Good question. Even without MH issues, anger is the scary one that people don't like about themselves and don't know to deal with well. Let me think....

A big thing for me is anger while ruminating over things. When I'm not usefully problem solving or processing, but pointlessly ruminating. It's hard, but I try to catch when I'm doing that and force myself to stop any way I can. Tell myself, I'm not comforting myself, or advocating for myself, or fixing anything -- just reliving the hurt.

That rarely works. My brain likes being obstreperous.


So then I go to distraction. Do something that absorbs enough of my attention. So no TV or anything that lets my mind wander back to it. Errands, to-do lists, productive stuff is really good. Exercise is good, especially vigorous.

And the entire list of activities and things that are supposed to help with depression and avoidant anxiety. So it's not completely distraction. It's also about trying to fill my life with positive things to counter the bad.

I had some luck with simple breathing meditation -- just clearing my head and thinking of breathing and gently being. After a while I could even disengage emotionally from the memories. I never got the hang of accepting/embracing the emotions with the memory, but I could observe the memory without feeling the emotion. The first time I did that was awesome.


I haven't properly done yoga. Just some yoga poses in exercise. Although it can be hard to be angry when you feel goofy trying to attempt some pose as an uncoordinated middle aged man. Seriously, women look way cooler when doing yoga than guys do.

Um, opposite emotion? E.g. enjoy something funny. Sorry, now I'm just doing the DBT list. You can look that up.

Humor is really good. It's why I'm often such a dork on the forums. Sue me.


Recognize that the anger will pass. So you might as well let go now. Seriously. Anger is a flare that overwhelms you. And then you go back to your rational, balanced state. This is one time you *don't* want to live in the moment. I'm not saying anger isn't an important emotion that needs to be validated. But seething anger is just something you get lost in. (Good luck with this one, you'll need it.)


There's a theory that anger is a "secondary" emotion. We become angry when we are frustrated in our desires and needs. First you feel hurt, or disgusted, or threatened, or something you care about feels threatened or in danger or lost. So then you become angry in response. This theory recommends recognizing the initial emotion and dealing with that to help dissipate the anger.


Not giving a over whatever it is.


I find punching bags and otherwise "getting the anger out" doesn't really seem to work for me. It seems to reinforce or otherwise feed the anger. YMMV. :shrug:

That's all I've got right now....