Untreated anger management can be a risk to your physical health in additional to your psychological health and relationships. Get help today if you can relate to having the traits described in this article.
Source: Anger and Stress Contribute To Coronary Heart Disease — ScienceDaily
We offer anger management at D’Arienzo Psychological Group in an online format as well as in person. We offer court referred and employment referred services. We will speak to your attorney or employer to ensure that you are receiving the anger management service that is required. Our services have been utilized worldwide from the United States to Japan and Australia. Contact us today at 904-379-8094 or at admin@livebetterjax.com
Source: Anger management
Is Anger Management Training Effective? This anger management training article was written by Brett Wallace, UNF Psychology Student, psychology intern at D’Arienzo Psychological Group in Jacksonville, Florida, and future psychologist.We welcome you to read Brett’s article about anger management. Please contact our office at 904-379-8094 for additional assistance.
While whether treatment is effective or not may seem clear cut to most individuals regarding a specific psychological treatment for a specific psychopathology. In practice such simplicity or parsimony does not often exist. In most cases multiple factors lend to a treatment’s effectiveness or to whether a type of psychotherapy inhibits progress, or the psychopathology is composed of many factors that may not be able to be treated all at once. This of course impacts the ease and how simple the therapy can be. In regards to anger management, multiple different factors can come into play from different sources and combinations. This is due to stress coming from a variety of sources. Some sources originating from the clients themselves.
Some factors such as those in prison or anti-social personality disorder impact the ease and effectivenss of therapy. While people with antisocial personality characteristics do benefit from anger management, they seem to be more resistant to it with minor decreases in trait anger, but a decent decrease in state anger (Marshall, Martin, Warfield, Doron-Lamarca, Niles, and Taft, 2010). As a refresher, trait, simply put, is a tendency to be angry. State is a short-term. In short, the participants had an easy time reducing their anger when angry, but the ease to make them angry did not decrease much. While the changes are more gradual, people with anti-social personality characteristic do still improve overall. Individuals that receive long-term therapy do make sizable gains (Wilson, Gandolfi, Dudley, Thomas, Tapp, and Moore, 2013). While noticeable gains were reported for aggressive acts aggressive language did not seem to decrease much at all.
The conclusion from these studies implies that even with the most difficult of clients, anger management techniques will eventually show noticeable improvement. The only area that seems not benefit much at all is the area of aggressive language. While arguably a moot point given improvements to most other areas of anger improved noticeably in the most difficult of clients, aggressive language could easily ensure that problems persist for the client.
References
Marshall, A. D., Martin, K. M., Warfield, G. A., Doron-Lamarca, S., Niles B. L., & Taft, C. T. (2010). The impact of antisocial personality characteristics on anger management treatment for veterans with PTSD. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2(3), 224-231
Wilson, C., Gandolfi, S., Dudley, A., Thomas, B., Tapp, J., & Moore, E. (2013). Evaluation of anger management groups in a high-security hospital. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 23, 356-371
Please contact Dr. Justin D’Arienzo, Florida Licensed Psychologist, or one of our mental health counselors or mental health therapists if you or a loved one needs assistance with anger management. We have two online anger management courses as seen on our site and we offer in person anger management services as well. We can be reached at 904-379-8094. A wide variety of clinical and forensic psychology services are offered at our practice. Call us today!
Basic Anger Management Tools That Work
Dr. D’Arienzo’s Basic Anger Management Tools That Work
Brett Wallace, our UNF Psychology Intern, wrote, Basic Anger Management Tools That Work, to assist you in managing your anger and painful emotional experiences. By reading the article, you will learn about Diaphragmatic Breathing (DB), Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) and Mindfulness. Each tool is discussed with empirically based research confirming that each method is effective in improving your ability to manage your emotions and anger. The article was edited by Dr. Justin D’Arienzo, Licensed Psychologist (Forensic and Clinical Psychologist) and Anger Management Expert.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training: Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a common tool used to decrease stress and aggression. One does PMR when they isolate each muscle group first by contracting or squeezing it for five to ten seconds and then relaxing it for five to ten seconds. One typically begins with the toes and feet and then progressively works up toward the head clenching parts of the face like the jaw and forehead. The entire exercise takes about five minutes. The benefit is that one learns through the exercise how to better identify what parts of the body one clenches when stressed and or identifying when they are stressed by noticing that the body is tightened.
Many theories about why this works exist. One theory involves the use of biofeedback. Biofeedback is when an electronic device is used that measures some type of physiological reaction like galvanic skin response and increased heart rate. An individual’s current mood state affects the body. Stress and anger for example tense the muscles of the body while more positive mood states relax the muscles of the body. Biofeedback teaches one when the body is in a physiological state of a certain mood.
Multiple studies have shown evidence that PMR reduces stress. Nickel, Lahmann, Tritt, Loew, Rother, and Nickel (2005) conducted a study to test the effects PMR had on aggressive adolescents. The results showed that overall there was significant decrease in anger and stress. It should be noted that the entire sample for this study was male.
Rausch, Gramling, and Auerbach (2006) conducted a study to compare single session PMR therapy with meditation and a control group that received no treatment. In their study, the meditation involved repeatedly focusing on a mantra (i.e. a positive or a neutral word or simple syllable or syllables). In their study they found that participants in the meditation and PMR groups did better than the control group in regards to stress and anxiety. One interesting fact to note is that the treatment groups reacted more to new stressful stimuli than the control group but they recovered much quicker.
Another study by Dolbier and Rush (2012) studied the effects of PMR on stressed college students. The results showed that participants that practiced PMR were more relaxed physically and mentally than the control group and had a lower heart rate.
References
Dolbier, C. L. & Rush, T. E. (2012). Efficacy of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation in a high-stress college sample. International Journal of Stress Management, 19, 48-68
Nickel, C., Lahmann, C., Trittz, K., Loew, T. H., Rother, W. K., & Nickel, M. K. (2005. Short communication: Stressed aggressive adolescents benefit from progressive muscle relaxation: A random prospective controlled trial. Stress and Health, 21, 169-175
Rausch, S. M., Gramling, S. E., Auerbach, S. M. (2006). Effects of a single session of large group meditation and progressive muscle relaxation training on stress reduction, reactivity, and recovery. International Journal of Stress Management, 13, 273-290
Diaphragmatic Breathing: The basis for diaphragmatic breathing (DB) mirrors progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) in many ways. Like PMR, DB is a type of relaxation tool. DB focuses on a more specific area, namely an individual’s breathing. When a person is angry, stressed, or anxious they enter a flight or fight state. In this state their muscles tense up and they engage in thoracic breathing which involves rapid breathing with their chest muscles. Diaphragmatic breathing involves deep breaths using a muscle under the lungs called a diaphragm. This breathing also goes under the name deep or abdominal breathing.
A more physiological explanation revolves around the concentration of oxygen in the blood stream compared to carbon dioxide .When an imbalance in favor of oxygen occurs the blood flow to the brain decreases. Also, the act of diaphragmatic breathing causes nerves to send signals to the area of the brain that controls and moderates the heart and lungs. This then causes that area of the brain to force the heart and lungs to act less rapidly. This activates the part of the nervous system that counters the flight-or-fight response. This results in decreased heart rate, blood pressure, and causes a general sense of relaxation (Omoluabi, 1994).
Prinsloo, Derman, Lambert, and Rauch (2013) studied how deep breathing affected the heart rate of participants that had stressed induced. In their study they found that the heart rate of participants in the study decreased. Participants that engaged in deep breathing became less stressed after the second stress induction.
References
Omolaubi, P. F. (1994). Practical steps in learning diaphragmatic breathing: a first-aid technique for reducing sports anxiety. Psychology in Africa, 2, 129-137
Prinsloo, G. E., Derman, W. E., Lambert, M. I., Rauch, H. G. L. (2013). The effects of a single session of short duration biofeedback-induced deep breathing on measures of heart rate variability during laboratory-induced cognitive stress: A pilot study. Applied Psychological Biofeedback, 38, 81-90
Mindfulness: Mindfulness is another effective method that works to manage emotions. It has shown to significantly reduce an individual’s anger. Mindfulness involves non-judgmentally observing the present moment or feeling (Wright, Day, and Howells, 2009). “Feeling” can mean physical sensations as well as thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness is conducted when individuals study either their environment and their sensations or their emotional or anger experience. When focusing on their emotional experience, they focus on each facet of their physical and mental sensation in a purely objective way to gain a better understanding of it.
This leads to one hypothesis on how mindfulness affects anger. By studying anger in detail the individuals can then notice precursors of a potential anger outburst. This then allows one to then take measures to prevent this. Additionally, it also allows individuals to notice triggers that they initially were unaware of and avoid or prepare for them.
A second hypothesis on how mindfulness reduces anger takes a behavioral approach (Wright, Day, and Howells, 2009). One aspect of behaviorism involves negative reinforcement or escape/avoidant reinforcement. Some believe that anger outbursts are escape behaviors. Engaging in mindfulness forces the individual to get used to their anger without reacting to it.
A third hypothesis involves how mindfulness affects rumination. Rumination is defined as constant uncontrollable thoughts that cycle through an individual’s mind, seemingly without end. This can worsen stress, anxiety, depression, and anger (Wright, Day, and Howells, 2009). Borders, Earleywine, and Jajodia’s (2010) study seems to have shown that mindfulness decreases rumination and in effect, aggression in individuals. Unfortunately, the study in question focused on the correlation between the two so it cannot be said that decreased rumination leads to decreased anger.
References
Borders, A., Earleywine, M., & Japodia, A. (2010). Could mindfulness decrease anger, hostility, and aggression by decreasing rumination? Aggressive Behavior, 36, 28-44
Wright, S., Day, a., & Howells, K. (2009) Mindfulness and the treatment of anger problems. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 396-401
If you are interested in pursing additional help with anger management issues contact our Jacksonville, Florida office at 904-379-8094 or find us on the web at https://www.drdarienzo.com and schedule an appointment with one of our anger management specialists. We also offer an Online Four Hour Anger Management Course and an Online Eight Hour Anger Management Course in the event that you have been court ordered to complete online anger management and or this is sufficient for your case.
Licensed Anger Management Specialists
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The Effects of Relationship Problems was written by future Industrial Organizational Psychologist, Brandon Araujo, for the D’Arienzo Psychological Group in August 2014. D’Arienzo Psychological Group is a Jacksonville, Florida based Clinical, Forensic, and Industrial Psychology Practice that is uniquely qualified to assist staffing companies, human resource departments, and small business in providing psychological testing and evaluations to potential employees. D’Arienzo Psychological Group can assist you in selecting the very best employees for the clients you serve or for your business.
Is your work performance being effected by relationship problems? Many people struggle with relationship difficulties that can cause a significant amount of stress. This stress does not only affect the relationship but can also impact one’s ability to perform at work. In today’s work environment stress is becoming one of the largest problems for employers; “A study of personnel today and IRS Employment review found that more than 40% of employees had reported an increase in stress in the last year” (Jehangir et. al, 2011). According to Soares, Jacobs, and Adaramola (2012) these dramatic increases in stress will lead to poorer performance levels in the workplace due to their findings that stress has a strong curvilinear relationship with performance: as stress increases performance increases until a certain point then as stress continues to increase performance begins to decrease. Mirela and Madalina (2011) found that with increased levels of stress in the workplace there were higher reports of accidents that occurred causing a decline in revenue for employers.
Relationship difficulties are just one source of stress that impacts work performance but it is one of the most influential. Chaoping (2013) discovered that employees with a high level of relationship problems “are not able to exert any further psychological and emotional resources than they currently use to perform their tasks at work, making them less likely to develop an affective bond with the organization.” Chaoping also states that relationship conflicts “had a significant impact on work outcomes, including their affective commitment, normative commitment, and task performance.”
Do not let the stigma of seeing a psychologist prevent you from seeking marital therapy or couples counseling. We can help you or your employee get back on their A-Game, resolve their relationship problems, and improve their work performance.
Contact D’Arienzo Psychological Group if you have questions about how we can assist you with employee functioning and or psychological testing, interviewing techniques, or about our other business psychological services. We can be reached at 904-379-8094 or you can find us on the web at www.drdarienzo.com.
Signs of Anger Management was written by future Industrial Organizational Psychologist, Brandon Araujo, for D’Arienzo Psychological Group in June 2014.
Anger management is a term that is frequently tossed around in a joking fashion; there is even a new television sitcom called “Anger Management.” These humor-based ideas of anger management are a dramatic misinterpretation of a very serious problem, which causes those who may actually have an anger control problem to not take it seriously.
Anger is a natural emotion and an instinctive reaction to something we perceive as wrong. This emotion can be either good or bad depending on how it is handled.
Someone who is effective at managing his or her anger does so in calm, controlled, level headed manner. For example, let’s say you become angry with your spouse because they neglect garbage duty for the second night in a row. The correct response to this anger would be to first determine whether or not it’s worth getting angry about; many times people will get angry over things out of their control. Next, simply address the issue with your spouse in a calm and controlled conversation. Some common reactions to the same situation that display a lack of anger management include: passive aggressively neglecting the trash, yelling at your spouse, or even physically expressing your anger with aggressive actions.
Anger management problems have many negative side effects; not just for you, but the people around you as well. Increased levels and poor management of anger can lead to depression, anxiety, heart disease, stress, ulcers, substance abuse, and even cancer. If you experience any of the following forms of anger it may be helpful to take an anger management course or seek the help of a professional.
1) Chronic Anger: Constantly angry, stressed, defensive, and resentful.
2) Explosive Anger: Violent physical or verbal expression of anger.
3) Avoidant Anger: Suppression of one’s anger.
4) Passive Aggressive Anger: Displaying anger in non-direct ways.
5) Rage: Uncontrollable physical and psychological expression of anger.
D’Arienzo Psychological Group offers online anger management classes and individual counseling and consultation for anger management problems. Court ordered anger management evaluations and treatment are also available. Our professionals are experts in the mental health field and are licensed. They are psychologists, social workers, and mental health counselors. Contact us today at 904-379-8094..
See our anger management resources page here.
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The lost jobs, sinking home values and stock market free-fall of the Great Recession led to a significant rise in suicides, according to a new study.
At least 10,000 more Americans and Europeans took their own lives from 2007 to 2010 than during the good economic times of the previous few years, the study found.
“It’s a fairly large and substantial increase over what we would have expected,” said Aaron Reeves, a sociologist and post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford in England, who helped lead the research. “There are, broadly speaking, large mental health implications of the economic crisis that are still being felt by many people.”
Suicide rates didn’t climb evenly. In Sweden and Austria, rates remained flat during the Great Recession, although those nations’ economies struggled as much as others did – suggesting that the link between recession and suicide is not inevitable, said David Stuckler, a professor and health economist at Oxford and the paper’s senior author.
“These economic suicides are avoidable,” he said.
Sweden had strong support for people who lost their jobs or were struggling financially, Stuckler said.
This finding has important implications for policymakers, said Abdulrahman El-Sayed, a doctor and assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City.
“The social welfare aspects of economic downturns like this can’t be ignored,” El-Sayed said. “When our economic belts get a little too tight, we shouldn’t be cutting things that help the average Joe.”
The study showed that men facing financial difficulties are at higher suicide risk than women, probably because society generally expects men – more than women – to be breadwinners. Men are also less likely than women to seek help when they are in trouble, often bottling up their worries, Stuckler said.
Before the Great Recession, suicide rates were falling in most European countries while rising in the USA, Stuckler said, adding that he’s not sure what explains the pre-recession climb.
The study showed that antidepressant prescription rates rose by nearly 20% in the U.K. from 2007 to 2010 – although previous research has found that antidepressant use does not have a major impact on suicide rates.
The common stereotypes of suicide are often wrong, the researchers said. Rather than being long-planned, suicides are often impulsive acts of little forethought, said Matthew Miller, co-director of Harvard University’s Injury Control Research Center. Suicide attempts are equally common in urban and rural areas of the USA, he said, but more likely to succeed in rural areas, where guns are more available.
People who try to commit suicide with a gun are more likely to succeed than people who try by other means, he said: “If you can’t reach for a gun in a moment of crisis, you’re more likely to get a second chance.”
Don’t let financial stress lead to emotional problems. Get help today at D’Arienzo Psychological Group. We offer psychological services to include couples counseling, individual psychotherapy, life coaching, and anger management training.
The Benefits and Effectiveness of Anger Management Training was written by Brett Wallace, University of North Florida Psychology Student and Future Psychologist, for D’Arienzo Psychological Group. D’Arienzo Psychological Group provides anger management training online, in our psychology practice office, or at your place of business.
Anger management therapy has proven to be very beneficial and effective. Therapists often use cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat anger management. Beck and Fernandez (1998) performed a meta-analysis to test the effectiveness of this treatment. A meta-analysis involves the comparison of multiple studies in which the researchers of the study use a formula to standardize the scores. They then compare these scores to see if a treatment method works. The 50 studies used in this meta-analysis covered a wide range of groups such as inmates, abusive spouses/parents, and college students. The results of the study showed that overall people who engage in anger management therapy have significantly less anger than those who do not receive treatment.
Morland et al (2009) conducted a study in which they split a group of veterans suffering from PTSD into two groups. In the first group, veterans got standard care in person. The second group got standard care through video-teleconferencing. The results of their statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups, and that neither treatment was more effective than the other and both showed a significant decrease in the level of anger the participants had. The study also had even distribution of ethnicities. The video-teleconference method proved to be an effective method of treatment which allows people to seek out anger management therapy from therapists, counselors, and psychologists out of state or in a distance location.
Ireland (2004) conducted a study on the benefits of brief anger management therapy on prisoners. A majority of the prisoners in this study were sentenced to prison for a violent act. In their study they split the participants into two groups. One group received the therapy and the other was put on a wait-list. The group sizes for the therapy sessions were ten per session. The therapy involved twelve 1-hour sessions over the course of three days. The results indicated that the therapy was helpful in decreasing the participant’s anger level. This shows that multiple group sessions within a short timeframe may allow for a very time efficient route of therapy. Further research should be done to confirm or disconfirm findings.
Overall, research suggests that anger management in long distance formats, such as video conferencing, online counseling and training, as well as in person formats, are effective methods in treating anger management problems.
Please contact D’Arienzo Psychological Group if you or a loved one needs help with anger management.
References
Beck, R. & Fernandez, E. (1998). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Anger: A Meta-Analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22, 63-74.
Ireland, J.L. (2004). Anger management therapy with young male offenders: An evaluation of treatment outcome. Aggressive Behavior, 30(2), 174-185
Morland, L. A., Greene, C.J., Rosen, C.S., Foy, D., Reilly, P., Shore, J., He, Q., & Frueh, B.C. (2009). Telemedicine for Anger Management Therapy in a Rural Population of Combat Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 71(7), 855-863.
D’Arienzo Psychological Group offers help for Road Rage with our Online Four Hour Anger Management Class, our Eight Hour Anger Management Class, and in person Anger Management Therapy at D’Arienzo Psychological Group. Contact us today at 904-379-8094
When it comes to driving, people can be either lethal or peaceful. Jim punches his BMW’s gas paddle to chase down a careless motorist, risking catastrophe as he hunts down his automotive prey. Sally also encounters cavalier drivers. But her sunny disposition averts anger. She waves texting pedestrians across busy streets. She shrugs when people tailgate her. And she accepts traffic jams as opportunities to catch up on missed podcasts. Why does Jim drive aggressively — and how can we get him to drive like Sally?
Police officers have power and authority. What they lack is the scientific method to help them predict who is at risk for driving aggressively and how to reduce that aggression. Researchers Christine Wickens, Robert Mann, and David Wiesenthal (2013) identify factors that increase driver aggression:
More than 30,000 Americans die each year in vehicle accidents, half due to driver aggression (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2009). Teaching undergraduates about what psychological science contributes in predicting and preventing driver aggression can benefit both intellectual and personal growth. To take this cutting-edge research into the classroom, instructors may consider the following two activities.
The first activity shows that most people think they’re more peaceful than the average person when it comes to driving. First, define driver aggression as any behavior that violates a traffic law or that involves anger expressions that result from hostility toward another motorist (Wickens et al., 2013). Next, have students rank their aggressive driving from 1st (meaning that nearly everyone else has higher driver aggression levels) to 99th (meaning that they have higher driver aggression levels than almost everyone). Instructors then ask students to raise their hands if they are above or below the 50th percentile.
Unless you’re teaching a group of rambunctious drivers, the results should be clear. Most students will rate themselves in the bottom 50th percentile on driver aggression. This relates to the often replicated finding that people believe they’re better than the average Joe or Jane on desirable traits, such as being a good driver. “Mathematically, we could expect about half of the class to raise their hand,” Wickens said, when she asks students whether they’re “above-average drivers.” “But I can assure you that this never happens. Usually, nearly every student raises a hand, demonstrating a regular finding in the literature that we are often over-confident in our driving skills.”
The second activity encourages students to consider cross-cultural differences in driving behavior. Aggressive driving may occur when people do not appreciate cultural differences in driving behavior. Wickens recommends showing an episode of the Discovery Channel television show Don’t Drive Here. Ask students to take the perspective of the host and imagine that they are actually driving in that culture. After watching the episode, instructors may ask students whether driving in that particular culture would frustrate them and why. Why do other cultures have different driving expectations? By making sense of their possible negative reaction, students may be better able to cope with and appreciate cultural differences in driving practices.
Annually, car accidents rob thousands of people of their lives. Most vehicle fatalities occur because of aggressive driving, which underscores the importance of educating students about scientific approaches to predicting and preventing driver aggression. Knowing why people drive aggressively is the first step. Putting that knowledge to work may save lives.
See our anger management blog at http://certifiedonlineangermanagementcourses.com
We specialize in road rage treatment, anger management training and anger management counseling at D’Arienzo Psychological Group. Assessment and Counseling are available for disruptive physicians to disruptive employees, to unruly and angry teenagers. Call us today for help at 904-379-8094. Anger management is available in person and by online anger management counseling.
Online Anger Management Courses 