Do you have anger management issues?  Most people do.  It seems as if every day we hear another report of someone doing something terrible as a result of losing their temper; it might be an incident of violence on a sporting field or some type of domestic violence, but whatever it is anger management issues seem to be at the root of many of these incidents.  So if you have a hard time controlling your temper you're not alone.  However this doesn't mean that you should just ignore the problem or assume that because many people are losing their tempers then it's okay to lose yours.  When left unchecked anger and temper can cause harm to you physically and emotionally and great harm to those around you. So what are some common anger management issues that people are dealing with and how can you overcome them?  Let's cover a few here.

A sense of entitlement is one of those common anger management issues that often gets in the way of an appropriate reaction to stressors and other circumstances.  When something happens that you deem is unfair or that you see as putting you at a disadvantage, you may get angry simply because you feel you deserve so much more.  You may also have a tendency to "keep score," that is, to always compare your situation to someone else's and see that they have more material things, earn more money, go on more vacations, drive a better car, and so on.  You feel entitled to those same things and so allow this type of thinking to become one of your anger management issues.  If you constantly tell yourself that you deserve so much more, of course you're going to be constantly angry.  It helps to have a more modest and reasonable opinion of yourself and your circumstances.  Concentrate on what you do have and remind yourself of the many people that have so much less than you.

Other anger management issues include dwelling on past issues and problems.  You may find yourself reliving certain conversations or other circumstances that were unpleasant or traumatizing at the time, and then find yourself getting angry again and again.  It's difficult to shut those things off but if you make a conscious effort to do so, you may find that you can shut down those voices and scenes from the past.  It also helps with these anger management issues to replace those thoughts with something positive.  When you notice yourself reliving those past events, immediately replace those thoughts with a positive one as if you're changing a television channel. 

You can also deal with these types of anger management issues by making new, positive memories.  Take the initiative to plan times with friends and family or do some volunteer work.  This too takes work but sometimes just making the effort can make you feel better.  Try these methods to address your own anger management issues and you may find that you have much better self-control.