Anger is a natural emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. It helps us to survive and protect ourselves from situations or people that we perceive as unfair or harmful. It has a great range, from mildly irritated to full of rage. When the anger gets out of control it can be irrational and make us do unreasonable things. Some of us witness this during long commutes. There will be the drivers that might tap their horn if someone is not driving safely, or the ones that will honk, get in the other drivers face by yelling and screaming and cut them off, ultimately causing more hostility and danger. If your behavior has led you to legal trouble, if you have been violent towards your loved ones, or if you are walking around chronically angry and are ready to make a change, you may need anger management therapy. By learning how to recognize what makes you angry and learn to control your feelings, you can gain power and understanding over your negative responses for more positive results.
There are many benefits to getting some anger management training. Most programs are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy. Individuals learn to use coping skills to approach stress and anger by becoming aware of their triggers, learning relaxation techniques, learning how to be more assertive in a good way, increasing empathy and emotional intelligence and changing the way the way think about things. If you happen to get involved with the law, this is the type of program the court will mandate. Just recently, Kanye West was ordered to take a 24-session anger management class in response to his battery charge towards paparazzi.
Do you know when you are angry or are building towards a blow-up? Many people let the emotions overtake them without any awareness of how they are responding. Instead of taking deep breaths and walking away from provocation, they begin to feel helpless and unable to make proper decisions under the weight of the stress and just lose it. Some typical behaviors include clenched fists, shallow breathing, increased heart rate, trembling or shaking, sweaty palms, pacing and talking louder. Some people lose their sense of humor, start talking quickly and even turn red. This loss of control can escalate over time leading to damage to close relationships, problems at work or even violence.
Once you identify these cues, anger management training helps individuals to learn to reframe the situation and respond in a more well-balanced and effective manner. For example, if you are rear ended by another driver, it’s frustrating, but telling yourself to relax, it’s only a car and you can handle this, will help you more effectively communicate with the other driver to resolve the situation.
By modifying your reactions, most people leave a good anger management training experience with improved quality of life. They see improved social skills, less outbursts, less incidences of harm to themselves or others and an overall higher level of functioning. Quality anger management classes are available in-person as well as online for a more private experience.