1. Meagan Camp, Tara Cothran PSYC 645: Group Counseling
ANGER MANAGEMENT
Meagan Camp, Tara Cothran
PSYC 645: Group Counseling

2. Goals of Anger Management
Understand the message behind your anger
Figure out ways to express it in a healthy manner
Find techniques to help control your anger
In anger management, the goal isn’t to learn how to suppress your anger. The goals instead are to help you find the message behind the anger. Sometimes anger can be a cover for other emotions you might be feeling, like embarrassment, shame, or vulnerability. Anger management can help to tease out the differences in the emotions you’re feeling and figure out ways to express them in a healthy manner. Another goal in anger management is to help you figure out ways which help you keep your anger under control. If these goals are met, you’ll not only feel better, you’ll also be more likely to get your needs met, be better able to manage conflict in your life, and strengthen your relationships.

3. Fight or Flight… what is it?
Physiological reaction
Response to perceived harmful event/attack
Can be False Alarms
Sometimes when people start to feel angry, their body enters into what is called fight or flight mode in response to a situation. Fight or flight is a term used to describe a normal physiological reaction that our body has when it is subjected to a perceived harmful event. It is an instinctual response that every animal possess intended to help survival. The body essentially goes into autopilot to either prepare to fight off danger and/or run away from danger. Sometimes this type of reaction can be triggered in situations were it is not needed, where your life isn’t in danger. Your body has learned that those situations are dangerous, even though they aren’t actually life threatening. Overtime, these reactions can be untrained. In these situations, the angrier you get, the more your body goes into overdrive, into this fight or flight system.

4. Warning Signs Knots in your stomach Clenching your hands or jaw
Feeling clammy or flushed
Breathing faster
Headaches
Pacing or needing to walk around
"Seeing red"
Having trouble concentrating
Pounding heart
Tensing your shoulders
Since anger is linked to this physiological system, there can be physical warnings signs which you may not even be aware of. By paying attention to these signals, you can figure out when your anger starts build, and therefore will be able to take steps to manage your anger before it gets out of control. Things like breathing faster, having trouble concentrating, or tensing your shoulders are subtle signs which suggest your body is getting ready to fight or flight.

5. Warning Signs Overgeneralizing Obsessing on “should” and “musts”
Mind Reading
Jumping to conclusions
Collecting Straws
Blaming
In addition to physical signs, there may be common patterns of thought which leads you to anger. These types of thoughts include; overgeneralizing, where everything is always one way or the other, such as "You ALWAYS interrupt me. You NEVER consider my needs. EVERYONE disrepects me. I NEVER get the credit I deserve."
Obsessing on "shoulds" and "musts." Having a rigid view of the way things should or must be and getting angry when reality doesn't line up with this vision.
Mind reading and jumping to conclusions. Assuming you "know" what someone else is thinking or feeling—that he or she intentionally upset you, ignored your wishes, or disrespected you.
Collecting straws. Looking for things to get upset about, usually while overlooking or blowing past anything positive. Letting these small irritations build and build until you reach the "final straw" and explode, often over something relatively minor.
Blaming. When anything bad happens or something goes wrong, it's always someone else's fault. You blame others for the things that happen to you rather than taking responsibility for your own life.

6. Understanding your anger
Self monitoring
Anger log
Daily for 3 weeks
Identify anger-provoking situations
Identify physical and psychological warning signs
Therefore, the next key to managing anger is to figure out where it is coming from. By identifying situations which cause you to get angry and the warning signs surrounding those situations, it will be easier to discover what to do in the moment to help keep anger under control. The process of self-monitoring is a great first step in helping to identify these situations and warning signs. Filling out an anger log daily for three weeks is recommended to identify anger-provoking situations and it will be easier to talk about what to do to help keep that anger under control in those situations. This anger log can be as simple as describing the situation and the level of anger you experienced, to identifying who you were with, the situation, any thoughts you had during that time, and the level of anger felt, along with looking at what happened after the incident.

7. Managing Anger Focus on the physical sensations of anger
Take some deep breaths
Exercise
Use your senses
Stretch or massage areas of tension
Slowly count to ten
Take Five
Here are some quick tips on small steps you can take when you begin to feel the anger build.
Focus on the physical sensations of anger. While it may seem counterintuitive, tuning into the way your body feels when you're angry often lessens the emotional intensity of your anger.
Take some deep breaths. Deep, slow breathing helps counteract rising tension. The key is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible into your lungs.
Exercise. A brisk walk around the block is a great idea. It releases pent-up energy so you can approach the situation with a cooler head.
Use your senses. Take advantage of the relaxing power of your sense of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. You might try listening to music or picturing yourself in a favorite place.
Stretch or massage areas of tension. Roll your shoulders if you are tensing them, for example, or gently massage your neck and scalp.
Slowly count to ten. Focus on the counting to let your rational mind catch up with your feelings. If you still feel out of control by the time you reach ten, start counting again. Take Five; if things get too heated, take a break from the situation and return to it when you have had a chance to cool down,

8. Managing Anger Progressive Muscle Relaxation Cognitive Restructuring
Mindfulness
Problem Solving
Conflict Resolution
Assertiveness skills
Active listening
Here are some more techniques which can be done to help manage anger. Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a technique involving tensing and releasing particular muscles in your body to bring awareness to your muscles and relieve tension, ultimately relieving stress and anxiety.
Cognitive Restructuring is a technique used to help identify irrational/unhelpful thoughts, known as cognitive distortions, dispute and then reframe them.
Mindfulness is a psychological process of bringing attention to your experience occurring in the present moment. The practice originated from Buddhist traditions and are advocated as a way to enlightenment and ending of suffering in some cultures.
Problem Solving; Sometimes anger is in response to very real problems, but not all problems have a solution. Instead of trying to fix the problem, problem solve around how to handle and face the problem. Make a plan, and check your progress along the way. In this, it is important to resolve to give it your best, but also not to punish yourself if an answer doesn't come right away.
Conflict resolution is a critical skill to have in all walks of life. Often times you will have disagreements with others. Learning how to effectively handle tense situations without losing control is an important tool to manage anger. Teaching assertiveness skills while also maintaining active listening are great ways to keep your cool in an argument.

9. Resources
Controlling Anger Before it Controls You – An overview on the origins of excessive anger, tips on coping, and when to seek more help. (American Psychological Association)
What Your Anger May Be Hiding – Explores some of the complicated reasons behind excessive anger, including a need to self soothe, feel powerful, or avoid intimacy. (Psychology Today)
The Cost of Anger – Discover the physical and mental costs of anger and why you may be unwittingly setting yourself up as a victim of your anger. (Pegasus NLP Mind-Body Health Site)
Dealing with the Anger Habit – New ideas on getting a handle on your anger, including a goal of addressing one trigger a week. (Pegasus NLP Mind-Body Health Site)
Here are some other resources you can access on your own to continue learning more about anger management.