What we treat
Expressing anger
We all feel angry at times – it's part of being human. Anger is a normal, healthy emotion which we might experience if we feel:
Attacked
Deceived
Frustrated
Invalidated or unfairly treated
How it’s useful
Anger can serve a useful and healthy purpose. Feeling angry about something can:
Help us identify problems or things that are hurting us
Motivate us to create change, achieve our goals and move on
Help us stay safe and defend ourselves in dangerous situations by giving us a burst of energy as part of our fight, flight or freeze response.
It’s common though for many us to struggle recognising, expressing and dealing with anger.
Common struggles
Not everyone expresses anger in the same way. Some common ways of expressing anger in unhealthy ways include:
Inward aggression. Trying to hold in or supress anger, telling yourself that you hate yourself, withdrawing from others, or self-harming.
Passive aggression. Ignoring people or refusing to speak to them, and being sarcastic or not saying anything explicitly aggressive or angry.
Outward aggression. Shouting, throwing things, making threats, verbal abuse or physical violence.
When to get help
Signs that you may need help expressing anger include:
Consistently feeling hostile towards yourself or others
Regularly expressing anger in unhealthy ways
Anger becomes your go-to emotion, blocking out your ability to feel other emotions
Avoiding situations because of previous anger outbursts
Anger is having a negative impact on your overall mental and physical health
Most people who receive therapy finish more able to recognise and manage anger in a productive way.
Other struggles
Read more about the other difficulties we treat:
Worrying lots about different things
Flashbacks or nightmares of a trauma
Obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviours
Talking therapy
If you could be struggling with expressing anger, read about the talking therapies we offer to see how they could help you. You may also like to read some feedback and encouragements by those who received therapy with us.
Self-help resources
Be sure to check out our useful section of self-help resources for wellbeing.
Employment advice
Alongside therapy our Employment Team can help you find employment or training, and support you with workplace adjustments or disputes.
Make the first step
We know the courage it takes to ask for help, and we hope you’ll consider therapy with us. Read more about what to expect if you refer.
Talking Change is for everyone aged sixteen or over, who live in Portsmouth and are registered with a GP in the city.
You can self-refer by calling us on 0300 123 3934 or by completing this secure form online.
Urgent help
Talking Change is not an emergency mental health service for people in crisis. Support is available from specialist services if urgent help is needed.