Anger/frustration
Hi, how do you all define and deal with emotions like anger and frustration?
I am trying to define where these emotions can come from and how to evaluate them. For example I am experiencing a lot of frustrations at times in little things and my mood then swings into an angry state which causes me to respond angryly or frustrated to take some of this out.
This sometimes just happens over small things, or things that get to me or with people, but it's not like its genuine anger, more like frustration or feeling of annoyance. Not actual rage or something like that. Which is something different? Is it anger issues? Or a certain level of anger/frustration?
@Michelh1996
Hi Michel! I've also experienced this. It's great that to see you're motivated to work on managing your emotions- I'm sorry you haven't gotten a reply yet! I hope I'll be able to give some helpful peer support. 😊
Basing my response off what I learned about myself and how I worked through these issues, it sounds like you're dealing with pent-up anger that is coming out in short bursts when little things frustrate you. It may seem as though you're angry "over nothing", but in actuality, your mood is already at the boiling point. This is why you "let off steam" over things that wouldn't bother you as much otherwise.
If I'm making sense? 😮💨
So maybe it would be beneficial to consider where this anger stems from. You can ask yourself questions such as:
1) What most often causes me to act out in anger, what themes are being repeated? Is it when someone ignores me, is it when someone repeats themselves, is it when I make a mistake like drop something or make a typo?
2) How long has this^ been an issue? Did I ever remember a time not caring about these things? Did something happen that made a moment like this stand out that I may have forgotten?
3) When I act out in anger, if I could truly change it, how would I make myself/others feel? Do I want to feel understood? Do I need someone's empathy? Do I feel a lack of respect?
Another thing that is super important is overall health! Not getting enough REM sleep or having low blood sugar can also contribute to irritability.
@JarofSeeds627 I find it very interesting to read about your experiences and it sounds like you've learned a lot about it! Your story about maybe being at a boiling point in a way is something I feel like is a bit relatable since I have been dealing with some other issues, both for myself and seeing them around me.
Thanks, it sounds like you're making good progress so far in self reflection! Keep me updated (no pressure)! 😁
@JarofSeeds627 I have been thinking about the role of anxiety in this because that can make me extremely aware of things, patterns or aspects of a situation or persion. So when I do something, I try to take all these things into account. And when it shows that other people maybe don't see that, forget or don't take things into account with the same "care", that can lead to all these things I mentioned before: dissapointment, lack of understanding or respect. And also the idea that people care less or don't see how much you are investing/struggling/pushing/caring while trying to deal with the situation