26/05/2025
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ: ๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ข
(Thank you to my client who inspired this reflection)
What's ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ? I needed to reframe what I had been taught... that anger was "bad," "not welcome," only for people who were "out of control."
I now know that anger isn't inherently "bad." Instead, I think of it as a ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ, deeply rooted in our unique history and experiences.
From a trauma-informed perspective, anger often signals a perceived violation of your ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ (those invisible lines protecting your physical, emotional, and mental space), your ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ (what you hold dear), or your very ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ (who you understand yourself to be). This isn't just a thought; it's a deep, protective instinct awakening within you, an internal alarm saying: "Something precious is at risk!"
๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐, ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ: ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญโ
Here's a crucial insight: your current anger often isn't solely about the present situation. It frequently echoes unaddressed wounds and ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ญ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ from your past, especially childhood. Our nervous systems might be replaying old patterns, reacting to how things felt previously, rather than just the objective reality of today.
When we allow anger to take over without conscious inquiry, it can manifest as resentment, irritability, or constant criticism, both external and internal. This can leave us feeling disempowered, caught in a cycle of making others "wrong" while perhaps overlooking our own deeper, unacknowledged pain.
But my truth is: expressing anger has taken practice. I've had to sit with my own judgments (and others'!) about my anger, and truly feel the guilt that often comes with it. Yet, as I've begun to deeply understand and channel this emotion with intention, it is becoming ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐. It's a natural wellspring of energy guiding me towards courage โ courage to make the changes I often resist, which is why the anger persists.
While not always easy, I see the path ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ข๐ง๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ:
๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: Not for the events that happened, but for how you choose to engage with and respond to this powerful emotion within yourself.
๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: Recognize that your true strength and capacity for conscious choice reside within, allowing you to move from automatic reaction to intentional response.
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ: Anger often serves as a vital messenger, inviting you to compassionately reassess and re-establish the personal lines that protect your safety, identity, and value.
๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐: Understand that others, like us, are shaped by their own unique experiences and limitations. This understanding can free you from the burden of unmet expectations, allowing for more ease.
By truly feeling and understanding your anger, you unlock its potential for resolution. It becomes an invitation to ask for change, to work towards change, and to lovingly yet firmly establish the boundaries essential for your well-being.
๐๐จ๐ง't ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ; like I did, going over and over in my head with stories like, "Why can't they change? Why can't they do this? Why can't they listen?" ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐, ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
:
What is this anger gently inviting you to explore about your past?
What courageous step is it guiding you towards today?