Anger

[Arizona]

Question 3:

I don't usually recognise anger or frustration coming on because I find it hard to get in touch with my feelings. I don't understand how I feel until after it has happened. And sometimes even then it can take me a long time to understand how I feel.

How does anger feel in my body?

I have a frown. My body is tense. I feel upset. I lose my concentration and forget what I'm doing momentarily. I have energy and I feel alive (not depressed). 

How does frustration feel in my body?

It feels stressful and mentally exhausting.

[Snowie]

What are signs that anger and frustration are coming on? How does anger and frustration feel physically in your body?

I start getting frustrated and can feel it in my body through muscles tensing up, not being able to sit still and getting really agitated. It feels physically exhausting and I just want to get out of my head. At times I can even dissociate.

@cloudcore 

[Wattle3]

I feel furious.  I am absolutely disgusted with how I have been treated.  I have been taken over, lost control of my situation and I am so frustrated as there seems to be no redress.  I am angry as hell but noone is listening.  I have been labelled, pigeon holed and punished.

[NatureLover]

Oh gosh, @cloudcore , I thought I was in touch with my emotions fairly well, but I'm finding these questions hard! So thank you, it must be doing me good. 

Question 3:

What are signs that anger and frustration are coming on? How does anger and frustration feel physically in your body?

I feel suddenly alert, clear headed....in my body - ummm...tense, ready to defend myself...gosh this is hard! I obviously am not in touch with myself! 😞

[SJT63]

What are signs that anger and frustration are coming on?

Because my anger is coming from things that Mr S says or does, these days when I see mood changing I have developed a trauma reponse. As soon as he starts talking more quickly or loudly, or if I see the dark cloud cross his face I immediately become defensive. I almost preempt my feelings of anger and resentment before they are necessary. Sometimes they're not and I've put myself though those feelings for no reason.

Learning through this discussion that a lot of what I'm feeling is neither fear nor guilt, but anger I think will help me deal with it.

How does anger and frustration feel physically in your body?

My heart beats faster, my teeth clench, I can't look at him. I just want to scream or cry, but won't/can't. Adreneline makes my chest burn and then when that subsides I'm left with the cortisole. That's what's doing the damage and what makes me irritable for hours afterwards, raises my blood pressure and even my colesterol levels are higher  now that they've ever been, due to the lingering cortisole in my body.

The reason excercise or deep breathing helps you feel calmer is because they physically lower your cortisole so I try to breath, and if I'm not too exhausted by it all, perhaps do a more physical job around the house or walk.

[Owen45]

Excellent, very educational and informative.

[RedHorse]

Question 3. Initially I was going to say that there are no signs, that anger and frustration just appear spontaneously, explosively and without warning in my life.

On second thought I realised that I become increasingly agitated and irritated, unable to sit still, lose focus on the task, object or person in front of me and can't concentrate. I may start leg tapping, jaw clenching, lip biting and looking around for a distraction or means to escape.

Physically, my muscles tense and I feel like I'm going to explode. If my anger and frustration are particularly intense my sight and hearing can be affected and I will dissociate. Afterwards I am completely exhausted on every level.

[BPDSurvivor]

Question 3:

What are signs that anger and frustration are coming on? How does anger and frustration feel physically in your body?

For me, anger manifests with me clenching my teeth and fists. I feel heat bubbling inside me as though I would explode.

If I don't find ways to calm and self-soothe, I often do things I later regret.

[utopia]

Q 1. I most often feel 

Frustrated

Aggressive

Humiliated

Violated

Betrayed

Disrespected

Ridiculed

Furious

Hostile

Q 2. My mood can go from calm to Anger in seconds. And then that Anger builds and builds.

It usually occurs due to injustices I feel and see in the world. And I  also get Angry when people don't respond with outrage to these injustices like I do.

So things like DV, Women's Rights, Lack of proper/helpful mental health care, Refugee Rights, etc. Pretty much anything I think that is cruelty to other people. Especially the most vulnerable amongst us.

Q 3. I start feeling my jaw clench, I grind my teeth, my muscles get tight, i cannot sit, i have to get up and pace, i get teary, my face gets flushed with rage, I raise my voice, I often scream.

I also find that when I get so angry, that my brain fails me. As in, my memory falters so that I can't bring up statistics and facts about the issue. And that causes me further frustration.

I am working with my Psychologist to learn how to deal with my strong emotions. As I had been numb to most emotions for years and years. Now I feel, everything. My Mindfulness Teacher says I need to learn to sit with these feelings. Just sit and feel everything my body is feeling and to stay focused on those physical feelings, and to see if over a few minutes, those physical sensations start reducing. I haven't tried this tecnique yet. As I have noticed a particular person in my life who often triggers this anger in me, due to their lack of empathy in others. So I have been avoiding her when I am not strong, and I try and avoid those conversations with her.

I think part of my problem is that I don't have anyone in my life who shares the same passion as me about injustice towards the most needy. So I've never learnt to have healthy, robust conversations.

[BlueBay]

What are signs that anger and frustration are coming on? How does anger and frustration feel physically in your body?

My body gets tense, my neck and back feel tight.

i feel like i get fast heart rate and that i want to run as fast

i want to release my anger by either screaming, crying or punching something

sometimes the anger last for days and days and the intensity can stay for a little while too.

@cloudcore