Anger

When anger feels difficult to control

Anger can build quickly, leaving you feeling overwhelmed, out of control or unable to stop yourself reacting. You might shout, snap, argue, withdraw or say things you later regret. You may also notice physical signs such as tension, a racing heart, feeling hot or needing to get away.

For children and teenagers, anger can look like explosive outbursts, slamming doors, refusing to do things, becoming argumentative or suddenly shutting down. For neurodivergent children and young people, sensory overload, changes to plans, communication difficulties, demands, masking or feeling misunderstood can all contribute to anger and overwhelm.

How can CBT help?

Anger is often the emotion we see on the outside, while underneath there may be hurt, fear, frustration, shame, anxiety or feeling unheard. CBT can help you understand your triggers, thoughts, physical responses and patterns of behaviour, while developing more helpful ways to communicate and respond.

We'll look at what is driving the anger rather than simply trying to make it disappear.

What could change?

The goal isn't to never feel angry. It's to understand what your anger is telling you and feel more able to choose what happens next.

You might find it easier to recognise when you're becoming overwhelmed, communicate what you need, handle difficult situations without things escalating and recover more quickly when things go wrong.

Let's understand what's underneath

A free, confidential consultation gives us the chance to talk about what's been happening without judgement and explore whether therapy could help you or your child.