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- As a form of Self-Defense:
The natural and instinctual way to express anger is to respond aggressively. Anger is a natural feeling that can serve as a response to threats. If one is attacked anger can also inspire powerful and often aggressive feelings and behaviors that allow us to fight and defend ourselves. Therefore, a certain amount of anger is necessary in order for survival.
- As a form of Self-Defense:
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- Negative Effects/Outcomes:
While anger can be useful in forms of legitimate self-defense, one cannot physically lash out at every person that irritates or annoys us. Our society places laws, social norms and common sense to place limits on the extent to which we can express anger and how far anger can take us.
- Negative Effects/Outcomes:
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- Conscious & Unconscious Processes:
People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious means to deal with their feelings of anger.
Three main approaches are as follows:- Expressing
- Suppressing
- Calming
The healthiest way to express anger is when one expresses their anger in an assertive and non-aggressive manner. In order to do this one must ensure to be clear about what one’s needs are and how to get those needs met without hurting others. Remember that being assertive means being respectful of yourself and others it doesn’t mean being demanding or pushy.
- Conscious & Unconscious Processes:
- Suppression, Conversion & Redirection:
Anger can be suppressed and then converted and/or redirected. One can suppress anger when they work on ways to hold in anger, stop thinking about it and focus on positive thinking. The goal or aim is to inhibit or suppress your anger and convert it into more constructive behavior. However, there is a danger in this response or approach that is that if outward expression is not allowed, anger can be turned inward towards oneself. This maladaptive way of turning anger inward can cause both psychological and physical health problems such as depression, anxiety, hypertension and high blood pressure.