Anger is one of a range of emotions that we all experience. It’s okay and perfectly normal to feel angry about things that you have experienced. It can help us to get our voices heard if we manage it correctly.
Anger can start to become a problem when you express it through unhelpful or destructive behavior - either towards yourself or other people. It can also contribute to you developing mental health problems, like depression and anxiety, or make existing problems worse.
Everyone can feel angry sometimes but if it is affecting your life and relationships with people that might mean it’s something you need help with.
Anger can appear in people differently. Some people are aggressive toward others and some people turn the anger in on themselves and become aggressive toward themselves.
Read one of your young person’s experiences below with Anger and how Off the Record can help.
Josh’s Story
Josh came to Off the Record after having some problems with anger. He got very stressed from school and would often lash out at his friends and family and sometimes himself. Josh would sometimes throw and hit things in order to get his anger out. Josh was worried about this anger staying with him when he moved on to college.
Josh had some Listening Support sessions where he talked through his anger issues and specifically what about school made him angry. The listening support worker talked through with Josh some other coping mechanisms for dealing with anger for Josh to try the next time he was angry. They also looked at some relaxation techniques for Josh to do when he started to feel himself becoming stressed or irritated.
Each time Josh came back for his session he said he felt he was starting to be able to manage his anger and be more in control. He particularly liked the breathing exercises he learned and said he found them very helpful in stopping him from becoming fully angry meaning he wouldn’t lash out.
Josh has now finished school and is looking to start college in September and is looking forward to it.
If you find yourself doing these sorts of things, it might be a sign that you need some support:
• Hitting or physically hurting other people
• Shouting at people
• Breaking things
• Losing control
• Spending time with people who get you into trouble
• Constantly ending relationships
• Getting in trouble at school or work.
Click the link below to view our Anger resources pack for more information on Anger some tips and advice and other sites that might be helpful.
