Does it seem like everyone has a short fuse lately? You’re not alone. Northern Virginia psychiatrist Asha Patton-Smith, MD, spoke with Northern Virginia Magazine about how parents and kids can regulate feelings of anger.
“It does seem that people are more irritable or prone to anger,” Dr. Patton-Smith said. “When we’re looking at this current climate — lingering effects of the pandemic, ongoing stressful events that we hear about on a regular basis — there are some reasons why we would be seeing that more people are either angry or prone to anger.”
But anger is not necessarily a bad thing, Dr. Patton-Smith explained.
“It serves the purpose of protecting boundaries and protecting against injury. But when it’s persistent, and when it leads to aggression, or continued anger and irritability, that’s where we get into issues,” she said.
To combat feelings of anger, Dr. Patton-Smith suggested taking deep, calming breaths. It can help regulate the part of the brain that responds to anger.
“Trying to take a break or take some calming breaths can really reset things so that the portion of the brain that we want to react is able to appropriately react,” Dr. Patton-Smith said.
For children who are experiencing feelings of anger, Dr. Patton-Smith encouraged parents to create as much structure as possible around the house.
“If we have a household or work situation, or school situation, that just seems kind of uncertain with no kind of stop or start, that can increase anxiety and precipitate the brain telling us something’s a little off here,” she said. “It can also cause angry outbursts.”