Allowing your anger to get out of control can negatively impact every aspect of your life. Yes, anger is a normal reaction to something that is causing us harm, intimidation, fear or embarrassment. Every human being feels it at least once in a while from playground bullies, or unforeseen traffic, or a missed promotion at work, or in the form of an unruly or disrespectful child. In fact, just last night I witnessed a car cut-off another driver by pulling right in front of him, and then slam on his brakes to prove a point about something that occurred miles back. It’s unnerving to be around and can be scary as well. In the short term the behavior sometimes makes us feel better. The adrenaline rush makes us believe that we have control over someone else, or gives us the feeling of power and retribution over a situation, and even helps us to blow-off steam to relieve stress.
In the long-term, however, a chronic uncontrolled temper has many costs. First of all, people who can’t get a grip on their aggressive behavior have a higher chance of losing their jobs or being overlooked for promotions. Angry confrontations at work and at home can result in pushing others away because they are worried or frightened of your response. This isolation from friends and family contributes to a higher rate of anxiety, depression, divorce and alcohol or drug abuse. Anger can cost you physically with high blood pressure, digestive disorders, headaches and an increased chance of stroke and heart attack. Furthermore, hostile people often end the day with feelings of shame and regret for how they treated someone else. In the worst-case scenario, the aggressive behavior becomes physical resulting in injury, incarceration, lawsuits, and legal fees.
Anger is generally initiated by a combination of a lack of understanding or empathy, high stress and thoughts or memories that cause it to trigger. For example, the road rage I witnessed might have originated with someone who was mad because he’d had been delayed at work and needed to get to his child’s performance. He didn’t consider that the other driver might also be stressed because he had an elderly sick parent in the car and was driving slowly to be careful. The rageful driver was possibly thinking about how his own dad used to handle these situations and emulated it. Fortunately, it is possible to get control of your anger by holding yourself accountable for your own behavior and accepting the challenge to make necessary changes.
If you are at the point in which you are unhappy with the way your life is going then taking an online anger management class can be your resource for learning new skills. In addition, many jurisdictions across the country accept online to fulfill court anger management mandates. Many judges realize that demanding fines and community service work is not enough. Anger classes help teach how to go about more appropriately managing stress, speaking more respectfully and effectively to others and learning empathy. They are available to access from any WIFI connected computer and can be taken at your own pace and on your own timetable. When the class is finished, the client receives a Certificate of Completion to prove to the court system that the order was legitimately fulfilled. The online format is the most affordable, convenient and cutting-edge way to create a more stable and fulfilled life.