Anger Management Counseling
Anger management counseling has gotten a bad rap in recent years. Part of this is due to the stereotypes presented in the media, like in popular television shows and movies. It is for this reason that whenever you hear about anger management counseling, the first thing you we may think about is a court ordered program, mandated by some judge as a condition for probation.
This may be true for some but the vast majority of people who attend anger management counseling do so voluntarily because they want to create positive change in their personal relationships. It’s as simple as that.
In fact, many individuals take part in anger management counseling proactively because they have come to realize their tempers sometimes get the best of them, which in turn can cause problems at work and at home. Here, we are talking about heated arguments with children, spouses, extended family members and co-workers. Sound familiar? If so – keep reading!
Before you can enlist yourself into an anger management program, you have to be able to recognize the signs that you may have a problem. Here are a couple of the hallmarks you should look for:
- You lose your temper over small things and on a regular basis
- You threaten to physically harm family, friends, or even yourself
- You have violent outbursts that result in physical harm to others or property damage
- You have a problem expressing yourself to others around you without ending up in a fight or confrontation.
Recognizing and acknowledging the problem is just the first step. Here are three big benefits of anger management counseling that you might consider.
1. Better Judgment in Stressful Situations
As you may already know, being unable to control your anger can be the catalyst to you making bad decisions on an impulse. You may think of all the right things that you could have done after the fact; however, you need to learn the coping skills that will allow you to slow down, control your anger, and make the right decisions in the moment that it counts the most. Counseling also helps with avoiding abusive comments that are emotionally harmful to others.
It is important to note that anger is natural and very healthy emotion. It’s your reaction to it that is unhealthy. Understand that treatment is not meant to keep you from getting angry, but to deal with that anger rationally.
2. Learn Communication Skills to Avoid Conflict
Many people have a hard time communicating and expressing emotions. Expressing worry, hurt, or even love leaves you vulnerable. It is imperative to learn how to express your emotions in such a way to not lead to a big blow out. Every conversation that you have doesn’t have to lead to a drag out fight. You should be able to take constructive criticism and not feel attacked if someone tells you that you’ve hurt their feelings, etc. Remember that one of the major reasons relationships end is because of ongoing conflict.
3. Enhancement of Personal and Professional Relationships
When you have a problem with anger expression and management, the people the live and work with you will feel that you are liable to explode at any given moment. This unstable behavior leads to people avoiding you because they don’t like the feeling of having to walk on eggshells when it comes to dealing with you. This is the dynamic that leads into a vicious circle. They avoid you, you feel alienated, and that makes you act out in anger.
As you can see, having a problem with anger management can really be detrimental to your personal life and even your health; not counting the legal trouble that can result. This is the time to be honest with yourself; if you could control your anger, you would not have been in some of the situations that you have been in. Getting into an anger management counseling program can truly change your life in very positive ways.
A great resource for you to consider is the book, Anger Management for Dummies. Inside, you will find page after page of useful information that can help you to better understand your anger with practical tips on how to control it.
Many people find working with a therapist trained in anger management to be helpful with working through complex feelings, including anger. If you would like to talk to one of our therapists, please give us a call at 773-598-7797 or send us a note using our confidential contact form.