ANGER MANAGEMENT Meagan Camp Tara Cothran PSYC 645

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

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

Fight or Flight… what is it? • Physiological reaction • Response to perceived harmful event/attack • Can be False Alarms

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

Warning Signs • • • Overgeneralizing Obsessing on “should” and “musts” Mind Reading Jumping to conclusions Collecting Straws Blaming

Understanding your anger • Self monitoring • Anger log • Daily for 3 weeks • Identify anger-provoking situations • Identify physical and psychological warning signs

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

Managing Anger • • • Progressive Muscle Relaxation Cognitive Restructuring Mindfulness Problem Solving Conflict Resolution • Assertiveness skills • Active listening

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)