[orange_joe]

I don't really know the origin of your trauma, but I was the victim of domestic violence. It caused a lot of anger in me, and that anger would just swell at essentially random moments if my mind drifted. When I'd get angry, I'd dwell on it and that would make me even more angry. this became a horrible positive feedback loop. I then started to try and consciously break that loop by preforming a ritual if I noticed my anger. I would rubbing my thumb and index finger together and pray the Hail Mary ten times. If I was still angry, I'd continue. Rubbing my fingers together gave me a sense of tactical focus where I'd feel the ridges of my fingerprint, praying the Hail Mary gave my mind focus, and through that I would let the anger fall away. I understand not everyone is religious, but the act of praying the Hail Mary is one that requires a small amount of focus, but not overly burdensome in the moment (think a small poem). I found this technique to be instrumental in breaking those mental loops of anger by allowing my mind to calm and re-adjust. By breaking those mental loops, I was able to let go of my anger episodes within 6-9 months. I'm still upset by what happened, but I don't let my anger and emotions rule me. I think you could try this if you feel yourself being overrun by these negative emotions.