{"id":9782,"date":"2026-02-13T07:55:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T07:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/?post_type=artikelen&p=9782"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:05:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:05:42","slug":"the-power-of-anger","status":"publish","type":"artikelen","link":"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/en\/artikelen\/de-kracht-van-boosheid\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of anger"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As a result of trauma, feeling and expressing anger can be extremely difficult, Auke Smit, holistic visual artist and anthropologist, knows from personal experience. At the same time, feeling angry in a healthy and safe way (through)expression is also an important part of processing. In her blog, she shares tips for working with your anger.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Anger is a painful, powerful, and complex emotion. When it overwhelms us, we often want to push it away, ignore it, or forget about it. But in its purest form, it is also a healing emotion: a call to self-respect that makes us aware of our limits.<\/p>

In my personal journey of processing (complex) trauma, feeling and expressing anger is still quite difficult. And that\u2019s not surprising. Many people with early childhood trauma<\/a> of childhood trauma<\/a> They have experienced anger up close and have learned that it is a dangerous emotion. Because of this, they may also have difficulty distinguishing between healthy assertiveness and aggression at a later age. Setting healthy boundaries then evokes feelings of guilt and shame.<\/p>

Suppressing anger<\/h2>

Even when physical or verbal violence is not part of your trauma history, for many people who grew up in families where it was not acceptable or safe to express feelings, it has become second nature to suppress their anger. If you have learned that expressing anger leads to rejection and loss of attachment, you grow up into an adult who cannot say no and cannot adequately protect or communicate their boundaries.<\/p>

And even though you have a lot of trouble expressing your anger, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not there. It means that you are suppressing your anger. And you have probably become so skilled at suppressing it that you don\u2019t even realize you\u2019re doing it. The anger is suppressed so quickly that you don\u2019t even have the chance to register it.<\/p>

What happens to your anger?<\/h2>

Anger, like any emotion that is not resolved, changes and becomes more intense in another form. Here are some signs that may indicate hidden anger:<\/span><\/p>