What ideas do you have on how to control your anger - through therapy, herbs, food therapy, supplements, etc?

Question

For instance, have you ever been a work situation where you found yourself having difficulty controlling your anger about the whole thing. Another instance might be something going on in your private life such as with family or friends. Have you ever felt feeling of rage coming on and got control of your anger through some therapy, herbs, food therapy, activity, supplements etc? What has worked for you and might work for others?

There were some good answer attempts here. No one mentioned the fact that the brain is highly influenced by sugar. Try a small glass of milk. Try raisins, a piece of fruit or orange juice. Try glucose or fructose if you can get it. The psychotherapy is good too. Try to remove yourself from whatever it is that is making you angry if possible. Or try to correct whatever it is that is making you angry. Caffein can be a culprit. Pressure points, oriental exercises, yoga will help too. I have also found mantra chanting an yoga philosophy to be helpful. For instance, I keep a poster in my apt which more or less states that no matter how much you feel persecuted, know that it has to do with your karma and God is actually minimizing the suffering you might ordinarily be due.

Read Bhagavad Gita As It Is
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Answer 1

I've found the following things useful:
Long...slow...deep...inhalation with a slow, controlled exhale. At the same time you are doing this, you can clasp your fingers together loosely and with 'one' thumb...discreetly press firmly into the center palm of the other hand. (works well in the presence of others at work etc., when you may need a discreet method)
Try to relax into your posture at the same time...rising anger will cause you to tense up and if you counter that tense feeling, you will remain under control.

Secondly:
Making silent meditation a daily part of your life really does work. It may take awhile for you to learn a good meditative practice which works well for you but, starting with the method above can be an effective start. (fold the hands or place them at your side instead of pressing the thumb into the palm)
Get into a comfortable position perhaps in your favorite chair...'it should be a quiet setting' if there is disturbing noises around you at the time...'use ear plugs'...close your eyes and begin the slow, long steady breathing 'in' through your nose...'out' through your mouth.
Focus on the empty darkess in front of you and as you get deeper into a relaxed state, you will begin to feel yourself 'merge' with the darkened peace...you may see a light in the distance a color of blue, white, orange or amber...focus on this light and move towards it...enter it and feel it fill you from the tips of your toes, to the very follicles of your hair...as it does, allow it to caress every muscle, joint and organ...purifying them.
It is a healing energy which will cleanse you of all negative emotion...Breath in the clean, healing light through your nostrils, and exhale the 'garbage and disease' watch it flow out of you in a smokey-like cloud...with each breath...the cloud becomes less smokey untill it is clear, or the same color as the pure light that you are breathing in....About twenty minutes a day will work.

Third:
Do some regular excersize...at least three times per week...I weight train, stretch and work-out on a heavy bag along with other asian marshal art pratices (not all on the same day)...The focused excersize has rewards far beyond the physical...

Fourth:
Eat 'clean'...you do not have to get fanatical about it, but stay away from the highly 'refined and processed' foods. Read labels and stay off those products which incorporate 'artificial' ingredients, nitrates and sodium.

Have a happy, peaceful day...

Answer 2

There are certain food or drink that make the body more unsettling and edgy, but those kind of effects are fairly minimum.

I would suggest that you seek therapist or psychiatrist to better understand where the anger is coming from. Our anger often do not come from the object/person that made us upset. Most of times, the person who "made" us angry is only a trigger that remind our subconscious of something else unfair that happened a while back.

A good therapist could teach you techniques to get to the roots of your anger. Once you learn that, a good therapist could help you understand, empathize and process the anger.

Make sure you look for a holistic therapist rather than clinical.

When a boiler is boiling over. Sure you can put a cap on it to stop it from spilling out, but if you don't take off the heat from the bottom of the boiler it is only matter of time before it becomes a bigger issue.

Best of luck.

Answer 3

Anger comes from within. Not from outside. You describe outside "events" as a stimuli to anger development.

Write down the moments that cause anger within you. Who was it, what was said/done, what feelings did it trigger, what did that make you feel like, what did this remind you of, what fears did you sense?

Finding the deeper trigger is what will resolve this hot button and make it "defunct".

ie:
boss calls you, tells you that he is cutting your hours.
you feel instant anger....
(you say something maybe not)

review logically: Why did I feel anger? I took this personal! I felt he did not like my performance, I felt endangered in my income and livelihood....that cause anger as a reaction of survival, because I have a fear of not being a man, or a person that can "provide"...but: could be that the company has a tight spot and ALL employees had a cut in hours. Thus I should not take this personal or get angry. Now: think beyond: how can I prepare myself for further such events. Update your resume (in case), save money (in case) be open and honest with your boss (communicate/inquire) etc.... now...such comments no longer have the same threat they had before...SEE?????

Answer 4

What has helped me food-wise is to avoid caffeine. For some people, certain processed foods trigger rage bursts dramatically (example: hot dogs).

As far as therapy, try the book "don't sweat the small stuff", it really helped me.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Go GREEN -- green juices, algae, sitting outdoors under the trees, plenty of water, salads. Green is everything and has enxymes and oxygen that your body is missing (and they have tintures for stress and botanicals for anger in the good health food stores)

Answer 6

Your best bet is to read Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention. Homeopathy can also help; so can massage. Check at your local health food store for other options.

Answer 7

Pain and pleasure - period. The pleasure, albeit temporary, from acting in anger often brings great pain later.

Most things in life relate to pleasure-pain. Change the perception of pleasure and pain and you change your reactions

Answer 8

This is no joke, I used to be one angry violent tempered s.o.b. untill I started smoking pot. It may not help anyone else, but for me it has been a God send.

Answer 9

Chammomile tea.

Answer 10

Try to smile always , it will help you and the others around you .