Aggressive behavior is basically intended to hurt another person. Although aggression is often associated with physical acts, it can also be verbal as in the case of yelling, screaming and name-calling. The American Psychological Association (APA) says that while you can't prevent feelings of anger, you can change how you respond to maddening events and circumstances. A number of therapeutic avenues exist to help manage aggressive behavior.
Assertiveness Training
Belittling others and making unkind comments is a sign that you are not communicating your feelings of anger in a healthy manner, according to the APA. Expressing your anger in an assertive rather than aggressive manner allows you to clearly state your feelings without hurting someone else. Assertive behavior is respectful of others while aggressive behavior disregards.
While many courses and books on assertiveness are geared toward passive personality types who tend to withhold feelings of anger, they may still provide valuable information on what it means to be assertive.
Anger Management
Managing aggressive behavior includes learning to suppress and redirect your anger, according to the APA. When you hold in your angry feelings, you gain control over what you do with them. Choosing to focus your thoughts on something pleasant may diminish feelings of aggression and lead to more positive and appropriate behavior.
The potential downside of suppressing your angry feelings is that it may keep these feelings bottled up inside and may cause adverse health effects such as depression or high blood pressure.
Managing aggressive behavior can also entail learning to keep your feelings of anger at a moderate level and developing effective problem-solving skills that can put a positive spin on difficult situations, according to the University of Hawaii.
Therapy
A professional therapist may help you discover a number of ways to help control aggressive behavior. Ask a potential psychologist or counselor about his specific approach to anger management and taming aggressive behavior.
As a general rule, a very angry individual can expect to make significant strides after a couple of months of regular psychotherapy, according to the APA.
Relaxation Methods
Practicing relaxation techniques such as muscle-relaxing yoga poses or taking slow, deep breaths can have calming effects on feelings of anger, according to FAQs.com. Repeating quieting words such as "slow down" or "relax" or visualizing a peaceful scene may also help control aggressive behavior.
