I have spent the majority of my life in various states of anger. For the first thirty years, this anger was mainly turned inward. I didn’t have permission to express anger in my home. The retaliation might have killed me. In addition, society had taught me that it was inappropriate for girls to outwardly express anger. Instead, I just let my anger eat away at me from the inside. This anger manifested in physical diseases. I was sick most of my childhood and early adulthood. But it also caused me to hate myself. I had a deep self-hatred which triggered chronic anxiety. There was no way for me to relax and enjoy myself, or even better, create a life of joy and meaning. There was always an inner voice telling me I wasn’t good enough.
Once I started my recovery, the anger started flowing out in waves. It was so intense that it would be better described as rage. I was scared of it at first. I had seen rage in my childhood and it was usually directed at me. Plus, I had come to the conclusion that anger was bad … all the time. This is what I had been taught. But through my therapy, I learned to accept my anger, and even come to enjoy it a little too much. It seemed powerful to me at the time because I had been powerless for so long. I plotted my parents’ deaths. I visualized a killing spree of every abuser in my life. I fantasized about putting them in prison. I thought of all the statements I would say at their sentencing. I even contemplated their struggles in life after death, and I looked forward to it. I am not ashamed of this anger. It is a normal part of a recovery process.
Although I have moved beyond the need to express rage about my past, anger still shows up in my house. Sometimes, it manifests for the right reasons and sometimes it’s just there. My children have been expressing some aggression toward each other in the past few days. There are so many reasons for that. They are ready for school. They are sick of each other and want to see their friends again. They are spending too much time with electronics. The full moon is almost here. I could go on.
This morning, there was an incident. I can’t remember the specifics, but someone wasn’t doing what the other wanted. One child was mad and very tempted to use physical means of getting the other child to do what they wanted. I looked at that child and said, “Just walk away. Go to your own room and find something to do. You can’t force anyone to do what you want if they have no interest.”
As I walked back to my room, I realized, that I had just given the advice that I needed to hear the most (as is often the case with my two little mirrors). Why am I still having a tantrum? Why am I still trying to energetically force my parents to do what they will never do … apologize? Am I going to hang on to my anger forever while I wait for them to do the right thing? Or am I going to walk away? Am I going to be free?
Some might refer to this as forgiveness or letting go. I struggle with these terms because they are overused. Anytime something is overused, it starts to lose its meaning. I also have a problem with the meaning that has been placed on the term forgiveness in religious circles. Some have implied that we have to make amends with a person to forgive them. Some have implied that we have to allow them in to our lives again and attempt some form of relationship. None of this is appropriate for a sexual violence survivor.
I know this sounds cliché, but I believe everyone is allowed a fresh start. Everyone is allowed to walk away from a past that did not support their sense of self, so that they can find their ultimate purpose. The power is not in the anger about the past. The power is in leaving the past behind.
So I will walk away. I will no longer wait in anger for my abusers to do the right thing. I will no longer pin my hopes on prison time or a karmic accident as a form of revenge. I will consider this phase of my life complete. I will live my life without the chains of my anger about the past. I was a slave. But I am not anymore.
I think it was hard for me to see that I could be angry and not hurt anyone.
Yes! I was the same way for a long time. I had no idea that there was good anger … appropriate anger.
I guess the hurdle is that anger does typically make you want to hurt other people, at least in the moment. But there is such a thing as self-control. And you can exercise that self-control without suppressing the anger entirely.
Absolutely. My favorite anger expression is writing these days (not surprisingly). When it was really bad, I used to scream in my car.
I can relate to all of this. I’ve experienced the tips of anger, and it scares me. I know it’s a good thing though and part of the healing process. I come from a religious background and more oft than not that’s just what it is religious and that’s not how I see “Christianity” It’s supposed to be loving, not quoting religious stuff to hurting people. I’ve walked away from my so called “Christian” abusive family as they are toxic, and I don’t have to put up with that. 🙂
Completely understand all of that. I am still a Christian but very loosely. I call it the “Elisabeth” religion. It works for me because I have the freedom to believe what I want to believe, so I don’t feel controlled by it. Religion can often be interpreted “conveniently” for the benefits of those in leadership roles in churches or in homes.
Yes I’m a Christian too, but broken free of the religiousness and rules of humans! xo
Forgiveness is a mine field for me.
The point I reached was I let my father answer for his actions without judgment from me, then I needed to answer for my life, my actions.
It let the past fade without attention and my life was open to pursue opportunity again.
Exactly. That’s a great way to describe it.
Anyone can become angry — that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not easy. — ARISTOTLE
I love that. That is right on. I find that my children are great examples of that. Granted … they can get angry for some very petty stuff by adult standards, but they are real about it. They don’t hold back their anger because society tells them to (not yet). I am learning from them.
my ego desires to have a quote that lives beyond me like these.
Well I let it pass because what good is it anyway but to flog my ego of my importance.
I am happier when I feel my importance is an illusion.
I think most people have this desire. It is that need for immortality … for life after death but on this Earth plane. I think it is a human thing.
Yes, but placed in proper perspective, it is fine to take action, exert effort, just know approval is not happiness or a replacement for it.
I accept and let importance fade and come back to now and live
I found anger is a choice most of the time, expressing it I mean.
I found that meditating have me a space, a small amount of time to grasp it or let it fade. Most of my anger was not healthy.
Meditating and leaning in to the anger is a great approach. I have done that also. I think there are so many positive ways to address it without ignoring it or acting out at others.
Ok, is this not how we run our blogs, this discussion sparked a post about anger, it is beautiful to share with one who takes action and can speak of the journey of healing.
http://ptsdawayout.com/2013/08/18/anger-rage-impacts-ptsd/
Enquiring minds want to know
Hahahaha
Sorry this is how we run our blogs
Yes! Mindfulness is the key to expressing emotions appropriately. I like your article.
YOU are a courageous woman with an amazing spirit. You freed yourself from the chains of bondage, and you are a blessing to those who seek and wish the same.
Thank you so much!!
I made the difficult choice to walk away from my biological mother. I knew I had no choice when she was starting to emotionally impact my children in a negative way. For some reason, I was okay with her hurting me, because I understood her. I knew why she was doing it, and that it had nothing to really do with me, personally. However, my children couldn’t know that, and I was not willing to have them ever feel less than, like I was made to feel growing up.
Thank you for writing this, and I’ll be sharing it with my Phoenix Gathering tribe of survivors, so that they can see that they aren’t alone on this topic.
Love and Light to you,
Heather Durling
Thank you so much for the comment and the sharing. I initially walked away for the exact same reason. I refused to let them hurt my children in any way.