How Do You Vent?

[safenow]

When your angry, what is a healthy way to vent? I need some new ways to do it. Any suggestions?

 

[Britt.f7]

I have a hard time being angry and I have to be in a safe place if I do get that way. Not that some people don't have a habit of teeing me off.

My therapist told me to rip up a telephone book. To take a bunch of pages and just attempt to rip them. She thought that would help me work through the anger or actually feel it. I haven't tried it yet. I guess because anger symbolizes losing control. Not that I never have. For the most part I try to keep things bundled.

I think some people journal. I did do that when my mom died and I was so angry with her. I also burned some of her old papers that we didn't need and that helped. But I had an outdoor bonfire while I was doing all of that. Plus drinking a little too much which I wouldn't recommend.

 

[Hashi]

Plus drinking a little too much which I wouldn't recommend.

Ahem... understandable but I think that's suppressing rather than venting? I like your other ideas better!!

I have to say that trying to tear thick things actually makes me feel more frustrated, because it's too hard to do. A few pages at a time, which are easily done, is different. Then maybe a whole phone book is good because you can do it a lot before the pages run out.

Writing nasty things and drawing nasty pictures helps me if my anger is directed towards particular people. They meet all sorts of horrible fates on the page. Pressing really hard into the paper and writing/drawing slowly and deliberately is best.

I also adapt nursery rhymes to make them into curses for people I'm angry with.

 

[Britt.f7]

Ahem... understandable but I think that's suppressing rather than venting?

Well, drinking those nights helped me get the anger and tears out. Unfortunately I can't quite read what I wrote. However, my drinking now is definitely in hopes of numbing out things. Two glasses of wine doesn't cut it.

Hey I use to twist the heads off little gummy bears when customers use to get on my nerves, and then ate them. The gummy bears not the customers. :hilarious: I just remembered that.

I think the therapist was hoping I would get frustrated so that I would get the anger out. I think ripping pages into itty bitty pieces might help too.

I like your nursery rhyme idea Hashi! Sometimes little song ditties use to come to mind when I was experiencing something frustrating at work...like Mr. Roger's "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood." Helped me remain a pleasant person in an otherwise tense situation or two.;)

 

[Deleted member 12723]

My son was having a conflict with me. I took two old phonebooks and we tore out pages and made paper balls and threw them at each other.We ended up Laughing our heads off and the living room was full of paper balls. It worked. I usually just journal and whine and complain. Or I write letters that I will never send.

I hope you can find something that will work for you. Hugs.

 

[Sailorgal]

I used to go to the bathroom at work and do a silent scream - ok a little soft "aaaaahhhh" and "tell them off." Nog too loud. People may think I was crazy!

Even now I vent out loud, talking with myself. Quite amusing really. Too scared to tear anything up-I would probably really do some damage. :)

 

[Whitneys story]

I use several methods that work well. My favorite is to mentally project the problem back to the person that sent it. It takes time to learn.

Simple one is to write the name on the bottom of my shoe and go for a walk.

This one is a dilly, write their name on toilet paper, and use it. Of course finishing up with your favorite wipes. The last two were actually from my counselor in the 70's. the first one I came up with after learning meditation.

They all are very validating!

 

[safenow]

I like them all, but that toilet paper thing is hysterical. I love it. Since I'm walking again, I am going to do that one as well. ROFLOL. The job is not done til the paper work is in. Giggle.

How do you project it back?

Thanks everyone

 

[Sailorgal]

**gone off to write certain names on toilet paper in ALL public bathrooms!**

 

[safenow]

ROFLOL@Sailorgal

 

[therapybankrupt]

Be careful not to develop blood poisoning or an infection!:roflmao:

 

[GreenFrog2]

I wish that I could!

I have so much pent up anger and the best that I can do most of the time is to groan with the pain of it.

Sometimes when I am in the car I will scream until I am hoarse, which helps a little! I think next time that I am driving in the country I will write a list of people who I am angry with, and spend some of the drive home screaming my rage out at them.

It so hard to write about my anger because the people that I am most angry with are myself and my parents.