Anger can be one of the most challenging emotions that we work with.
Clients are sometimes afraid of their anger. Or, maybe they consider it inappropriate to even feel this way at all.
Not only that, when anger is misdirected, it often leads to poor choices, damaged relationships, and even violence.
But anger can actually be an asset to our clients . . . as long as it’s channeled properly.
So how can we help clients express their anger more effectively?
It begins by helping them understand how anger is triggered, and what happens in the body and brain – especially when anger is chronic or unprocessed.
So we thought it would be helpful for you to have a way to illustrate this for your clients. (And please feel free to make a copy of this to share with them.)
Click the image to enlarge
If you’d like to print a copy to share with your clients, just click here: Color or Print-friendly
(When you make copies to share, please be sure to include the copyright information. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. Thanks!)
For more practical tools and strategies to help clients manage anger, have a look at this short course featuring Stephen Porges, PhD; Marsha Linehan, PhD; Peter Levine, PhD; Ron Siegel, PsyD; Pat Ogden, PhD; and other top experts.
Now we’d like to hear from you. How will you use this in your work with clients? Please leave a comment below.
I am still in college majoring in mental health. This information really helps
Very informative.Thank you
I work in a stressful and frustrating correctional setting and will be sharing this information with my colleagues for their higher health. In fact, I will be retiring soon and see this as an affirmation that stress and anger are more lethal than we acknowledge. Thank you for the ability to share your infographic, it makes such a difference to have a understandable visual tool. Peace…
Thank you for this. Doing research on anger and the brain and this was a big help.
Thank you for providing this so valuable info and make it available to share.
Thank you for this great resource. It helped me a lot. 30 discount on medicines
Great psychoeducation from the scientific – biological perspective for clients experiencing anger issues.
Interesting Post! thanks!
Hi. I have big worry because of my ex woman . He left me because of anger vith out explaination. He “hear” sentenses whom never be sayng . Beliefs moment like abuse that never happents . Blame me for anything bad . Specialli when he if drunk. He’is wery sick . I have big worry of her .He drink a bear alone for 2-3 days . What to doo. Thanks Vageir. Sorry about my spell ….
very helpful
Thank you for this. I’m watching all these college kids incited to radical rage over things for which they have neither all the information nor the background to understand the nuances. unscrupulous people are using them for nefarious purposes and I fear for their longterm health and safety. I conduct training programs on reducing stress, and I will continue to preach this. Thank you thank you thank you for your willingness to share this infographic. I will send them to your site.
Have even researching Alzheimer for years but never came across explanations so clear and easy to understand to put the last pieces in my puzzle for research. Thanks a million.
Thank you for providing this infographic so it can be printed out better. As a client, this will help me understand better when I meet with a neurofeedback therapist. Very helpful.
Are there any other articles regarding how anger/rage effects the body? Explaining sickness?
This is very useful information for self-management, especially for those who operate in stressful work environments.
Nice guys,
I teach trauma and conflict management.
This is such a neat explanation.
This is very useful and help me to reduce anger and control our mind to chanelise it into positive direction.
Thanks for the work you guys put in to this.
I would like to use this chart in a book that I am writing regarding grief. Please let me know if it is OK to use as long as i cite the reference. Thank you.
I really enyoy this. Site
THANK YOU for this clear and concise explanation of what happens when anger hits.
Years ago I had the amygdala and hippocampus removed from my right temporal lobe. Since then I have dealt with bouts of anger that rocket above a reasonable level for whatever situation triggered it.
I have looked for a clear explanation of what is going on. Now I have it!!
Thanks for sharing Kate. I have the same situation and can hardly deal with it nor know how best to handle it.
What about the anger from putative Borderline Personality Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder and, of course, Schizophrenia? Is there something here that we do not properly understand? It seems that there is no real normal personality, from reasonably balanced to psychotic. Our DNA presents everyone with unique aspects of brain chemistry and it’s response to it’s environment, psychological and physical. The problem cannot be generalised. You never know when somebody’s anger will be such that they are likely to kill you or themselves!
Well done…nicely explained and user-friendly for my anger group…Great website!
Thia description about anger… is it descrbing the person who is angry….
What about the person who has to recieve the anger blows either physically or emotionally. They often have to supress the anger to avoid a super huge explosions that will only produce victims.
They in fact are suppressing their anger . Are they experiencing the same anger process described herr?
Thank you so much
i actually need this for my self because i get very angry easily and often; so i find this peice very very helpful
and am so happy i have this information right now, i feel really informed and empowered .
Very useful
Thank You!
In looking for information and tools for a conversation I’m about to have with my adult daughter’s, I am so very pleased to have found your site and will be very pleased if I’m able to print this page.
This one page explains so much of what has been at the root of a lifetime of issues and events!
Thank you
Excellent visual tool for my Anger management client. Thanks
Thanks! Perfect for the 12 grade project I am doing about how th brain effects the body.
Thank you for your wonderful and helpful ariticles. I am studying healing and most of all, would like to help my family who have been through trauma and despair as children. So being the youngest, I have this nagging desire to do something to help them, and others.
I will bring awareness of anger’s impact and teach the piwer to choose love.
IThank yo so much for making this available to share. I really apprreciate it. I work with different community wellness groups and blend various modalities into my work inc Tai Chi bodywork, reflexology, Clinical Hypnotherapy etc. However it is fair to say that all to often in peoles search for understanding they do tend to overlook the implications and importance of internal chemistry. They do dtenf to believe that they are their thoughts. This infographic will be an invaluable aid in explaining anger to them.
Again, thank you so much
Kind regards
Martin Forrest
Anger surely gives negative impacts on our brain. By the grace of God, we should master our anger only for pisitive cause.
I will use the last page to present to my patients and ask them how they feel their own body reacts.
The graphics help explain and give another level of learning. Also it always seems to work better when they have some homework to help them eplain to others what they learned
Very informative and interesting article. I believe anger like all emotions is good if expressed appropriately.
Perfectly agreable. It is only harder in time of sadness with grief, numbing and repression. Would like to learn more.
Thanks.
I like the graphic. It illustrates more specifically the simple diagram I draw on the board at the beginning of all my Anger Management classes. I will be making copies and handing them out during my Stress lesson in the Anger Management curriculum.
I find it very productive to give my clients tools to understand the workings of their brain – it reduces a sense of shame and stigma and empowers them to work with it. Your Infographics are just brilliant – thank you!!!
thank you! I find it very interesting!
Being an estate agent, anger comes & goes!
Regards
Dorette
I will use the info for myself and increase my awareness of my own anger and then share with clients in the therapeutic moment.
I will use it to talk with clients about how anger is affecting their brain and health.
I have been angry , depressed , and anxious most of my life and my neurologist told me I have brain damage .
Excellent resource. I really want to learn more about this fascinating subject! Thanks for sharing this amazing information !
I denied my anger for many years( perhaps social norms).
Became depressed – for myself, the physical effects of anger were affecting my body. Without my conscious awareness of the underlying anger.
For me, actual anger was a good catalyst to get me moving in the right direction.
Have others used depression to cover up old angers??
The downloads A Quick And Simple way To Think About the Brain and How Anger Affects your Brain And Body are much appreciated. NICABM continues to produce excellent and affordable teaching and training materials. Thank you!
Would love it if sounds true could make different versions of this, for anxiety, fear, shame and sadness. I’m not sure if the somatic response is the same. What a great teaching tool-
This is great. Thank you. I’d be careful re which clients to show this to and probably impart bits of it verbally, and then show all once the client knows they have some control over their nervous system, a mindful way of coping, and a recognition of self. Once clients can see their emotions/anger as moving waves, with triggers, I’d use all of this incredible educational tool. I just think that before someone can ground, or find self and curiosity/compassion, some of my clients get anxious and angry due to fear of the effects of their anger (lower immune function). I also find it interesting that fear is at the bottom of list re anger, whereas I see it at the top of the list: fear, shame, sadness. Fear seems to bind with so many challenging emotions.
Love it. Thank you!
Education!