Need to Take an Anger Management Class? A Few Things to Know.
Why Should I Take This Class?
The aftermath of an angry outburst can be extremely challenging. Court orders, strained relationships, and a lack of confidence are all possibilities you might be facing. How did you get to this point?
Something happened. Something broke. Someone got hurt.
You lost control.
Anger management is the process of regaining control. The Mayo Clinic has published a list of feelings or circumstances that typify someone who would benefit from a formal anger management class. Do you:
Regularly feel that you have to hold in your anger?
Have persistent negative thinking and focus on negative experiences?
Have constant feelings of irritation, impatience and hostility?
Have frequent arguments with others that escalate frustrations?
Feel like hitting your partner or children or starting fights?
Threats of violence against people or property
Out-of-control or frightening behavior, such as breaking things or driving recklessly
Avoiding situations because of anxiety or depression about anger outbursts
Anger is a normal, healthy emotion; there isn’t anything wrong with experiencing it. But what should you do if you aren’t able to express it appropriately? You could attend a class that teaches the skills you will need to press forward in a more productive way.
The History of Anger Management
The theory of anger management developed in the 1970s. The first reference to the term cited by the Oxford English Dictionary comes in 1975, in the work of US psychologist Raymond Novaco. Novaco developed strategies that were designed to treat both stress and anger as they are sufficiently similar for a feasible, comprehensive treatment plan. Both stress and anger are caused by external stimuli, mediated by internal processing, and expressed in either adaptive or maladaptive forms. Novaco used each aspect of experiencing the relevant emotion as an opportunity for improvement to the patient's overall well-being.
At A.V.Y. Counseling, the anger management class covers a range of topics, including: Learning about why you behave the way that you do, developing strategies for building healthy relationships and learning about the “crisis cycle”.
Class Outcomes
Through anger management, you will learn to recognize indicators that you may lose control. You will learn what actions to take to express your feelings and deal with the situation in a productive way. Anger management doesn't try to keep you from feeling anger or encourage you to hold it in. Anger is a normal, healthy emotion when you know how to express it appropriately — anger management is about learning how to do this.
You might learn anger management skills on your own, using books or other resources but to this point, you haven’t. Perhaps taking an anger management class or seeing a mental health professional is the most effective approach for you.
Difficulties expressing your anger can lead to shame and goals left by the wayside. Completing an anger management course has been shown to be an effective step in remedying those two issues. You will leave the class with a sense of self-worth, and with the confidence to accomplish your goals.