When anger sneaks up on you!

[Sharky]

I thought I was doing pretty fine with my emotions about my diagnosis until...

Until I had to call in sick on Monday for something unrelated to my AN, and the assistant manager got snippy with me.

She will not make that mistake again.

[smartinesmir]

Sometimes I also have issues controlling my anger but I really try to be better

[gisselletdean]

I'm new to the forum and I just want to point out that I can relate to how anger can sneak up on you out of nowhere. It's frustrating when someone else's behavior triggers a reaction from you that you weren't expecting. Have you considered talking to a therapist about your emotions related to your diagnosis? They can help you work through any PTSD flashbacks or other triggers that may be causing you to react strongly in certain situations. And if that assistant manager ever tries to snip at you again, just give her the good ol' "not today, Satan" look and move on with your day. Hang in there!

[donjehle]

Thank you, gisselletdean, for posting on the forums and becoming part of our community.  And thanks for your suggestions.  Anger is a natural human emotion, and it is very natural for those of us on the acoustic neuroma journey to become angry and upset over our diagnosis.  And it's easier for that anger to insert itself into other relationships unfairly as a result.  Sometimes we can take things out on those we are closest to because we are upset and angry over what is happening to us.  And yet, we do need to get a handle on our emotions.  And there certainly is no shame in seeking emotional help and therapy to deal with it.  Having a diagnosis like we have can trigger deep emotions.  And just as we seek medical care for our acoustic neuroma, we may want to consider emotional care for the great challenges we face psychologically.  It is certainly not an easy task to try to deal with by ourselves.

Best wishes!
Don

[stevehernes]

I think it is a good idea to talk to someone about your feelings.

[stevehernes]

I’ve also been getting really angry from time to time, and it can be hard to manage those emotions. What genuinely helps me these days is using Omegle and talking to people with different views and life experiences. Hearing how others deal with challenges, or simply having an open conversation with someone new, helps me calm down and see things from a different perspective. It’s a simple outlet, but it’s been surprisingly effective for clearing my head and easing that built-up frustration

[ESH]

I think it is a good idea to talk to someone about your feelings.

I find that writing it down helps. I am not a journal person. I tend to write it down in haikus. Writing helps me with the thinking part of feelings.

But there also are other outlets for anger than words: dance, hammering something, exercise, or my husband's "stomp around outside." They have their place too.

And since at least part of my anger is at the lack of control, doing something creative where I have more control can also help.