Anger Management 1:
An Overview for Counselors
ERIC Identifier: ED482766
Publication Date: 2003-12-00
Author: Hogan, Eileen K.
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling & Student Services Greensboro NC.
Anger. Everybody experiences it and everybody expresses it. It is a natural and healthy
human emotion when managed effectively. But it can be a source of various physical,
mental, emotional, social, or legal problems when not managed effectively. It is often a
problem in one of these areas that brings a client in for counseling, either on a voluntary
or a mandated basis. As a counselor, there are numerous and varied options for
intervention. And there are numerous and varied aspects to consider before selecting
an appropriate intervention.
DEFINING ANGER
There are many different views from which to consider the construct of anger. Dahlen
and Deffenbacher (2001) identify three main ingredients to anger.
- There is an
anger-eliciting stimulus, typically an easily-identifiable external source (e.g., somebody
did something to me) or internal source (e.g., emotional wounds).
- There is a
pre-anger state, which includes one's cognitive, emotional, and physical state at the
time of provocation; one's enduring psychological characteristics; and one's cultural
messages about anger and about expressing anger.
- There is one's appraisal of
the anger-eliciting stimulus and one's ability to cope with the stimulus. All three of these
ingredients interact to create a state of being angry.
Dahlen and Deffenbacher (2001) also identify four related domains in which anger
exists.
- In the emotional and experiential domain, anger is a feeling state ranging in
intensity from mild annoyance to rage and fury.
- In the physiological domain,
anger is associated with adrenal release, increased muscle tension, and activation of
the sympathetic nervous system.
- In the cognitive domain, anger is associated with biased information processing.
- In the behavior domain, anger can be either functional (e.g., being assertive,
setting limits) or dysfunctional (e.g., being aggressive, withdrawing, using alcohol and
drugs, etc.).
Rhoades (n.d.) provides additional ways to understand anger.
- What is the source and expression of the anger?
- Is it intense and situation-specific or chronic and generalized?
- What is the extent of the anger?
- Does it easily and quickly evolve into deep feelings of resentment?
- Is it coupled with intense aggression or explosiveness?
- Has it become uncontrollable?
- What is the anger hiding?
Is it a cover-up for fear, being used as a shield to keep other people at a distance so they are unable to see one's insecurities and weaknesses?
EXPRESSING ANGER
The expression of anger can take many forms. Some common means of expressing
anger include venting, resisting, seeking revenge, expressing dislike, avoiding the
source of anger, and seeking help (Marion, 1997). However, in many cultures, people
are taught that while expressing anxiety, depression or other emotions is acceptable,
expressing anger is not (Controlling anger before it controls you, n.d.). As a result, many
people never learn how to handle their own or others' anger effectively or to channel it
constructively.
Gorkin (2000) distinguishes between the intention and the usefulness of anger
expressions. In terms of intention, the expression of anger can be purposeful or
spontaneous. The purposeful expression of anger is intentional, has a significant degree
of consideration or calculation, and yields a high degree of self-control. The
spontaneous expression of anger is immediate, has little premeditation, and yields little
to moderate self-control.
In terms of usefulness, the expression of anger can be constructive or destructive.
Constructive expression of anger affirms and acknowledges one's integrity and
boundaries without intention to threaten another person. Destructive expression of
anger defensively projects and rigidly fortifies one's vulnerable identity and boundaries.
These distinctions provide for four basic expressions of anger.
- Purposeful and constructive expression leads to assertion.
- Purposeful and destructive expression leads to hostility.
- Spontaneous and constructive expression leads to passion and suffering.
- Spontaneous and destructive expression leads to rage, violence, screaming, and
hitting.
With respect to rage, one can be outraged, by a seemingly clear and external
(sometimes criminal) target, or one can be "in-raged" (Gorkin, 2000), by a reaction to
still unresolved internal hurts and humiliations (vs. actual, immediate
stimulus-and-response provocation).
Although much of the work in anger management focuses on helping people
understand what triggers their anger and on learning a healthier response, or
expression, of that anger, the debate continues regarding the healthiest ways to
express anger. Interestingly, some sources (e.g., Schwartz, 1990) indicate that
repressing anger can be adaptive for coping with certain emotions. Other sources (e.g.,
Controlling anger before it controls you, n.d.) document that suppressing anger can lead
to headaches, hypertension, high blood pressure, depression, emotional disturbances,
gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, skin disorders, genitourinary disorders,
arthritis, disabilities of the nervous system, circulatory disorders, and even suicide. It is
important to learn to identify whether or not a client's reactions to and expressions of
anger are a problem.
ASSESSING ANGER
How does a client know when his or her anger is more of a problem than a help? Few
formal assessments exist to quantifiably measure the level of one's anger. However,
there are numerous qualitative indicators to review with clients to understand the extent
of their concerns about their anger and anger management strategies.
- Is the anger chronic, long-lasting, too intense, or too frequent (Rhoades, n.d.)?
- Does the anger disrupt the client's thinking, affect the client's relationships (Rhoades,
n.d.), or affect the client's school or work performance?
- Does the client exhibit frequent loss of temper at slight provocations,
passive-aggressive behavior, a cynical or hostile personality, chronic irritability and
grumpiness?
- Has the client begun to display low self-esteem, sulking, or brooding?
- Is the client withdrawing socially from family and friends?
- Is the client getting physically sick or doing damage to one's own or others' bodies or
property?
- Is the client experiencing physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, increased
blood pressure, or increased adrenaline flow (Controlling anger before it controls you,
n.d.)?
Although some of these symptoms may be indicative of other issues, they are also often
related to unresolved anger. The bottom line is that when a person becomes a victim to
his or her anger, the anger is a problem.
MANAGING ANGER
According to Wellness Reproductions (1991), there are three main methods of dealing
with anger.
- There is "stuffing" one's anger, a process in which a person may or
may not admit his or her anger to self or others and in which one avoids direct
confrontations.
A person may stuff his or her anger out of fear of hurting someone, fear
of rejection, fear of damaging relationships or fear of losing control. Often, a person who
stuffs anger is unable to cope with strong, intense emotions and thinks that anger is
relationships and compromised physical and mental health.
- There is escalating one's anger, a process in which a person provokes blame
and shame.
The purpose is to demonstrate power and strength while avoiding the
expression of underlying emotions. A person who escalates his or her anger is often
afraid of getting close to other people and lacks effective communication skills.
Escalating one's anger typically yields short-term results, impaired relationships, and
compromised physical and mental health. Sometimes, escalating one's anger also leads
to physical destruction of property or to abusive situations, thus adding the potential for
legal ramifications.
- There is managing one's anger, a process in which a person is open, honest, and
direct and in which one mobilizes oneself in a positive direction.
The focus is on the
specific behavior that triggered the anger and on the present (past issues are not
brought into the current issue). A person who manages his or her anger avoids black
and white thinking (e.g., never, always, etc.), uses effective communication skills to
share feelings and needs, checks for possible compromises, and assesses what is at
stake by choosing to stay angry versus dealing with the anger. Managing one's anger
results in an increased energy level, effective communication skills, strengthened
relationships, improved physical and mental health, and boosted self-esteem.
SUMMARY
It is this process of managing one's anger that is the primary goal of counseling people
to effectively deal with anger. The goal is not to eliminate anger. Anger is a natural and
healthy emotion. After a client acknowledges he or she is angry, a counselor can help
the client learn how to reduce the emotional and physiological arousal that anger
causes and learn to control its effects on people and the environment. To be more
effective, practitioners should attempt to understand the extent and expression of the
anger, the specific problems resulting from the anger, the function the anger serves, the
underlying source of the anger, and the domain the problems occur in (e.g. emotional,
physiological, or cognitive) before choosing interventions for the client.
Anger Management 2: Counseling Strategies and Skills |
Anger Management 3: Structured Interventions
This publication was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational
Research and Improvement, Contract No. ED-99-CO-0014. Opinions expressed in this
report do not necessarily reflect the positions of the U.S. Department of Education,
OERI, or ERIC/CASS. ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.
REFERENCES
Controlling anger before it controls you (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2003 from National
Mental Health Association Web site: http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/44.cfm
Dahlen, E. R. & Deffenbacher, J. L. (2001). Anger management. In W. J. Lyddon. & J.
V. Jones, Jr. (Eds.), Empirically supported cognitive therapies: Current and future
applications (pp. 163-181). New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Gorkin, M. (2000, August 17). The four faces of anger. Retrieved July 23, 2003 from
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/growth/facesofanger.html
Marion, M. (1997). Guiding young children's understanding and management of anger.
Young Children, 52(7), p. 62-67.
Rhoades, G. F. (n.d.) Anger management online conference transcript. Retrieved July
23, 2003 from www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Abuse/Site/transcripts/anger
management.htm
Schwartz, G. E. (1990). Psychobiology of repression and health: A systems approach.
In J. L. Singer (Ed.), Repression and dissociation: Implications for personality theory,
psychopathology, and health. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Wellness Reproductions. (1991). Anger management. Retrieved July 23, 2003 from
http://www.mun.ca/student/answers/wellnessed/angermanagement.php
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