Anger Management and Knowing When to Walk Away

Has anger ever gotten the better of you? Have you ever felt so angry that you just did not know how to communicate with whomever you are having the argument with? Once you have reached your boiling point, the best way to deal with the situation, at least for the moment, is to stop arguing and just walk away. It can be hard to walk away, but it is the only responsible thing to do when you realize that your anger has overcome your reason. Part of being responsible includes being sensitive to our own needs and feelings as well as to the future maintenance of a relationship. We must learn to know when our emotions become too intense for us to deal with in the moment and we must know how and when to "withdraw" in a healthy manner by walking away. I'm not talking about an "emotional withdrawal", where you shut down and try to act as if everything is just fine when you know it is not. I'm talking about totally removing yourself physically from the situation without the need to be "right" or to "win" the argument. When your temper has been raised to the limits, you will not even make any sense, let alone convince anyone of your point in an argument. Here are some example situations that would be considered a good time to drop your ego and remove yourself from the situation. 1. If you cannot think straight or your point is just not getting across to the other person, then it is time to walk away. 2. If you cannot stop crying or yelling, then the best thing you can do is remove yourself from the argument. This is especially good advice if you cannot stop blaming the other person, arguing, and attacking them for things that have nothing at all to do with the original argument. 3. If there is any type of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse that is happening, then you obviously need to remove yourself and perhaps permanently. You need to realize that generally things will only get worse before they get better. By withdrawing in a positive manner, before it all begins to get even worse, you can prevent further pain and anger in the situation.