Manage your rage

Are you are prone to frequent flights of fury? Deal with them with a little help and a lot of self-control.

After the tiff with Shilpa Shetty on Celebrity Big Brother, Jade Goody checked herself into rehab for stress and depression and to take anger-management classes. At home and in office, you shout at someone or get shouted at. Still, anger management is something that people refuse to talk about.

Says Dr Sameer Malhotra, senior consultant psychiatrist, Fortis: 8220;Anger is something we all deal with daily. It can range from grumpiness or a mild irritation to an intense rage, even road rage. It is important to know the level at which one gets angry.8221;

The lifestyle has become more stressful and consequently there are more angry people out there. 8220;The level of stress is growing because of rising competition. Moreover, people are losing their support networks and coping abilities. From schoolchildren to professionals, they are all finding it difficult to cope with their anger,8221; says Malhotra.

The problem may be raging inside or exploding outside but many are not ready to confront it. 8220;There is a great degree of intolerance. The problem is that people don8217;t see it as a problem. Indians are a conservative lot and they don8217;t like the idea of going to a psychiatrist for a bad temper. But sometimes that is the only way out,8221; he says.

The prescription: first sit down and analyse what could be making you angry. Think calmly about the problem. 8220;People who lose their temper at the drop of a hat magnify negative aspects and minimise positive aspects. They only see things as black and white; they don8217;t see the grey areas. So, they tend to lose control of their emotions,8221; says Malhotra. 8220;Anger is good to a certain extent, it can help release a lot of stress. However, the boundaries should not be crossed.8221;

It is not necessary to check into an anger-management class to deal with rage. With a little help and a lot of self-control, it is possible to deal with it. 8220;The goal of anger management is to reduce the psychological arousal that causes anger. It is basically a spur of the moment that needs to be taken care of,8221; says Malhotra. 8220;We also do a proper assessment of the situation. After finding out the root cause of anger, we suggest some relaxation strategies and a healthy lifestyle. Yoga and meditation also help to a certain extent. However, if all this doesn8217;t help, we give medicines for psychological illness.8221;