Is Anger Management Treatment Effective?

Anger management is effective if a person is willing to change and make efforts when receiving help. Anger management is for those whose anger gets out of control and destructive to themselves or to others. Getting help and managing anger can greatly impact an individual’s overall quality of life.

Anger management helps reduce an individual’s negative feelings and outbursts towards certain triggers, such as a specific person, event, memory or personal setback. In anger management the therapist or psychologist will need to find out what triggers an individual’s anger, and then develop strategies to keep those triggers from becoming harmful. Different therapeutic strategies in anger management include:  relaxation, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, better communication, using humor and changing the environment (APA, 2016).

In each of the strategies the goal is to teach an individual how to respond and avoid angry triggers in a controlled way. It usually takes an individual 10 weeks to three months to learn these strategies (Castella, 2013). A person must be aware of their anger and use these strategies when they feel their anger emerging. Also thinking before acting out can save a person from many regrets. This is why planning and rehearsing for events that trigger anger are so important.

Anger is associated with serious harm. In the worst case scenario, homicides may result (Fives, Kong & Fuller, 2011). If an individual’s life is falling apart because of anger, they need to get help to avoid hurting themselves or others around them. The individual dealing with anger issues must realize their faults and overcome them in a controlled, meaningful manner. Learning from past experiences can help the individual handle a situation differently the next time it occurs.

If you are interested in receiving in person or electronic therapeutic services for anger management, we can help. We also provide four-hour and eight-hour anger management courses that meet the requirements for Level 1 and Level 2 Anger Management respectively. Contact our Jacksonville, Florida office at 904-379-8094 or through this website.

References

APA. (2016). Controlling anger before it controls you.             http://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control.aspx

Castella, T. (2013). Luis Suarez: Does anger management actually work?             http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22264123

Fives, C.J., Kong, G., & Fuller, J.R. (2011). Anger, aggression, and irrational beliefs in adolescents.            Cognitive Therapy Research,35:199-208.

Article was written by Ashley Pisciottano, UNF Student and our Psychology Intern in May 2017.