 Experiencing anger is a normal reaction. Expressing anger in a constructive fashion can be helpful to both yourself and others. However, when an expression of anger causes extreme emotions and unhealthy behavior it is important to determine if you have an anger management problem.
Five Anger Warning Signs 1. Losing Control: Responding with verbal and physical aggression that causes others to fear you. When you look back you regret what you said and did. 2. Regular Occurrence: Frustrating circumstances are resulting in almost daily outbursts of anger. The more often you become angry, the more likely anger has become an unhealthy personal habit. 3. Relationships Hurt: If others are uncomfortable confronting you with important issues because of past heated exchanges, your anger has damaged important relationships. 4. Long Periods of Rage: Thinking and continually talking about a frustrating experience. If you find yourself preoccupied with thoughts of vengeance and hate you are not controlling your anger. Your anger is controlling you! 5. Physical Symptoms: After becoming angry you find yourself having headaches, stomach problems and intense physical tension. These are symptoms of stress and can result in serious medical problems. Experiencing the above anger warning signs is an indication you may very well have an anger management problem. Anger is learned. Everyone can obtain the skills to respond in a calm and effective fashion when faced with an anger provoking situation. Short term anger management therapy can help you calm the storm and improve your quality of life. Click here to find out about Associated Behavioral Consultants: Anger Management Group Program
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 Road Rage:
Like alcohol, aggressive thinking and behavior often causes traffic tragedies. The streets and highways lay claim to excess of 38,000 deaths annually. Over one hundred Americans die on the roads daily. Yelling, tailgating and hostile actions behind the wheel are simply life threatening. You can never tell how a confrontation will turn out. Think about it. A moment of rage can lead to a life of regret! As the saying goes; "better safe than sorry". Road Rage is the reason many people end up in trouble with the law and are mandated to take anger management treatment. Healthy Driving: Avoid hassles while arriving to your destination by staying calm and composed. Here is the anger free driving: 1. Expect problems on the road. Impolite drivers and careless motorist are the norm out there. 2. Leave yourself extra time for the trip. Late? Being uptight about being late doesn't change anything except stresses you out. 3. Even if others don't, follow all the rules of the road. Traffic laws exist to protect everyone. 4. Have coping thoughts such as "He must be having a bad day, I will avoid him" or "stay calm: getting angry will not change a thing". Poor coping is personalizing the mistakes of others. 5. Courtesy and kindness lead to calmness and cooperation. Acts of kindness are known to reduce stress and increase feelings of well-being. By helping others you're helping yourself. 6. Forget about conflicts and disappointments. During the trip be mindful of your driving and focus on the road ahead. 7. Avoid distractions of cell phones and other gadgets. 8. Stuck in traffic? Take long deep breaths and focus on sensations of these soothing breaths. Try deep breathing and see how your stress level will drop almost immediately. 9. Be grateful for any positive experiences. Enjoy the scenery or appreciate when traffic is moving smoothly. Mindfulness of positive experiences will make the trip more pleasant 10. Avoid drivers who act aggressive. Allow the angry driver to pass. Follow these directions and arrive at your destination calm and composed. If you continue to get uptight while driving, contact us to discuss how you can make the changes to stay calm each time you drive. Contact Us  Situations which bring us to frustration and provoke anger are challenging. Being disrespected and treated unfairly arouse intense feelings. You can lose control in a split second. Facing provocation is serious stuff. Reviewing your best options and responding effectively can make a difference. Some of us can process the circumstances and problem solve to avoid unhealthy anger while responding effectively. Problem solving is not innate. It is a learned skill. If angry episodes are an issue for you, learning problem solving will help. Once you have tried and applied the problem solving steps it will become second nature. Here are the steps:
 Experiencing anger is a normal reaction. Expressing anger in a constructive fashion can be helpful to both yourself and others. However, when an expression of anger causes extreme emotions and unhealthy behavior it is important to determine if you have an anger management problem.
Five Anger Warning Signs: 1. Losing Control: Responding with physical and verbal aggression that causes others to fear you. When you look back you regret what you said and did. 2. Regular Occurrence: Frustrating circumstances are resulting in almost daily outbursts of anger. The more often you become angry, the more likely anger has become an unhealthy personal habit. 3. Relationships Hurt: If others avoid confronting you with important issues as a result of past heated exchanges, Your anger has harmed essential relationships. 4. Long Periods of Rage: Thinking and talking about a frustrating experience. If you find yourself preoccupied with thoughts of vengeance and hate, You are not controlling your anger. Your anger is controlling you! 5. Physical Symptoms: After angry outburst you have headaches, stomach problems and intense physical tension. These are symptoms of stress and can result in serious medical problems. Experiencing these anger warning signs is an indication you may very well have an anger management problem. Anger is learned. Everyone can develop skills to respond to provocation calmly. Brief anger management therapy will improve the quality of your life.  Understanding Anger The arousal of anger is a normal to the human condition. Nevertheless, anger can be confusing and quite complex. Understanding the negative and positive attributes of anger can lead to effective control and expression of anger. If you are able to regulate your anger you can minimize negativity while maximizing the possibility of positive outcomes.
Being Honest with Yourself about Anger The above comparison illustrates some of the complex and confounding characteristics of anger. Knowing healthy ways of reacting to stressful situations with constructive responses is the key to anger management. Frequent and highly intense angry outbursts is a signal that something is out of balance. Once you realize that you have difficulty controlling anger it is essential to consider some personal changes. Anger Remedies It is possible to commit to personal changes to reduce anger problems while improving coping and communication skills. The following are recommendations to make these changes: 1. If you experience reoccurring anger over daily experiences consider the situation carefully and examine a range of possible solutions. Select the solution which may minimize anger and still get the desired results. This approach requires careful consideration and some creativity. Weighing/exploring the pros and cons of each possible solution may help to determine your best plan of action. Writing down solutions and selecting the most effective solution can be quite helpful. 2. Seek advice from someone who has had similar situation, but remained cool and collected. Remember to ask this person both about internal (thoughts and feelings) and behaviors (how they reacted). Make an effort to use the same thoughts, feelings and behaviors when confronted with the provoking situation. 3 Use guided imagery. When you are settled and alone imagine yourself handling the situation in a calm effective fashion. This type of imagined behavioral rehearsal can help you respond more effectively when the anger arousing situation occurs. 4. Accept that aggravations are a real part of life. Unfortunately, life cannot always be fair. This acceptance will predispose you to provoking situations. By expecting aggravations you will increase your ability to respond calmly. 5. Monitor your stress level. When you identify you are at a higher than normal level of stress, when possible, avoid the situations which trigger your anger. 6. Consider an “attitude adjustment”. Generate positive thoughts about problems. View challenges as an opportunity to grow and learn new ways to resolve difficult situations. In addition, trade in sarcasm for a healthy sense of humor. Remember your attitude is how you view the outside world from the inside. Strive to maintain a healthy and positive attitude. 7. Be assertive when in a confrontation. Use “I” statements such as “I feel upset because”. Focus on the problem more than the other person. Being assertive means listening to the other party, showing understanding/empathy and communicates directly to the point. Pick your battles carefully. Know when to hold them and when to fold them. Sometimes the risks outweigh the benefits of entering into a particular conflict. 8. Stress reduction techniques such as regular exercise, mindful meditation and relaxation training will markedly increase your ability to respond effectively to conflicts. 9. Try expressing gratitude to others for simple day to day interactions. Also maintain a sense of gratitude for life’s small pleasures such as your abilities and minor positive experiences like nice weather or a calm moment. Gratitude has been proven to increase a sense of well-being and serenity. 10. If anger continues to cause personal problems realize that it may be time for professional help. The appropriate professional can guide you to make changes in a relatively short period of time. Surprisingly, learning anger management techniques will promote a dramatic transition form from frustration to effective coping. . Unhealthy anger is a signal something is wrong. If you have repeated episodes of aggression or raw anger you may need help.
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Associated Behavioral Consultants, Inc.
6600 North Lincoln Ave. Suite 312 Lincolnwood, Illinois 60712 847-227-8323 info@abehavioral.com |
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