You have a tiny volcano inside you. Sometimes it gets hot because someone shook your values, but sometimes it pops because you’re tired or sad and don’t know how to say it. To keep the volcano from exploding, you have to learn to talk to the “lava” and tell it to turn into cool, bubbly water instead.
Why This Happens: Anger is often a “secondary response” to an underlying feeling you haven’t identified. Your body’s “engine” is designed for survival, and it uses anger as a fast way to protect you from perceived threats. If you rely on “untrained learnings” from childhood, you might use anger to hide your true feelings of being scared or lonely.
How to Fix It: When you “catch” the angry feeling starting, mentally shout “STOP!” and picture a big red stop sign. Immediately replace it with a picture of a time you felt cool, calm, and in control, and tell yourself that you are safe.
Context: Sigmund Freud viewed such symptoms as symbolic ways of dealing with “intrapsychic conflict”.
