It’s important for all of us to learn to how cope with our anger. People with PTSD may experience higher levels of anger than most of us and in some cases may not be able to handle or control it. Understanding how anger works and how it relates to PTSD can be the first step toward controling how it effects your life .

Many veterans who come home from Iraq and Afghanistan experience high levels of anger.  In fact, as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are continuing, we are constantly learning more and more about the effect these wars leave on military service men and women. Through extensive research and studies, professionals who help veterans have concluded that Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans are at risk for a number of mental health problems.

Are you at peace with yourself or are you fighting a war within yourself from the unsettling experiences you may have encountered in Afghanistan or Iraq? Studies have consistently shown that veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan War are exhibiting high levels of anger.

Do not be afraid to reach out for help even if you are not certain that you are suffering from PTSD. If you are not feeling at peace with yourself, do whatever you have to do to change, so you are able to get to that place of peace.  Talk to someone you can trust…..a mentor, a good friend, a counselor or a transition coach.  All these people can help you move forward in life.

 

One study conducted by a group of researchers at the Seattle VA Medical Center looked at rates of PTSD and anger problems among a group of 117 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and this is what they concluded:

• Over half of the veterans indicated that they had been aggressive in the past 4 months, such as threatening physical violence, destroying property, or having a physical fight with someone. Veterans near being diagnosed with PTSD reported just about the same amount of aggressive behavior as the veterans with PTSD.

 

• According to the study there is definitely a connection between the experience of PTSD symptoms and aggressive behavior among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans. Veterans with PTSD and near a PTSD diagnosis were much more likely to be aggressive than those veterans without PTSD.

 

• Individuals with PTSD may have intense and unpredictable emotional experiences. It is believed their anger and aggressive behavior may have be a way of establishing a sense of control. Anger may also be a way of trying to express or release tension connected to uncomfortable emotions often associated with PTSD, such as shame and guilt.

 

Individuals with PTSD may be more likely to have problems controlling anger, and this study shows that problems with anger may occur soon after returning from combat.  If you are experience anger frequently, you may be a victim of PTSD and not even realize it.

Anger can be a very difficult emotion to deal with and can lead to a number of legal and interpersonal problems, such as domestic violence. To help curb the problem there a few steps you can take including taking time for yourself.

Time Out

• Plan. When taking time for yourself think ahead about where you can go or the things you can do during a time out. (Try yoga, a massage, a bubble bath, a walk, writing in a journal,  ect… all these can help)

 

• Time outs are not a technique used to avoid the problem. Make sure that you always return to a situation so that it can be resolved in a calm and effective way.

 

• Communicate your strategy to others. Explain to others that you will be occasionally taking time for yourself as a way of making sure your anger does not get out of control. Acceptance and the will to want to change is the first step to healing and succeeding.

 

Time outs will not always be effective. There may be some situations or interactions with some people where time outs may not work. If this is the case, it is very important to learn other ways of managing anger.

Other Important Tips to help quell your anger:

Exposure Therapy

 

Over time, people with PTSD may develop fears of reminders of their traumatic event. These reminders may be in the environment. For example, certain pictures, smells, or sounds may bring about thoughts and feelings connected with traumatic events. These reminders may also come in the form of memories, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts. Because these reminders often bring about considerable distress, a person may fear and avoid them.

The goal of exposure therapy is to help reduce the level of fear and anxiety connected with these reminders, thereby also reducing avoidance. This is usually done by having you actively confront the triggers that you fear.

By dealing with the fear and anxiety, the patient can reduce the extent with which these reminders are viewed as threatening and fearful. Exposure therapy is usually paired with teaching the patient different relaxation skills.

 

Stress-Inoculation Training

 

The basic goal of Stress-Inoculation Training (SIT) is to help a patient gain confidence in his ability to cope with anxiety and fear stemming from trauma ”triggers”.

In SIT, the therapist helps the client become more aware of their reminders or “triggers” for fear and anxiety. Clients learn a variety of coping skills that are useful in managing anxiety, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing.

The therapist helps the patient learn how to detect and identify cues as soon as they appear so that the patient can put the newly learned coping skills into immediate action. In doing so, the patient can tackle the anxiety and stress early on before it gets out of control.

 

Cognitive-Processing Therapy

 

Cognitive-Processing Therapy (CPT) was developed by Resick and Schnicke to specifically treat PTSD among people who have experienced a sexual assault. CPT lasts 12 sessions and can be viewed as a combination of cognitive therapy and exposure therapy.

CPT is like cognitive therapy in that it is based in the idea that PTSD symptoms stem from a conflict between pre-trauma beliefs about the self and world (for example, the belief that nothing bad will happen to me) and post-trauma information (for example, the trauma as evidence that the world is not a safe place). These conflicts are called “stuck points” and are addressed through the next component in CPT, writing about the trauma.

Like exposure therapy, in CPT, the patient is asked to write about his traumatic event in detail. The patient is then instructed to read the story aloud repeatedly in and outside of session. The therapist helps the client identify and address stuck points and errors in thinking, sometimes called “cognitive restructuring.” Errors in thinking may include, for example, “I am bad person” or “I did something to deserve this.” The therapist may help the patient address these repetitive thoughts by having the client gather evidence for and against those thoughts.

 

Dealing with anger at home:

 

1.         Before you are in an intense situation that can cause you to lose it, identify what you are going to do or where you are going to go should you need a time out. Find a place that is quiet and relaxing for you. Also, come up with some things you can do to help you cool down during a time out, such as deep breathing.

2.         Recognize when your anger levels are increasing or when a situation may be too much for you to handle. Pay attention to how your body feels. Is your heart rate is increasing or is the level of tension in your body is going up? The earlier you catch your anger; the better off you will be in managing it.

3.         Once you notice that your anger is increasing, remove yourself from the situation as soon as you can and take a time out.

4.         Once you have identified your needs and the actions you are going to take, take steps to manage your anger or frustration. A number of different coping skills are available that can be useful in managing stress. Keep in mind that a time out is supposed to be a way of cooling down. Make sure you are not doing things that maintain or increase your anger, such as ruminating about the situation or engaging in negative self-talk.

5.         Once you feel as though your anger and tension has reduced to a more manageable level, think about the situation and the actions you are going to take before actually returning to the situation. Plan what you would like to say or do, and stick to that plan.  When you feel as though you have a good plan, return to the situation. If you are interacting with another person, express your appreciation. Express thanks them for giving you the opportunity to calm down.

Practice. The more you practice these coping skills, the easier they will be to put into action.

The National Center for PTSD also provides excellent information on the relationship between PTSD and anger, as well as a number of suggestions on how to manage anger.  No one is going to help you.  You need to help yourself.  Take the initiative.