How can I control my anger?

I think that there is some truth to it because I lose my cool very quickly and become aggressive, but I feel people provoke me. Any suggestions on how I can control my anger?

Dr Saliha Afridi replies: Allen, it is important to know that anger is not a bad emotion — it is what we choose to do with our anger that can be constructive or destructive.

Anger is known as the ‘umbrella emotion’ and it can result from different feelings and/or experiences. Often it is more acceptable for a man to be angry about a situation than to be sad about it, and this is something that boys learn early (i.e. boys don’t cry; toughen up).

It would be worth your while to take the advice of your friends and find healthy ways of communicating your anger since there are many negative health consequences of anger such as heart disease, hypertension, pain, metabolic diseases, stroke etc as well as emotional and relation difficulties that arise due to ill-expressed anger.

My recommendation would be to work with a qualified professional or do some introspection about the roots of your anger, and then be proactive about learning new coping skills and new communication skills that replace angry outbursts.

Disclaimer: This blog is a conversation and is not an alternative for treatment. The recommendations and suggestions offered by our panel of psychiatrists are their own and Gulf News will not take any responsibility for the advice they provide.