The Stoic philosopher Seneca called anger “short madness.”

What Seneca means is that this emotion has a way of off-lining our sense of self and of reason. Anger can hinder relationships and upend our lives. Most of the time we regret anger, and sometimes it may feel really good. But it’s likely not sustainable. For men, anger is often learned to be an acceptable emotion in place of other unpleasant emotions, like sadness. Sometimes anger is the sense that we’re not being heard. Whatever the reason, anger may be causing you distress.

To learn how to regulate this emotions, I lean on a variety of interventions: Mindfulness can help build calmness and insight. Narrative Therapy can help you develop deeper insight into what’s important to you and why your initial reactions are fueled by anger. Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RODBT) can help foster emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal skills. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help foster flexibility to ride the waves of discomfort while living in accordance with one's values.