What is anger?
Anger can be a good thing. It can give you energy, and prepare you for tough times. It can help you to say things which you might bottle up if you didn't get angry. But anger can also be a big problem. It can be very harmful in the way that it can affect you and other people.
When it comes down to it, only you will know whether your anger is a problem for you or not. Of course other people you know may not agree! These are some ways of thinking about whether anger is a problem or not for you. Do you see yourself in these questions?
- Do you often get angry and lose your temper?
- Does this happen weekly, daily, or more often?
- Does your temper cause problems at home or at work?
- Does your level of anger feel very, very strong?
- Does your anger last a long time?
- Do little things that don't annoy others get you really wound up?
- Do you feel unable to do other things because you get so angry?
- Does your anger often lead to violence?
- Do you cause harm to yourself or others when angry?
- Do others complain about your temper?
- Do others sometimes seem scared of you?
The more you see yourself in these questions, the more likely anger is to be a problem for you (and others). Can you ask someone close to you if they feel the same way about you?
