You may have already heard of anger management classes or anger management therapy. These refer to a type of treatment that can help clients identify the stressors that cause them to experience impulsive, aggressive, or violent behavior — such as angry verbal outbursts. In some cases, these behaviors may point to the possibility of a struggle with intermittent explosive disorder (IED) — what some people call the “anger disorder.” In anger management, clients learn steps to help them stay calm in stressful situations and decrease their anger.
Treatments that help clients deal with their anger are essential, especially these days. More than 80% of people surveyed as part of an NPR-IBM Watson Health poll said Americans are angrier today than a generation ago. More than 40% of those polled also said they were angrier in the past 12 months than they had been further back in time.
However, anger management classes or anger management therapy can be difficult to find or easily access in some areas of the United States. The state of Florida, for example, has made significant investments to ensure that mental health wellness is prioritized as early as possible in a state resident’s life. It maintains a budget for certified school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and other licensed mental health professionals available to help the state’s children and youth. Schools are better equipped than ever before to offer critical mental health care and refer families to community partners when the care they provide is more appropriate.
Florida recognizes the critical need to address mental health issues — but often doesn’t include any mention of anger management in their public mental healthcare offerings. Are you looking for an anger management therapy program in Florida? Contact Gulf Breeze Recovery Center today by calling 833.551.2304 or contacting our team online.
What Is Anger Management Therapy?
Anger is a normal human emotion that most people experience occasionally. However, you must pay attention when you or someone you care about find that feeling angry happens very often or very intensely. In cases like this, anger can become a problem and start to disrupt relationships, responsibilities, and routines. Whether it manifests as rage outbursts or feelings of persistent anger, problematic anger can have detrimental consequences for mental and physical health, as well as the overall quality of life.
Anger management is an intervention that’s designed to help clients manage the emotional and physiological arousal that accompanies intense anger. As it’s often not possible to change the circumstances or people that elicit anger, anger management can help clients recognize their triggers and learn how to cope with them more effectively. Anger management therapy aims to help minimize anger-evoking or extremely stressful situations, improve self-control, and help a client express feelings in a healthy manner.
These are different approaches to anger management therapy, some of which are the following:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Family therapy
- Psychodynamic therapy
How Does Therapy for Anger Management Work?
Therapy for anger management uses techniques that involve learning how to function in day-to-day living without letting angry behaviors disrupt it. These techniques may include the following:
- Identifying triggers and responses to anger — Therapy can help a client develop a better understanding of the factors that contribute to their expressions of anger, current and past triggers for their anger, their responses to their triggers, and the consequences or aftereffects of angry behavior.
- Learning strategies to diffuse anger — Anger management therapy can equip a client with strategies to disrupt their anger behaviors and manage their response to their triggers through avoidance or distraction.
- Changing attitudes and thought patterns — Therapy can also involve restructuring thinking and changing attitudes related to anger, particularly if the client’s therapist is taking a CBT approach.
When Should You Consider an Anger Management Therapy Program?
While an anger management therapy program is a form of intervention that’s designed to help manage anger, there’s no official diagnosis that it is supposed to treat. Anger is not a mental health condition. In fact, it’s a normal emotion that most people feel from time to time. However, it’s also true that intense, destructive, or uncontrollable anger may cause significant distress and impact the safety of someone and others around them. In cases like this, a diagnosis of IED may be given when the person undergoes assessment at a mental health center.
If you or someone you know struggles with explosive outbursts related to anger, consider getting professional help. Make sure that you sign up for anger management classes or an anger management therapy program that’s run by certified and licensed mental and medical healthcare professionals.
Learn More About Gulf Breeze Recovery Center’s Anger Management Therapy Program
If you’re searching for an anger management therapy program in Florida, contact Gulf Breeze Recovery Center today. Call 833.551.2304 or reach out to our team online. We can help.
