Control of Anger,

Fear and
Anxiety
Definition of Anger:

Anger is an emotional state that varies in

intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and
rage.
What Causes It?
Anger can be caused by external or internal events.

Event itself does not causes anger, rather the

importance and meaning placed on the event by an
individual.

What makes one person angry may not have the same
effect on someone else
Problems Caused By Anger

● High blood pressure and depression.

● Greater risk of coronary heart disease.
● Weaker immune systems.
● Shorter life spans.
● Pathological expressions of that anger, such as
getting back at people indirectly, putting others
down, and criticizing everything
Approaches in Expressing Anger

1. Assertive expression of Anger

2. Suppressing Anger
3. Calming Down the Anger
 Approaches in Expressing Anger

1. Assertive expression of Anger

Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive –
non aggressive – manner is the healthiest way to
express anger.
To do this, you have to learn how to make clear
what your needs are, and how to get them met, without
hurting others.
2. Suppressing Anger

To suppress anger and then convert or redirect it.

The aim is to inhibit or suppress your anger and convert

it into more constructive behavior.

The danger in this type of response is that if it isn’t

allowed outward expression, your anger can turn inward
– on yourself.
3. Calming Down the Anger

Controlling your outward behavior, but also

controlling your internal responses, taking
steps to lower your heart rate, calm yourself
down, and let the feelings subside.
Managing the Anger/ Controlling
the anger
Relaxation
Breathe deeply, from your diaphragm
Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as
“relax,” “take it easy.” Repeat it to yourself while
breathing deeply.

Use imagery; visualize a relaxing experience,

from either your memory or your imagination.

Non strenuous, slow yoga-like exercises can

relax your muscles and make you feel much
calmer.
Cognitive Restructuring

● Cognitive restructuring means changing the

way you think.
● Logic defeats anger, because anger, even when
it’s justified, can quickly become irrational.

● Angry people need to become aware of their

demanding nature and translate their
expectations into desires.
Problem Solving

● The best attitude to bring to a situation is not

just about focus on finding the solution, but
rather on how you handle and face the
problem.

● Make a plan, and check and progress along

the way.
Communication
● The first thing to do if you’re in a heated
discussion is slow down and think through
your responses.
● Don’t say the first thing that comes into your
head, but slow down and think carefully
about what you want to say.
● Listen carefully to what the other person is
saying and take your time before answering.
● Listen, also, for what is underlying the anger.
Using Humor
● It can help you get a more balanced
perspective.

● What these “humor” techniques have in

common is a refusal to take yourself
too seriously.

● Anger is a serious emotion, but it’s

often accompanied by ideas that, if
examined, can make you laugh.
Changing Your Environment

Sometimes it’s our immediate surroundings

that give us cause for irritation and fury.

Give yourself a break.

Psychological Counseling

If you feel that your anger is really out of control, if

it is having an impact on your relationships and on
important parts of your life, you can consider
counseling to learn how to handle it better.

Therapists can teach specific approaches for

anger management.
Controlling Fear and Anxiety
Definition of Fear
A basic, intense emotion aroused by the
detection of imminent threat, involving an
immediate alarm reaction that mobilizes the
organism by triggering a set of physiological
changes.
Fear manifests in the following ways
Tensing of the muscles
Chest pain.
Chills.
Dry mouth.
Nausea.
Rapid heartbeat.
Shortness of breath.
Sweating.
Trembling
Causes of Fear

● Fears may be a result of experiences or

trauma
● Fear manifests due to loss of control.
● Fears may occur because they cause
physical symptoms, such as being afraid
of heights because they make you feel
dizzy and sick to your stomach.
Common fears

Fear of Death
Fear of the Unknown
Fear of Survival
Losing of Freedom
Disappointment
Failure
Loneliness
What is Phobia ?
A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of
an object, person, animal, activity or situation.

Types:
Spiders, water, enclosed spaces, flying, public
spaces or crowds
Definition of Anxiety

An emotion characterized by feelings of

tension, worried thoughts and physical
changes
Symptoms of anxiety

● Restlessness and a feeling of being

“on-edge”
● Uncontrollable feelings of worry
● Increased irritability
● Concentration difficulties
● Sleep difficulties, such as problems
in falling or staying asleep
Causes of anxiety

● Anxious personality and have learned to

worry.
● Early experiences of feeling anxious and
insecure.
● Series of stressful life events to cope with,
for example: bereavements, divorce.
Causes of anxiety continued

● Pressure at work for example, working long

hours, feeling understaffed.
● Pressures at home for example, financial,
family or relationship problems.
 Difference between fear and
anxiety
Fear is considered as an appropriate short-term
response to a present, clearly identifiable threat

Anxiety is a future-oriented, long-term response

focused on a diffuse threat.

Theorists characterizes that fear is experienced when

avoiding or escaping an aversive stimuli and that
anxiety is experienced when entering a potentially
dangerous situation (e.g., an animal foraging in a
field where there might be a predator)
Control/ Management of Fear
and Anxiety
1. Learning about fear and anxiety
2. Relaxation techniques
3. Cognitive therapy
4. Behaviour therapy
5. Learning to be assertive
6. Structured problem solving
7. Support groups
Learning about anxiety/ fear
● For example, education includes examining
the physiology of the ‘flight-or-fight’ response,
which is the body’s way to deal with impending
danger.
● For people with anxiety disorders, this
response is inappropriately triggered by
situations that are generally harmless.
● Education is an important way to promote
control over symptoms.
Relaxation techniques

A person who feels anxious most of the

time has trouble relaxing, but knowing
how to release muscle tension can be a
helpful strategy.
Relaxation techniques include:
● Progressive muscle relaxation
● Abdominal breathing
● Mindfulness meditation, yoga etc
Cognitive therapy

● Focuses on changing patterns of thinking and beliefs that

are associated with, and trigger, anxiety.
● For example, a person with a social phobia may make
their anxiety worse by negative thoughts such as,
‘Everyone thinks I’m boring’.

● The basis of cognitive therapy is that beliefs trigger

thoughts, which then trigger feelings and produce
behaviours.
Behaviour therapy

● A major component is exposure.

● Exposure therapy involves deliberately
confronting your fears in order to
desensitise yourself.
● Exposure allows you to train yourself to
redefine the danger or fear aspect of
the situation or trigger.
Learning to be assertive

● A person with an anxiety may have trouble

being assertive because they are afraid of
conflict or believe they have no right to speak
up.

● Relating passively to others lowers

self-confidence and reinforces anxiety.
Learning to behave assertively is central to
developing a stronger self-esteem.
Structured problem solving

● Some people with anxiety disorders are

‘worriers’, who fret about a problem rather
than actively solve it.

● Learning how to break down a problem into

its various components – and then decide on
a course of action.
Support groups and education

● Support groups allow people with anxiety

to meet in comfort and safety, and give
and receive support.

● They also provide the opportunity to learn

more about anxiety / fear and to develop
social networks.
Thank you