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Barry Hart - Dealing with Anger
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Introduction:
Barry Hart of Eastern Mennonite University discusses how best to deal with anger, a natural component of trauma.
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trauma healing, anger
This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).
Dealing with Anger
Batty Hart
Eastern Mennonite University
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Yeah. Anger Release. There is some theory that when we are traumatized
there are blockages of energy and sometimes that blockage comes out in the form
of anger. Then again, anger is normal. How can people have a safe environment
with trusted people? Hopefully their community and political will for healing
take place so that they can release some of this energy and in the process of
releasing it integrate what is actually happened to them. Why. and what they want
to do with it.
Anger is normal. All these responses we have when were traumatized whether it's going inside
of ourselves, unable to focus, raised blood pressure, were wired in really
incredible ways. How we react is based on who we are but there are some similar
reactions that people have to a lot of things. Identifying and helping people
recognize that their anger is normal and even that their desire for revenge is
normal. What has happened identity wise, is that identity has been highly
threatened. Life is no longer predictable. I no longer have my other identities
needs met of being recognized as a equal partner in this relationship or in this
community. I no longer have my human rights and my dignity of my humanity
understood or recognized. So how is it that we can help people acknowledge what has happened to them? Appreciate their response in ways even
though they don't feel good in the moment? Understand that there are ways of
releasing this energy through arts, through crying, through drama, writing,
whatever it might be to help them?
Often because of the relational aspect that
exists in our reality just to connect with them deeply and being present with
them and listening deeply, listen into their pain. Caregivers in these
situations are people that really indeed do care, but in the process they too
absorb some of the trauma from the other person, so they need to know how to
take care of themselves. But all of that needs to be part of an educational
process and again it's not just education. I'll tell you about education in the
broadest sense that can incorporate the knowledge that something has happened to
me, not only psychologically but potentially spiritually. So that knowledge
itself that I glean from and educational approach can help me then deal through
the ceremonies and rituals in my religion for example, potentially in more
creative ways. It's all of this mix and we try then to see the whole picture.
It's not just our trauma, justice, and peace-building picture. It's also
development and civil society and economics and politics and how then we
interface with others that have this particular set of skills and expertise.
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