Unhelpful ways of dealing with anger. The following are unhelpful ways of dealing with anger. Number one, don’t ignore the anger. Some people respond to anger by not admitting, even to themselves, that they are angry. Defense mechanisms often used to ignore anger include laughing and shuffling, distracting one’s self from the problem, and trivializing the trigger’s impact. Number two, don’t keep the anger inside. There are people that do recognize that they’re angry, however, they choose to obsess about their anger in silence rather than express it. They can bear grudges for a long time. People like this, also called stuffers, are more likely to develop hypertension compared to others. They are also likely to just explode one day once the anger has built to the point that they can’t keep it inside anymore. Number three, don’t get aggressive. The right to vent your anger doesn’t extend to doing it in ways that can hurt others, hurt yourself, and damage property. Aggression can be verbal or physical. Number four, don’t get passive aggressive. Passive aggressiveness refers to indirect and underhanded means to get back at the person who made you angry. Examples of passive aggressive behaviors are gossiping, tardiness, and backbiting. Number five, don’t use non-constructive communication styles. Avoid the use of indirect attacks and unproductive statements. These include blaming, labeling, preaching, moralizing, ordering, warning, interrogating, ridiculing, and lecturing.
