Anger Management

BY: M. Zubair
Assistant Professor KMU
Objectives
By the end of the session learner will be able to
• Define Anger,
• Explains Nature and Anger Components
• Identify the causes of Anger
• List the ways for expressing Anger
• Discuss the Anger Management technique.
Definition of Anger
• Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy,
human emotion. But when it gets out of control and
turns destructive, it can lead to problems.
The Nature of Anger
• Anger is "an emotional state that varies in intensity
from mild irritation to intense fury and rage,"
according to Charles Spielberger, PhD, a
psychologist who specializes in the study of anger.
Anger Components
• Anger has several components :
• Psychological. This is the emotional component of
anger, how a person feel, such as sadness,
disappointment or frustration.
• Physiological. This is how person’s body responds
to anger, such as developing muscle tension or an
increase in heart rate and blood pressure as body
releases adrenaline — the fight-or-flight hormone.
• Cognitive. This is what person think as he/she
experience anger, such as acknowledging that it's
OK to be frustrated.
Causes of Anger
• Anger can be caused by both external and internal
events.
• Could be angry at a specific person (Such as a
coworker or supervisor) or event (a traffic jam, a
canceled flight),
• Could be caused by worrying or brooding about
personal problems. Memories of traumatic or
enraging events can also trigger angry feelings.
Expressing Anger
• The three main approaches are expressing,
suppressing, and calming.
• Expressing angry feelings in an assertive—not
aggressive—manner is the healthiest way to
express anger. To do this, one has to learn how
to make clear what needs are, and how to get
them met, without hurting others. Being
assertive doesn't mean being pushy or
demanding; it means being respectful of
oneself and others.
Suppressing
• Anger can be suppressed, and then converted or
redirected. This happens when person hold in anger,
stop thinking about it, and focus on something
positive. The aim is to inhibit or suppress anger and
convert it into more constructive behavior. The
danger in this type of response is that if it isn't
allowed outward expression, anger can turn inward.

• Anger turned inward may cause hypertension, high

blood pressure, or depression.
Suppressing
• Unexpressed anger can create other problems. It
can lead to pathological expressions of anger, such
as passive-aggressive behavior (getting back at
people indirectly, without telling them why, rather
than confronting them head-on) or a personality
that seems continuously sarcastic and hostile.
• People who are constantly putting others down,
criticizing everything, and making cynical
comments haven't learned how to constructively
express their anger.
 Calming.
• Finally, calm down inside. This means not just
controlling outward behavior, but also controlling
internal responses, taking steps to lower heart rate,
calm down, and let the feelings subside.
Anger Management

• Relaxation
Simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing and
relaxing imagery, can help calm down angry
feelings
Cognitive Restructuring
• Simply put, this means changing the way of think.
Angry people tend to curse, swear, or speak in
highly colorful terms that reflect their inner
thoughts.
• When angry, thinking can get very exaggerated and
overly dramatic. Try replacing these thoughts with
more rational ones.
• For instance, instead of telling yourself, "oh, it's
awful, it's terrible, everything's ruined," tell
yourself, "it's frustrating, and it's understandable
that I'm upset about it, but it's not the end of the
world and getting angry is not going to fix it
anyhow."
Problem Solving
• The best attitude to bring to such a situation, then,
is not to focus on finding the solution, but rather on
how to handle and face the problem.
• Make a plan, and check progress along the way.
Resolve to give it best, but also not to punish if an
answer doesn't come right away.
 Better Communication
Angry people tend to jump to—and act on—
conclusions, and some of those conclusions can be very
inaccurate. The first thing to do if some one in a heated
discussion is slow down and think through responses.
Don't say the first thing that comes into head, but slow
down and think carefully about what to say. At the
same time, listen carefully to what the other person is
saying and take time before answering.
 Using Humor
• "Silly humor" can help defuse rage in a number of
ways. For one thing, it can help get a more balanced
perspective
Changing Environment
• Sometimes it's immediate surroundings that give
cause for irritation and fury.
• Give a break. Make sure you have some "personal
time" scheduled for times of the day that you know
are particularly stressful. One example is the
working mother who has a standing rule that when
she comes home from work, for the first 15 minutes
"nobody talks to Mom unless the house is on fire."
After this brief quiet time, she feels better prepared
to handle demands from her kids without blowing
up at them.
Counseling
• A psychologist or other licensed mental health
professional can work in developing a range of
techniques for changing thinking and behavior.
Assertiveness Training
• It's true that angry people need to learn to become
assertive (rather than aggressive)
A Four-Step Approach for when You
Become Angry
• Stop and “cool down.”
• Determine what it is that is making you angry.
Three ways to do this is it ask yourself:
• “Why am I angry?”
“What do I want?”
“How am I threatened?”
• Check to see if your anger is appropriate. Take
positive action. Most often, this will be in the form
of assertive actions.
 Other Ways to Minimize
Inappropriate Anger
• Timing: If you and your spouse tend to fight when
you discuss things at night—perhaps you're tired, or
distracted, or may be it's just habit—try changing the
times when you talk about important matters so
these talks don't turn into arguments.

• Avoidance: If your child's chaotic room makes you

furious every time you walk by it, shut the door.
Don't make yourself look at what infuriates you.
Don't say, "well, my child should clean up the room
so I won't have to be angry!" That's not the point.
The point is to keep yourself calm.
 Other Ways to Minimize
Inappropriate Anger
• Finding alternatives: If your daily commute
through traffic leaves you in a state of rage and
frustration, give yourself a project—learn or map
out a different route, one that's less congested or
more scenic. Or find another alternative, such as a
bus or commuter train.
 Anger control Assistance
• It is defined as a nursing intervention
aimed at facilitation of the expression of
anger in an adaptive and nonviolent
manner.
Psychiatric Nurse Responsibilities
• Establish Trust and Rapport
• Lean from client what situations are likely to
bring anger
• Encourage the client to let staff know when he
is feeling tension.
• Teach anger management
• If client can not adopt any technique & still out
of control then use Physical Restraints and use
of seclusion ( confining in a single room)
Message
“Anyone can be angry — that is easy, but
to be angry with the right
person, to the right degree, at the right
time, for the right purpose,
and in the right way — this is not easy.”
— Aristotle
 References
• Frisch,N.C. & Frisch,L.E.(1998)
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing delmal
Boston.
• Controlling Anger -- Before It Controls You
© 2008 American Psychological Associatio
n