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Anger Management

Anger

ANGER is merely a SYMPTOM of many other aspects of an individuals’ life that is out of balance. 

Inappropriate, Uncontrolled Anger can cause abuse in relationships, domestic violence, serious legal issues and health problems

Myths and Facts about Anger

Myths: Only some people feel angry.

Fact: Women, men and children feel angry.  
 

Myth: Sometimes people get angry without any reason.

Fact: The reason may not be obvious but with exploration and self-awareness people can understand the factors that resulted in anger.

 

Myth: Angry people cannot be controlled.

Fact:  Feeling angry is normal. When anger is not understood and expressed in a healthy way people may respond with harmful behavior. People can choose to respond in a healthy way in the face of anger.

 

Myth: Angry people do not care about other people

Fact: Anger is a normal emotion. People cannot be classified as angry or not angry.  Often caring about another person’s feelings and being unable to communicate appropriately results in frustrations that build up to anger and rage. 

 

Myth: Anger is a bad emotion

Fact: Anger is an emotion that indicates that something is out of balance in an individual’s life and can motivate an individual to explore and implement changes that can be beneficial to themselves.


Myth: Angry people hurt other people and do not feel hurt.

Fact: Anger hurts the individuals experiencing anger equally if not more than the other person. Angry behavior results in unmet needs, increasing feelings of frustration. Unresolved anger has been associated with in high blood pressure, severe headaches, and chronic heart disease and is physically harmful to an individual.

What may be the cause of Anger

The way an individual perceives themselves, others and their environment can sometimes affect their emotional sate. Environmental, life stressors, and genetic factors can cause an imbalance in neurochemicals in the brain. These imbalances manifest in sudden changing moods and/or changes in perception and/or depression. Just as fatigue is a symptom of diabetes, irritability and anger may be a symptom of depressive disorder.

Relationship of Anger to Physical Health

Anger is related to:

  • More frequent headaches

  • More frequent muscle aches (shoulder, stomach, neck and back)

  • More sensitivity to pain

  • Higher likelihood to eat more fatty foods and smoke more

  • Higher likelihood of cardiac problems (high cholesterol and blood pressure), diabetes and cancer

  • Longer periods of recovery from wounds and infections

  • Shorter life span

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If you are struggling with anger issues you probably have experienced at least one of the above mentioned physical problems.

Treatment of Anger

For treatment to work YOU HAVE TO WANT A BETTER WAY OF LIVING. You need to admit to yourself that inappropriate anger is a source of pain for you.

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You need to be willing to explore, understand yourself better and learn new ways of coping with difficulties in your life,    

 

In the treatment of the symptom of anger I focus on helping the client become aware of the influences of the body, the family and the society on himself/herself and the choices they make in reacting to these influences. It is my hope that through the process of treatment clients’ can explore and learn alternate ways of expressing their anger and address other issues underlying the anger or angry behavior.

Topics Covered in Treatment

Developing Nonabusive Relationships

            Abuse and Its Consequences

            Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships

 

Understanding and Managing Difficult Situations and Your Reactions to Them

            Identifying and Describing Difficult Situations

            The Experience of Anger

            How to Cool Down

            Taking a Time-out

            Using Relaxation Techniques to Cool Down

 

Communication and Conflict Resolution

            Effective Communication

            Active Listening

            Expressing Anger and other emotions

            Assertiveness

            Negotiation and Compromise

            Problem-Solving

 

Factors Contributing to Violence, Abuse, and Anger

            Anger-Producing Thoughts/Anger Themes

            Effects of Stress on Relationships/Managing Stress

            Effects of Substance Use/Abuse of Relationships

            Effects of Childhood Experiences and Parenting on Relationships

To complete some sample exercises that are used in treatment Click here

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