ANGER MYTH-It is better to let it out.

The article published today [see below], states that it is a myth to "let anger out". This is a traditional technique that is still taught in some anger management courses. However at Cognitive Principle Therapy we have never recommended this technique in the last 10 years.

What we teach is how to subconsciously switch from the Sympathetic Nerve of "fight-flight" to the Parasyspathetic nerve of "calm" This technique can be taught in 20 minutes and reduces anger by 70% within one week. It has been taught to over 2000 clients in the last 10 years.

Mental Health Academy <[email protected]> Busting Common Myths About Anger :Published 27/5/2021

Myth 4: “I shouldn’t hold anger in; it’s better to let it out” (either by venting or catharsis).

Fact: If by “holding it in” someone means that they suppress anger, it’s true; ignoring it won’t make it go away and squashing it down is not a healthy choice. Neither, however, is venting. Blowing up in an aggressive tirade only fuels the fire, reinforcing the problem anger. Ditto the use of pillow-punching or other means of catharsis; this may come as a surprise to therapists trained a few years ago, when catharsis was an anger management technique in good standing. Now researchers have found that, even though we feel better in the moment after hitting something, our brain notices, subtly changing its wiring. Then the next time we are angry it softly whispers, “Hit something; you’ll feel better”. The time after that, the wiring is stronger in the brain towards a hitting catharsis, and the angry-brain-voice speaks a little louder. Continuing in this vein means that eventually, we could decide to hit something more alive than a pillow. Rather than either angry venting or catharsis is the use of skills to manage the angry impulse.