What do you do when you want to punch something or someone?

(Bad divorce meeting)

I don’t remember ever wanting to punch someone. Hit, hope they walk in front of a bus, scream at them, all those, but I never think to roll up my fist, but I assume you are using punch as a catch all. I have never had the urge to take my anger out in any way on a thing.

Usually I wind up in tears eventually. My anger usually stems from feeling hurt or feeling I was treated unfairly. The injustice or my dissappointment in humanity or a specific person breaks my heart and is very difficult for me to accept.

Edit: Just saw your post above. Sorry :(. Feeling enraged is totally understandable.

I don’t think I’ve ever truly wanted to punch someone or something. I’m not a violent person at all. I either internalize my anger or yell it out, depending on why I’m upset.

My step-father had an anger problem when I was growing up. He was never abusive to my mom or us kids, but he punched a lot of walls and broke a lot of phones. I thought, and still think, that behavior like that is so stupid and I could never be with a man that did shit like that. When my husband is mad, he gets really quiet and just broods for awhile. He once punched the windshield of his truck when it broke down on him and ended up cracking the glass. Never did anything like that again.

When I get extremely angry I hit fluff my pillows.

I’m glad I haven’t been this angry in a long time. I’m sorry @janbb. <hug>

When I was younger it was tough for me to control my temper, as I get older I feel I have conditioned myself to relieve the consequences in my mind, as a result when I do have the urge to the above mentioned I walk away, over the last year I started MMA training but had it postponed due to some other things I had to do at that time.

I attack myself. Though not recommended. From the little I know of you, and of your situation, I would say you are doing better than he is. You have come out of a shitty situation, that he caused, and you are happy with your lot. I bet he isn’t, not properly. You should have crumbled, but you rose above it and him. I’m proud of how you are coping.

Thanks @Headhurts !

I cuss like a sailor and take off running or walking.

Nowadays, I generally try to dissociate. And I must be doing pretty well, because almost no one knows that I’m alive.

Not worth it. Having been arrested for such, I just do as @CWOTUS suggests. I am very lucky I am not serving a long term somewhere.

The only punching I do is with words.

I ball my arms in a fist and punch the imaginary person as if I was pummeling them down to the ground while saying, “Take that!”

I just got back from the gym after letting off some steam and I feel a thousand times better. Although I wasn’t angry to the point of wanting to punch someone/something, I was pretty darn upset with the person. The situation itself still hasn’t changed, but working out helped me put things into perspective and, consequently, I feel better equipped to deal with my thoughts…at least for now, until I need to run to the gym again. ;)

High impact aerobics, in bed.

I walk hard.

These days that’s a problem because of my lingering foot injury, and sometimes I’m lame for several days afterward. But it still seems to dissipate the negative energy better than other remedies.

When I can’t go anywhere, a high-volume playing of certain loud, crashing musical selections behind a closed door helps some. Those would include Wagner, Orff, and some less lyrical Verdi choruses.

@Jeruba Walking hard usually helps me too but right now I’d really rather punch someone. I broke something last night which is very unlike me.

When I was younger, I punched a brick wall. Don’t do that. I’ve also kicked a hole in a wall and broken something I really cared about. Thankfully, I’m slightly more in control of myself now, but I will still occasionally throw things when I’m good and pissed. Try to pick things that won’t break!

I’m sorry, @janbb. When I’ve been that angry, I haven’t known what to do either. Repeating a sort of mantra to myself—silently or even aloud—has sometimes taken the edge off, slightly, maybe as much as half of one percent.

@Jeruba like “shithead, shithead, shithead’?

Well, that’d be one. Maybe not what I had in mind, but if it helps…actually, there was that one time…

Drive home very carefully. Have a stiff drink. Lie down on the bed and cry while I beat my pillow with my fists. Fall asleep. Wake up and have a long shower. Decide whether to go back to sleep or not. If not, walk angrily until I do feel like going back to sleep. Repeat until exhausted.

Write about it in my notebook or think in my head all the stuff I want to do to them when they piss me off, I keep that part to myself though.

Well, talking it out with my best friend helped a lot tonight!

Intense exercise or listening to very loud rock music.

When I get that mad, I cry. I always hated myself for it too. Then after the fact, I have the wittiest things that I wish I had said. But, yes, I cry.

I ll punch my doll

Try to get distracted from the situation and breathe and calm down. Avoid contact with people also helps a lot.