Controlling or Repressing Anger? Addressing Repressed Anger
For the most part, whenever the topic of anger comes up, the call is to control our anger better and find ways to blow off steam to avoid bringing destruction into our lives and relationships. It can feel odd to then say that in some instances, a person may not be angry enough. There are many different issues a person may have with anger, and sometimes that might include avoiding it or pretending it doesn’t exist. The Idea Of Repressing Anger At first glance, telling someone that they need to recognize and not hold back their anger may seem like inviting disaster. There are way too many people in our world who feel comfortable being angry in ways that cause harm to others. This happens in parking lots, on the internet, in homes, on playgrounds, in the workplace, at restaurants, and anywhere else you can think of. However, there are some good reasons for a call to recognize and express anger. For one thing, not every expression of anger is healthy. The main problem with a lot of the anger we encounter is that it’s unhealthy, both for the person expressing it and for the people around them who are subjected to it. This is a huge reason those who shy away from anger do so. Healthy expressions of anger do exist, and you’ve likely experienced them without recognizing them as such. When you hold your anger back and don’t express it, it can be just as damaging as when you express it in an unhealthy way that causes harm to you and other people. A person can choose to deal with anger in several ways, including repressing or suppressing it. These two ideas are connected, but somewhat different. When a person suppresses their anger, they are consciously hiding [...]
