One of the most popular movies of all time is Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The Beast, who used to be a prince or something of that sort, had great difficulty in controlling his manners and his anger.

 Although there was a charming gentleman inside of him who knew the right way to behave, Beast often felt powerless and believed that there was little he could do in regards to his behavior. After all, he was a beast, right?

Eh…not quite.

Many people have a similar problem. They think things like-

“Well, that’s just how I am” or “What problem? I don’t have a problem.”

Why do people do this? Because it’s easier to make excuses about behavior than it is to change behavior. Think about that.

Taming the Beast is no joke. Therefore, before we talk about these 9 keys for mastering your anger, here are a several things you should know:

a) It’s not always the anger that’s the problem; it’s the behavior that accompanies the anger.

Suppression and over expression of anger are two different roads leading to the same destination. Complete suppression can destroy relationships, lead to bad health, and ruin outcomes in similar fashion to over expressing anger.

b) If you have serious anger issues then some of these keys may be difficult to use on your own. If so, you may need to see a coach or a therapist.

c) If you’re reading this with the intention of helping out a child or adolescent, it’ll be helpful if you read Young and Angry, which will be posted soon.

The starting point for mastering your anger is the same starting point for bringing about many types of change. It begins with…              

1. Awareness and acknowledgement

You probably already know that when a person has an addiction or behavioral problem, getting them to acknowledge the problem can be challenging.

Awareness is the foundation of self-empowerment. If a person wants to tame the beast, he must acknowledge that his anger management is something that needs to be addressed.

Recently, I was talking to Chef Tim, a good friend of mine, and he reminded me of a catchy phrase from G.I. Joe: “Knowing is half the battle.”

So, if you are reading this article in order to deal with your own anger issues then kudos to you; you’re half way there.

On the other hand, perhaps you are reading this article with the intention of helping someone else- someone who isn’t aware that his anger needs to be tamed. If so, then it’s a good idea to send him a copy of Blind Spots, an article about developing self-awareness, Emotions and Your Health: Anger or both.

So, what are some telltale signs of an anger problem?

According to a study published by Kassinove, R. Chip Tafrate, PhD, and L. Dundin in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (Vol. 58, No. 12), individuals with high trait anger tend to report more physical aggression, negative verbal responses, drug use, and negative consequences of their anger. They have anger reactions that are more intense, enduring, and occur more frequently.