Dealing with feelings of anger

nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

Hi! As I transition off my anti-depressant meds, some of my old issues of ANGER are coming out again. Does anyone have any resources, books, links etc that might help me figure out where these sudden feelings of irritation and outbursts of anger might be coming from? I definitely had issues with anger before going on meds, and the meds definitely helped. But I am trying to get off the meds, and face my issues head on….Raw defnitely helps me, and maybe, in some weird way, being raw is bringing these issues out more clearly so I can deal with them, almost like i am detoxing emotionally.It’s all well and good to detox emotionally, but I have a young family to care for and don’t really feel like taking this out on them.

Any resources or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • Definitely pursue books + therapy to help you in this time of transition. Certainly going raw and going off your meds is revealing to you feelings and issues that you weren’t able to see or access before.

    That said, keep in mind that what is being released, at heart, is pure energy—in this case, coming up as anger, or being labelled by you as “anger.” You can think of this energy as usable in any way, such as funneled into caring for your family, your creative work, or cleaning house. If at all possible take this energy to the gym or pound the city streets to wear it out. I had a very similar experience to you and found relief in anything that used the energy well—even just cleaning my house until I felt better.

    Congratulations on taking all these brave steps you are now taking in your life!

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    Thich Nhat Hanh is one of my favorite teachers/authors. He is a Zen (I believe) monk from Vietnam who possesses a gentle, kind and simple way of getting right to the point. He can also explain Eastern spiritual concepts in such a way that they are easily understood by Westerners, which is no small chore. He writes wonderful books on understanding our troublesome emotions and on developing skill sets to deal with them. One of my favorite books (but they are all my favorites) he wrote is called “Anger.” I highly recommend it if you are having issues with anger.

    Another good book by Thich Nhat Hanh is called “Understanding Our Mind.” Think about that title for a moment. We all share one mind. Amazing. This book focuses on explaining how we are all mentally connected and in fact really share one universal mind due to the impact our thoughts (which trigger our actions) have on others and vice versa. This book makes you understand how powerful a single thought can be and the infinite impact it has on others.

    I have no medical training but, based on my own experiences, I think most emotional problems/illnesses are a result of the ongoing pain we suffer because we don’t understand or know how to heal from our emotional scars. One of the things I like so much about Thich Nhat Hanh’s books is that he allows you to be gentle with yourself while you learn the lessons he teaches and that is something we all deserve.

  • nycgrrl, I think Audrey gives some great advice. Something else that might help is getting out of the city (even for a day) and being in a natural environment. I live in NYC too, and even though we all think we’re good at handling all the sensory overload (and actually we are), there are times when we need to be in a calmer, more nurturing environment. Even if you don’t have a car, you can take MetroNorth and go further upstate to places like Cold Spring where there are lovely hiking trails and you are right on a beautiful part of the Hudson River. I don’t know if it’s possible, but it might be nice for you to have some time alone in that kind of setting to refresh yourself and give yourself some space to be with whatever feelings are coming up. Journaling, yoga and mindful meditation are also great ways to be present with what’s happening without “taking it out on” your family. Hang in there—you are on the right path.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Do you have mercury fillings or have you had any root canals? I just heard a natural dentist talking about bouts of anger being caused by dental complications.

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