Angry, but 'allergic' to violence

I've noticed plenty of times when I'm angry, but when I think about harming the person who is causing my anger, I feel almost repulsed by the idea or bad about the idea. I know from reading TMS sometimes therapists will have the patient visualize (theoretically) harming the person who is causing there anger for some kind of release. Even when I think about this in my head I feel opposed to it. Does this indicate some extra layer of repression?

 

According to Sarno, your repressed anger is on your subconscious level. When you get anger at your conscious level your cup just get too full. Your "extra layer of depression" might be your subconscious anger, and this could be from whatever happened when you were a child and in your formative years, or past traumatic experiences of abuse, rejection, failure, etc that you repressed at that moment and are still there. Buy a hanging punching back. It is a great exercise and you can think about this repressed conscious anger while you are hitting it. Have you tried journaling? A lot of details from your past might come out during journaling that you are not aware of. And most of that anger while journaling comes out as tears while crying, which is a safer option.

 

I think it is normal to be repulsed by violence, even when it is just visualized. At least I hope it is. The treatment strategy you refer to is a component of ISTDP (intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy) and should be guided by a trained psychotherapist. I don't think it is a self-help strategy, but I could be wrong.

 

Freedom, congratulations for being normal.

Being repulsed by hurting others is how we all should be.

You may consider working on communication skills and constructive methods of expressing anger. Then you will feel empowered and deal with it much better.

I know I had a lot of anger issues toward my abusive father. As I worked on myself, I grew to see him as a wounded child in the body of an old man who had spent his life trying to feel secure by being controlling and violent.

Towards end of his life I was the parent giving him the love and approval he never received as a child.

We actually became very close without him ever having to say I am sorry.