Anger helps us to defend our rights and protect our freedoms. Yet anger can also lead to physical and emotional violence, depression, even illness. We face the challenge of harnessing the energy of anger in constructive ways. We can learn to transform our anger from a weapon that wounds ourselves and others to a tool that promotes understanding and healthy relationships. Identify destructive expressions of anger.
People often express anger in destructive ways.
Or they might act like martyrs, agreeing to a course of action they don't really like and then trying to make others feel guilty for forcing them to do it. Some people express anger in passive aggressive ways with habits that disrupt the lives of those around them. Other people express anger indirectly, complaining to a third party instead of the person they are angry with. Constructive anger, however, lets the other person know we are hurt in order to prevent this from happening again and to promote understanding within the relationship. Express yourself assertively.