Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Anger Management Activities for Teens

The teenage years can be difficult. They have so much to cope with, including changes to their bodies, along with huge leaps in their mental and cognitive abilities. Unfortunately, their emotions have a tough time dealing with it all, and they frequently express themselves in ways that an adult considers inappropriate. This is a hard thing for parents to deal with. Their kids are starting to resemble adults physically, but emotionally they can act like small children at times. Oftentimes, they will express their frustrations through anger. If the situation is serious, it might become necessary to try some anger management activities for teens so that they can learn to cope with their underlying problems rather than masking them through an angry outburst.

One anger management activity for teens is to use a journal where they can work on writing out or drawing the entire situation which led to the angry outburst. Usually they will need to start with the words that came out of their mouths at the time (beware, it may be ugly) and then work backwards to the incident that occurred and then work on what really bothered them about the incident. Often they will draw a pain in a certain part of their body or will draw a symbol that represents the deeper issue that is going on below the anger. Often, the core issue is that the teen's feelings were hurt and the only way they knew how to deal with that pain was to become angry and lash out.

Once the core issue can be defined, then the anger management activity for teens can move to the problem solving phase. In this phase, the teen can sort out different solutions to the underlying problem rather than inappropriately acting out in anger. They need to be taught how to express anger and pain appropriately. If they are not taught these anger management tips in teen years, they are likely to either become an angry adult, or they will be belittled so much for becoming angry that they will stuff the anger and turn it inward so that it manifests in self destructive patterns.

Other anger management activities can include exercise, since this can help teens to expend some of their emotions in physical activity before sorting out the core issues. If the teen anger management activity only includes the exercise without including the cognitive part of the process, then the teen may end up using exercise inappropriately which can lead to other issues in the future.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

How to Help Someone with Anger Management Issues

A person living with someone who has anger management problems is frequently the target of the angry outbursts. However, this person is also the one most likely to be able to offer help and support to the angry person when they decide to gain control of their problem. There are circumstances when someone who has difficulty controlling their temper will actually ask for help from those closest to them, and that person will then be wondering how to go about finding information on how to help someone with anger management problems.

Some people might have become disillusioned with different anger management methods that are promoted by charlatans on the market and ask, "Does anger management really help?" However, there are methods that are promoted by the American Psychological Association that have been proven to work with many different individuals who have struggled their whole lives with anger management problems.

There are different ways to help someone with anger management. One of the best ways is to help that person learn to decompress from the issue before saying or doing anything rash. Often going for a walk and helping them to learn to breathe through their diaphragm is one way to allow them to expend energy in a healthy way and to learn to relax. In addition, it can be helpful for the individual to get away from the issue at hand for a moment in order to calm down before reacting.

If the person is not there physically to help someone with anger management, they can be available by phone so that the individual needing help can call and let the other person talk them through breathing techniques and relaxation so that they can calm down until they can learn to do it for themselves.

Another approach to anger management help is to learn to journal their thoughts. Journaling allows individuals to see situations written out in black and white, which can be helpful to allowing them to sort out what the underlying problem was that triggered the extreme reaction of anger. Often, by helping someone with an anger management journal, they will begin to realize that their anger is most highly triggered when someone embarrasses them in front of others in some way, or that it is triggered most by people who are perceived to be wasting the individual's time.

By identifying the root of the anger, the individual is more able to recognize it when it occurs and talk himself through it logically before reacting. For instance, when feeling embarrassed for making a mistake that someone else pointed out, he can tell himself that everyone makes mistakes and the important thing is to learn from it rather than make another one by becoming angry.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Free Anger Management Activities to Help You Gain Control

Some people are more inclined than others to experience problems with controlling their anger. They seem to be unable to keep their feelings under control and just let loose whenever they're in an upsetting situation. Fortunately for these people, there are free anger management activities that they can use to learn how to suitably express or contain their feelings in a more acceptable fashion.

One type of free anger management activity is relaxation, where the individual learns different techniques to help him to relax and calm down before saying or doing anything rash. Deep breathing is one technique individuals can use where they concentrate on breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth, taking a minute to calm down. This breathing should be done through the diaphragm, which means the air should be pulled down toward the gut rather than just through the chest. While breathing, the individual can say a calming word or phrase to himself such as "calm down" and can picture a soothing scene or person in his mind.

Exercise is another free anger management activity that individuals can use to calm down. This does not mean that an individual has to go to a sports gym, but can merely take a time out where he or she walks down the hallway or around the building a coupe of times to get some fresh air, expend some energy, breathe and work to calm down. Another free anger management activity is to work on changing the way a person thinks when he becomes irritated. This includes changing inner thoughts to more constructive patterns such as reminding himself that getting angry does not help or change anything about a situation, only finding a solution or resolution to the situation is helpful. Using a journal or notebook during this phase or reconditioning in free anger management activities can be helpful since some individuals process their thoughts better when written out on paper where they can review them to see which ones are rational and which ones might need to be re-evaluated.

In addition to these free anger management activities, it is also wise to plan some fun time into every day so that the individual has time to unwind and let loose of all the burdens that he has been carrying over the course of the day. Many angry people are really at the root stressed out, feeling like they cannot carry any more burdens on their shoulders so that the least irritations seem huge and lead them to anger. Reducing stress also reduces anger in these people and building in personal time can help with this.

Much of this advice can also be adapted into anger management activities for teens, as teenagers are prone to these outbursts since their emotional maturity is the last thing to develop.

Monday, June 22, 2009

An Anger Management Self Help Book Can Do Wonders

There is a variety anger management self help books that are targeted toward providing people who have anger management problems with useful advice to deal with their issues in a positive manner. They are also useful for people who are concerned about helping a loved one or close friend who has difficulties controlling their temper. A lot of these books feature surveys and check lists that people can use to discover the extent of their anger issues. Many will also advise that the person get professional help if the problems are too much to deal with using only the methods outlined in the book. Sometimes you just need to consult with a trained professional.

Many of the tips in anger management self help books have to do with changing the way the person think about the situations or people that make them angry. By changing these thinking patterns, the individuals can change their words and actions since they will have already done their 'cooling down' in their mind so that they are not just reacting to the situation at hand. In many of these tips in anger management self help books, they will advise individuals to put themselves into the other person's shoes and to try and break down the situation based on reality and realistic future effects of the situation. Individuals can start to change their thinking by asking themselves if the situation will really matter an hour from the time of the event. If not, it is probably not worth bothering about. Another question is to ask whether the individuals have ever done the same actions as the person who has made them angry, since most of the time they have done similar things. It is difficult to be judgmental and angry when the individuals do the same sorts of things, either by accident or on purpose.

There are other anger management tips that are geared toward helping individuals to take a break from the situation and to relax their minds and bodies. One tip is as simple as counting to ten before saying anything back to the other person. There are other tips that suggest to use humor in the individuals' minds before saying anything, like instead of calling someone a name like 'idiot' or worse, try to picture that person in an idiot's suit like a court jester dancing around to relieve some stress. There are also breathing methods, such as breathing from the diaphragm and going outside for a brief walk which are also tips in anger management self help books.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

A Look at New Anger Management Therapy Techniques

If you're investigating your options in anger management therapy, you might be interested in learning about some of the new approaches to controlling anger. But are they any better than the tried and true techniques? It really depends on your particular circumstances and what kind of approach works best for you on a personal level. There are a lot of anger management treatment methods that have been around for some time now. They have proven to be highly effective for a lot of people who have used them to lead a happier, more productive life with a higher degree of self control. But if you've given a try to all the traditional approaches and haven't experienced the effects you wanted, you might want to look into some of the new anger management therapy techniques.

Most anger management techniques are geared toward one or more of the following concepts: relaxation, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, improved communication, using humor to defuse the overpowering emotions, or changing your environment to reduce the stressors that are contributing to your anger response. These are tried and true ideas that have helped many people get a handle on their anger responses.

Recognizing that anger has a physiological component, for example, can help you understand why some simple relaxation techniques can buy you the few moments that can sometimes be enough to help you get your anger under control. Using humor as a defusing technique can help you learn to redirect your anger in more constructive ways, without ignoring or suppressing it in ways that can lead to high blood pressure, digestive problems, or depression. Cognitive restructuring can give you the ability to replace the irrational, emotion-driven thought process that accompanies anger with calmer, more logical ones. Changing your environment may be as simple as agreeing with your spouse not to have financial conversations in the evening when you are tired, or staking out some personal time when you first arrive home from work before family demands and requests are allowed.

But for various reasons, you may not have been successful with these techniques. If so, there are new anger management therapies, and even medication therapies for anger management, that may prove helpful to you. One new anger management therapy involves "neuro-linguistic programming," or NLP, a cognitive technique that some therapists use to "re-train" the neural pathways in the brain for different responses. Other new anger management therapies include the use of hypnotherapy as a means of delaying or altering the body's anger response in situations where it would formerly have been activated. These new anger management tips may help you start living a better, more productive and hassle-free life.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Get Marriage Counseling For Anger Management Before It's Too Late

When couples first get married, they feel like their love and bliss will last for an eternity. Sometimes, though, things go wrong. The honeymoon ends, and they realize that it takes a lot of work to keep a marriage going. They start to argue about how things should be done, and in some cases the situation can escalate to angry fights. They might say unkind things that they don’t really mean, maybe objects get thrown and broken, and sometimes they might feel like physically hurting the other person. When things get that out of hand, then the time has come to seek out marriage counseling for anger management.

You need to get professional help and an anger management counseling service is really the only way you can find out why the two of you are so angry at each other. The main reason why marriage counseling for anger management works is that it forces both of you talk about what’s going on with your marriage and with your lives in general. A marriage counselor knows that things are likely to be rough at first and the two of you may not want to say much for fear of igniting the other one’s fury. However, as time goes on, talking will come easier and the marriage counseling will seem to be doing the trick.

It’ll soon become obvious during your marriage counseling for anger management sessions that certain talking points really seem to be ignition points for starting up that anger. These may be discussions about money, or about the kids’ education, or about anything that causes the two of you to bicker. These are the points that should be talked about the most and the marriage counselor will then try to bring both of you into agreement so that the fighting decreases drastically.

The goal of marriage counseling for anger management is to cause the two of you to express your love for one another. You shouldn’t be fighting as much once you've learned some valuable anger management tips. When you’re finished, hopefully, the two of you will learn to either agree on anything or agree to disagree. No longer will you be at each other’s throats. It’s important for you to realize that a healthy marriage does involve arguing. However, when that arguing brings out immense anger and threatens the marriage as a whole, that’s when a professional is called for to bring an amicable solution so that the two of you can find that spark once more.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Anger Management Group Activities: An Overview

Anger management group activities can be highly useful in a number of situations. They can help to improve morale and team spirit in the workplace. They can teach children in the classroom to work together and cooperate. Every time you get a group of people together to cooperate on a project, there are certain to be issues that can cause people to become upset. In some instances, people may have a difficult time managing their anger, causing even greater issues when they let loose their rage on the others in the group. This is the main reason why anger management group activities have been shown to be so useful in these kinds of circumstances. They help the participants learn how to keep their emotions under control for improved results and relationships.

When organizing anger management group activities for children, facilitators can choose between written activities like worksheets and games that the group can play together. Young children will probably not be able to maintain an attention span for a group discussion, so try to keep the anger management group activities active and fun for as long as possible. In many cases, the children will play the game first, and then the facilitator will ask them how they felt during the game and how they dealt with those feelings. For example, at the end of a board game, the facilitator might ask how children felt when they lost, how they could handle the disappointment and what they could do differently next time. Rewarding children for good sportsmanship or other positive behavior may also be an option.

When planning anger management group activities for adults, it sometimes helps to call the event a "team building" activity to paint the game in a positive light. Adults who are coming together specifically for the benefit of learning anger management skills might respond well to discussion time, when the facilitator goes around the room and asks each person if they are angry at any individuals and encourages them to talk through and deal with their feelings. In these situations, the individual with the specific issue can turn to the others in the group for feedback as well, allowing them to vent frustrations and collect constructive ways to work past it. Don't disregard some favorite kids' games for the adults in the anger management group activities either. In some cases, adults will get a kick out of playing children's games and the discussion that goes on after the fact can be much more detailed and age appropriate.

If you are looking for activities to do with a group of children or adults, the Internet is loaded with free anger management activities. You can also hire the services of a professional who is trained in anger management tips to facilitate your group. Anger management group activities can be the perfect way to head off negative feelings at the pass and create a calmer, more harmonious environment all around.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Free Anger Management Help: The Basics

Free anger management help is available in a number of institutions, either in private practice or government provided. The government has actually targeted anger management issues as a serious problem in society that can lead to many issues in a person's life, including criminal activities. The difficulty with free anger management help, though, is that there are so many people who want to take advantage of it, and too few professionals to meet the need. So many people turn to other ways to get anger management help, such as self help books or on the internet.

Any of these kinds of programs are a great help for those who do not have the financial capacity to go to expensive professionals who charge by the hour to delve into one's head. Anger issues may have different causes and factors that contribute to them. Consulting a qualified professional who knows his profession is the best way to know how to manage the volatile reactions that may suddenly erupt.

One thing that is required from a person who seeks free anger management help is the realization that there is a problem. The individual who will be enrolled in a free anger management help program should not be forced into this or else there will be residual resentment or the person may eventually enter a decline from his or her positive efforts. The drive to enter a free anger management help program should be accompanied by the need to reform or change which is essential to controlling and managing the emotion.

The individual who wishes to enter an anger management program should also be determined to stay with the program through all the ups and downs. Usually, a free anger management help program is a bit difficult because emotions are sometimes volatile for some people.

The resolution that he or she can successfully attain the goals that he or she expects from entering a free anger management help program can be a great motivation. The resolve to reach the end of the journey as well as the resolve to take the steps that are required to reach the end of the journey should be taken slowly and with great consideration.

A free anger management help program can be available in many government institutions and organizations that want to extend their services to individuals who feel lost due to their uncontrollable emotions.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Free Anger Management Therapy Can Be Beneficial

Everyone is familiar with the toddler temper tantrum. But it's not just children who have problems managing their anger appropriately. Some adults have never learned how to properly deal with their negative emotions. These people are in need of anger management techniques to give them the tools they need to deal with their anger effectively and acceptably. Once a person becomes aware that their anger issues are negatively impacting their life, both personal and professional, they should look into the various options for anger management therapy that are available. In particular, there are a number of free anger management therapy programs that can help people learn to help themselves.

Free anger management therapy courses are often conducted in prison, and they help make the experience more productive, teaching inmates to have more self-control. However, anger can be a problem for people in any age group and in any social setup. It is important to treat the problem of anger at a young age, so that some serious damage can be avoided at the later stages of life. There are many free anger management therapy sessions available for young people that teach them how to react to a bad situation. Reacting inappropriately can lead to legal consequences, and at times, it can become a matter of life or death.

Thanks to various free anger management therapy sessions, especially for young people, education has become possible for many without interruption in school or without getting involved in gang warfare. In today’s society, many people are becoming increasingly intolerant of other people and the circumstances around them. It maybe due to stress in their day-to-day lives, or it could just be in their genes. Getting angry and losing control can lead to stealing, hurting others, lying and at times, even killing someone. Free anger management therapy offers many benefits for people of all ages.

Locating free anger management therapy is not difficult, as there are many group therapy classes in most large urban areas. Free anger management therapy classes are usually not advertised, as it might be embarrassing for the people who attend these sessions. But if you look on the internet, there are good chances that you will be able to find several locations where these classes are being held. You can also talk to your family doctor, who should be able to guide you to the group with the best success rate.

There are many techniques that are used during free anger management therapy. Some of these are deep relaxation, repetition of calming words, using humor, leaving the place of conflict, meditation, and other anger management tips involving cognitive therapy.

The first step towards successfully managing your anger is realizing that the problem exists. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from your friends and loved ones. It will greatly enhance your personal and professional life.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Consider Family Counseling For Anger Management

It’s not unusual for people to believe that their family is dysfunctional. Oftentimes, there are one or more people in a household who are experiencing emotional difficulties or depression. They might be in therapy or on medication for some sort of disorder, and this can include problems with anger. In these cases, it's often recommended that the members of the household participate in family counseling for anger management together in order to learn to better manage emotional situations that can be causing problems in the home.

When should you think about family counseling for anger management? Well, if anything gets broken in your household during arguments, that’s a big red flag. Also, if anyone is physically or emotionally abused on a regular basis, that can also be a sign. The bottom line is that if anger seems to erupt often among one or more family members on a regular basis, you should definitely seek family counseling for anger management.

If your family only consists of two married people, and your angry disputes are pushing the two of you apart, you may want to consider marriage counseling for anger management. Most couples fight. In fact, all couples fight about something. Most of the time, couples fight about finances or where to go to dinner or whether the in-laws should come to the house for the holidays; but it’s only a big problem when there’s broken glass or thrown furniture or if there are black eyes involved. Fights like that are going too far and family counseling for anger management is definitely in order.

Some may ask why the entire family has to go to family counseling for anger management tips. Why can’t the angry people or person go by themselves? When the entire family goes to family counseling for anger management, it can help the person or people involved get support for their outbursts. It can actually help the entire family heal so that when another fight does occur, the family can know what to do to make sure another big outburst doesn’t happen.

Usually, when the decision is made to seek family counseling for anger management, the person or people who actually need it, the ones with the anger management problems, don’t want to go. It’s up to the rest of the family to encourage them to seek help. If they don’t, they should be told, the family will be pushed further and further apart and that could mean disastrous things for everyone involved. To get them to go, a lot of love should be shown so that they know that support will be given at every step along the way.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Anger Management Counseling Centers: Your Options

Millions of people these days have difficulty controlling their anger. Of course, everyone gets angry from time to time, but some just can't seem to deal with it appropriately. They frequently erupt in fits of rage, which can create problems both at home and at work. Sometimes, the problem starts out quite innocently. You might realize that you're more edgy than usual, but you dismiss it as just stress. As time passes, though, you find that you are becoming increasingly irritated by your everyday circumstances, and you're starting to respond by yelling or becoming physical.

You might throw your phone out the window when you get a call about credit card payments. You might throw a glass at the wall just thinking about a fight at work that day. Or, as many people do, you might just carry that anger inside, where it grows and grows. Visiting an anger management counseling center can help you deal with both the causes and effects of anger so that you are a happier, healthier individual.

Anger management counseling centers offer a variety of programs, but you need to decide if you want to attend public or private centers first. Public anger management counseling centers include community centers that often carry a wide range of programs targeted to a variety of different needs of the community, anger management being one of them. However, the schedule will be more constricted, and you'll have fewer choices about where to attend. However, community centers often offer these programs for free, so you stand to potentially save hundreds of dollars.

Private anger management counseling centers offer more choices, but you'll end up paying more. The quality of the programs depends entirely upon the counselors and the people attending. Willing participants strengthen the programs, while those that don't want to be there will weaken it. You can also receive anger management family counseling, for example, giving you more specific choices to allow you to better pinpoint the problems to deal with them. Perhaps your child is having anger issues stemming from your divorce, or your teenager is moody and irritable. Family counseling can really strengthen those relationships and make households happier places to live.

No matter which type you choose, anger management counseling centers benefit patients greatly. They learn how to deal with their anger, and they also learn how to deal with the underlying emotions that cause that anger to flare up. In fact, learning how to deal with anger can greatly reduce stress, and the psychological health benefits can result in lower blood pressure and other boosts to a person's overall health. Not only will you be happier, you'll be healthier as well.