Treating Anger

<body topmargin="0" leftmargin="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr> <td valign="top" colspan="2" height="110" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="16bf0f21egerdp.jpg"> <div> <b><img src="05b203c0.jpg" border="0" width="32" height="60" align="BOTTOM" hspace="0" vspace="0"></b><font size="5" color="#66334C" face="Arial"><b>   albernstein.com  PSYCHOLOGY THAT WORKS   </b></font><b>      |     </b><a href="index_htm.html" target="_top" title=" albernstein.com PSYCHOLOGY THAT WORK"><u><b>home</b></u></a></div> <div> <a href="id109.html" target="_top" title="How to Deal With Emotionally Explosive P"><u>How to Deal With Emotionally Explosive People</u></a>   |   <a href="id104.html" target="_top" title="FAQs about Emotional Explosions"><u>FAQ's about Emotional Explosions</u></a>   |   <a href="id97.html" target="_top" title="Explosions into Anger"><u>Explosions into Anger</u></a>   |   <a href="id81.html" target="_top" title="Basic Defusing"><u>Basic Defusing</u></a>   |   <b>Treating Anger</b></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="210" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="16af2f02egerdp.jpg"> <br> </td> <td valign="top" height="370" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="16df0f03.jpg"> <div> <i>Treating Anger</i></div> <div> <b>                 STEPS IN TREATING ANGER</b></div> <br> <div> <b>Step 0: Deal with substance abuse</b></div> <div> No form of anger control treatment will work on people who are abusing drugs or alcohol, even slightly.  Get substance abuse treatment first!</div> <br> <div> <b>Step 1: The realization that anger is </b><i><b>their</b></i><b> problem</b></div> <div> This step is the <i>sine qua non</i> of anger control treatment.  If you can’t impart this critical insight, there is no point in wasting time and money on anything else.  This first step requires art.  After it, the rest is merely science. </div> <br> <div> <b>Step 2: Physical control</b></div> <div> Medications, such as antidepressants, that enhance emotional control can help with overall irritability, but the soul of anger is repetition.  If anger is a problem, the more you express, the more you feel.  There is no such thing as getting it off your chest. Treatment beyond the first step is relatively simple.  You teach angry people to do things that are incompatible with anger.  As in other disorders, the control strategies start with external devices and move inward.</div> <div> <b>The duct tape solution</b></div> <div> The most important thing angry people need to do is keep their mouths shut.  Period.</div> <div> <b>Time out</b></div> <div> There is no point in arguing with an angry person.  Significant others need to go somewhere else at the first signs of anger and come back later to discuss issues.  No parting shots allowed! </div> <div> <b>Relaxation and exercise</b></div> <div> Angry people need to develop a regimen of activities designed to keep their arousal at a manageable level.</div> <br> <div> <b>Step 3: Psychological control</b></div> <div> Anger is made of negative judgements, played over and over inside the head, louder and more vehemently each time.  Internal cassettes of incendiary, head-banging thoughts turned up loud, and set on continuous replay.  If the music is turned off, the party is over.  Cognitive therapy turns off the music, or at least pops in a quieter tape. </div> <br> <div> <b>Step 4: Inoculation </b></div> <div> Life is full of stress, unfairness, and other people not playing by the rules.  Angry people need to prepare for imperfection in advance rather than being outraged by it every time. </div> <br> </td> </tr></table></body>