irritability and resentment until they are out of control. For these individuals, learning to monitor irritability and resentment and to use these feelings as cues to take action to get their needs met, including by speaking up effectively and assertively with others can help them reduce and eliminate angry outbursts.