What is Silent Rage?
Silent rage is a type of anger that a person suppresses without expressing verbally. It may manifest itself as a cold shoulder, scowls or passive-aggressive behavior. People with silent anger tend to keep their emotions inside and allow them to build up until they feel overwhelmed. They might retaliate or avoid communicating with the person who upset them, leading to conflict in their relationships.
People with silent anger are often afraid of hurting others, so they repress their emotions. This can cause resentment and bitterness that they don’t know how to deal with. As a result, they might take it out on those closest to them. This can lead to toxic relationships, but it can also be damaging to their own health and well-being.
There are two main ways that highly sensitive people process their anger. They might ‘externalise’ their anger by expressing it externally through their words and actions, or they might ‘internalise’ their anger by containing it within their psyche and body. This is a natural part of the human experience, but when it becomes extreme and dysfunctional, it can have negative consequences for a person.
For example, if a person ‘externalises’ their anger, they might say things that aren’t appropriate or they might be physically abusive towards another person. They might also use the silent treatment to punish someone or exert control over them, which is a form of emotional abuse. However, if a person ‘internalises’ their anger, they might shut down emotionally or withdraw from their relationships. Keeping silent rage inside can be very harmful to a person’s mental health, and it isn’t a good long-term solution.
The first step in healing silent rage is to work on getting rid of grudges. This includes letting go of hurts from childhood, major losses and unmet needs. The next step is to learn to love yourself. This isn’t easy, but it is crucial for a happy life. You can practice self-love by focusing on the positive aspects of your personality, and by practicing mindfulness.
Finally, it’s important to develop healthy communication skills with those around you. This means learning how to express your feelings in healthy ways, and it also means setting boundaries. For example, you should never discuss your personal issues with co-workers or strangers. You should also stop blaming other people for their behavior and remember that everyone makes mistakes. Finally, you should always be ready to apologize for your own actions. This will help you to maintain a positive and healthy relationship with the people in your life. By following these tips, you can reduce the amount of silent rage in your life and prevent it from spilling over into other areas. Hopefully, you will start to see a difference in your relationships and find the peace that you deserve. Good luck! —Jane Taylor, author and counselor
