The control of anger and aggressive impulses.

Let's look at what characterizes these kinds of impulse regulation problems.

Much of the psychological well-being we can enjoy is based on how we manage the emotions we experience on a day-to-day basis. Living in tow of our emotions can be very frustrating, and even more so when these are altered especially in social situations.

An example of the latter can be found 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.

How do anger management problems manifest themselves?

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 us to do.This allows our actions to focus on medium- and long-term goals, which would not be possible if we were constantly doing what our bodies were asking us to do. For example, most of us are capable of not quickly spending all the money we earn in order to enjoy treats when our income comes in.

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 from now, through a way of planning actions that is very sophisticated and based on abstract thinking, not so much on sensations.

However, there are always exceptions to the rule; by pure statistics, there are people who hardly suffer emotional ups and downs and never have problems controlling their impulses, and others to whom the opposite is true. Among the latter, there is a subgroup that, specifically, find it difficult not to express a high degree of anger or anger directly in everyday and relatively frequent situations that do not deserve it. situations that do not deserve it. Let us see what happens in these cases, keeping in mind that these are general characteristics and do not describe all individuals suffering from this type of emotional disturbance.

1. Tendency to frustration

People with anger management problems tend to feel an intense sense of frustration when the smallest details of daily life do not go as they wanted them to go.Running out of bread at the bakery, seeing how someone sits 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 to confrontation

In situations in which 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. Discharge of rage on nearby objects

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

Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Most people who consider improving their anger management do not go so far as to have developed a psychological disorder per se. However, in some cases, however, this problem does reach such an extreme level of intensity that it becomes clinically significant and is a reason to see a psychologist as soon as possible. and is a reason to consult a mental health expert as soon as possible.

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

What 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 shape, we are more prone to not having much patience, since having to deal with a discomfort that haunts us, we are not in a position to endure other unpleasant unforeseen events as well. Set yourself a clear sleep schedule and make sure that most of your regular diet provides you with all the necessary nutrients and vitamins. and vitamins.

2. Keep addictions at bay

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

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

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

Internalizing a more or less systematic method when resolving disagreements can help us to gradually become accustomed to assuming that an argument does not have to be a fight of 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 you will follow in order to bring positions closer together. It is important that you both show the same degree of commitment to these measures, and that they are equally binding on both of you, not just the one who has impulsivity problems.

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

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

Looking for psychological support?

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

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Berkman, E. T.; Graham, A. M.; Fisher, P. A. (2012). "Training Self-Control: A Domain-General Translational Neuroscience Approach". Child Development Perspectives: n/a.
• Dickman, Scott J. (1990). "Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity: Personality and cognitive correlates". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 58 (1): pp. 95 - 102.
• Heatherton, T. F.; Baumeister, R. F. (1991). "Binge eating as escape from self-awareness". Psychological Bulletin. 110 (1): pp. 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.