Control of anger and aggressive impulses

A good part of the psychological well-being that we can come to enjoy rests on our way of managing the emotions that we experience on a day-to-day basis. Living in the tow of our emotions can be very frustrating, and even more so when they are altered, especially in social situations.

An example of the latter is in those who suffer from anger management problems. In this article we will see some keys to better regulate this tendency to hostile or aggressive attitudes.

• Related article: "12 tips to better manage couple arguments"

How do anger management problems manifest?

The human brain is characterized, among other things, by having a great capacity for counteract the influence of immediate desires and impulses in general, thus allowing our actions to focus on medium and long-term goals, which would not be possible if we were constantly doing what the body asks of us. For example, most of us are able not to quickly spend all the money we earn in order to indulge in whims when the income comes.

Other animals are also capable of applying similar strategies, in which the objectives to be achieved are not immediate and require a certain amount of patience. However, we can aspire to goals that we will reach only years away, through a way of planning actions that is very sophisticated and based on abstract thinking, not so much on the sensations.

However, there are always exceptions to the rule; By pure statistics, there are people who barely suffer emotional ups and downs and never have problems when it comes to controlling impulses, and others who do the opposite. Among the latter, there is a subgroup that, specifically, finds it difficult not to express a high degree of anger or anger directly in everyday and relatively frequent situations they don't deserve it. Let's see what happens in these cases, keeping in mind that these are general characteristics and that they do not describe all individuals who suffer this type of emotional disturbance.

1. Tendency to frustration

People with anger management problems often feel an intense sense of frustration. when the smallest details of day to day do not turn out as they wanted them to turn out: running out of bread at the bakery, seeing someone sit first in the last free seat on public transport, etc.

2. Intolerance of discrepancy

These people tend not to accept well that other people may disagree on issues important to them.

3. Instant hostility before confrontation

In situations where other people are hostile, those who do not regulate their anger impulses well almost always react in the same way, showing a predisposition to verbal or physical attacks.

4. Rage discharge on nearby objects

Something also relatively common in these people is the tendency to vent anger on objects, be it hitting, squeezing or, in general, performing an action that is based on muscular strength. This makes sense, because anger causes muscle tone to increase to a point where the muscles are very tense, and that can lead to discomfort.

• You may be interested in: "5 Common Anger Management Mistakes"

Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Most people who consider improving their anger control do not actually have developed a psychological disorder per se. However, in some cases, this problem does reach such an extreme of intensity that it becomes clinically significant and it is reason to go as soon as possible to the consultation of a mental health expert.

This is what happens with those who receive the diagnosis of Intermittent Explosive Disorder; It is a psychological alteration that, as its name indicates, is based on very intense and to some extent uncontrollable anger explosions. These cases are diagnosed by the professionals who handle the patient's case, who propose the psychological intervention measures to be adopted.

To do?

Here are some helpful tips to weaken the power of those aggressive impulses.

1. sleep well and eat well

This is basic: if our body is not in good condition, we are more prone to not having too much patience, since at having to deal with a discomfort that haunts us, we are not in a position to also put up with other unpleasant unforeseen events. Set yourself a clear sleep schedule and make sure that most of your regular diet provides you with all the nutrients and vitamins necessary.

2. Keep addictions at bay

Another of the elements that make us more vulnerable to attacks of anger are addictions, for an easy reason to understand: if we only care about the fact of consuming or experiencing that sensation towards which we have developed dependence, everything that separates us from it or even distracts us from thoughts related to it, is for us an obstacle to our well-being.

For this reason, it is crucial to prevent the development of addictions (people with altered emotionality are more prone to fall into them) and, if one has already developed, go as soon as possible to specialists who can offer treatment.

3. Practice conflict resolution protocols with the people closest to you

Internalize a more or less systematic method when solving discrepancies It can help us, little by little, to get used to assuming that a discussion does not have to be a fight between egos or a hostile confrontation in general.

Meet with people who are important to you and establish, in an agreed manner, some simple protocols to structure the steps that you will follow when approaching positions. It is important that both of you show the same degree of commitment to these measures, and that they force both of you equally, not just those who have impulsiveness problems.

4. If you think it is necessary, go to the psychologist

Finally, we must not forget that if the problems when it comes to controlling anger are very extreme, it will be necessary to go to therapy and commit to it without skipping sessions. In the psychologist's office, patients will receive training in techniques and habits adapted to their needs.

Are you looking for psychological support?

If you think that you suffer from this type of problems related to anger management and you are looking for psychological help from a professional, I suggest that you contact me. I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model, which has proven efficacy in treating a wide variety of emotional disturbances. You can see my contact details at this page.

Bibliographic references:

• Berkmann, E. T.; Graham, A. M.; Fisher, P. TO. (2012). "Training Self-Control: A Domain-General Translational Neuroscience Approach". Child Development Perspectives: n/a.
• Dickman, ScottJ. (1990). "Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity: Personality and cognitive correlates". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 58 (1): p. 95 - 102.
• Heatherton, T. F.; Baumeister, R. F. (1991). "Binge eating as escape from self-awareness". Psychological Bulletin. 110 (1): p. 86 - 108.
• McElroy, S.L.; Soutullo C.A.; Beckman D.A.; Taylor P.; Keck P.E. (1998). DSM-IV intermittent explosive disorder: a report of 27 cases. Journal of Clin. Psychiatry, 59(4): pp. 203 - 210.
• Tamam, L., Eroğlu, M., Paltacı, Ö. (2011). "Intermittent explosive disorder". Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 3(3): pp. 387 - 425.