Letting Go of Anger: The Eleven Most Common Anger Styles and What to Do About Them

A Guide to Healthy Anger Expression

How do you express your anger? Do you blow up? Quietly seethe? Or do you try to pretend that you're really not angry at all and just hope the feelings will go away? Most of us express anger in more than one way, but we also tend to be creatures of habit, falling back on a few predictable styles when we feel angry. Unfortunately, while some styles are appropriate in some situations, others are not—and consistently using an inappropriate style is a sure way to find yourself saddled with a huge anger problem.

This book examines the eleven most common styles of anger expression and helps you learn how to communicate your anger in healthy ways. Learn which anger styles work for different situations—and which ones lead to certain disaster. Find out how to become more flexible and creative at expressing your anger. Once you understand the whole range of anger styles, you'll be able to better manage angry feelings and use your anger as a positive force for building a better life.

Ronald T. Potter-Efron, MSW, PhD, is a psychotherapist in private practice in Eau Claire, WI, who specializes in anger management, mental health counseling, and the treatment of addictions. He is the author of Angry All the Time and Stop the Anger Now and coauthor of The Secret Message of Shame and Anger, Alcoholism, and Addiction.

Patricia S. Potter-Efron, MS, is a clinical psychotherapist at First Things First Counseling Center in Eau Claire, WI. She is coauthor of Letting Go of Shame and The Secret Message of Shame, as well as several professional books on anger and shame.