Member-only story
Boundaries and Anger
Recognizing and Defending Your Boundaries
Anger is a natural consequence of living through childhood trauma, the leading cause of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. As children, many survivors were hurt by people who needed to care for them but didn’t and used them for their purposes.
One of the most dynamic causes of anger in survivors is the missing or the lack of setting and maintenance of appropriate boundaries. This article will examine boundaries and how anger explodes on the scene when they are not respected.
What are Boundaries?
A boundary is a line that separates us from one another. Boundaries separate us in physical space, our feelings, our needs, and our responsibilities from other people. Boundaries are also what tell others how they can and cannot treat you. Without healthy boundaries, people can’t tell where you end, and they begin and sets you up for being used.
Healthy people will respond to someone crossing their boundaries by providing feedback to the other person, saying it isn’t okay, as boundaries are worthless unless you enforce them.
Some people will respond well and accept a boundary, but others will challenge your boundaries in an attempt to control you and your actions.
