There are a wealth of strategies and skills for alleviating problem anger. Some of the most successful anger management skills are derived from the cognitive-behavioral school of psychology, which argues that rehearsing for specific situations can fundamentally change the person's behavior. Among the effective strategies are using relaxation techniques, employing coping skills, training in social skills and engaging in problem-solving activities.
Types
In the book "Anger Management for the 21st Century", authors Dr. Fiore and Dr. Novick identify 10 types of anger management skills and strategies. The first step is recognizing stressful triggers before they develop into anger. Then the person must learn to develop empathy, respond rather than react, change negative patterns of "self-talk" into positive messages, practice communicating effectively without hostility, adjust expectations and employ forgiveness and acceptance. Practicing these skills allows people to observe their behavioral patterns, identify solutions and recognize when it is best to retreat from a trigger situation and take time to reflect and relax.
Effects
The effects of anger management skills go beyond stopping yourself from reacting with hostility. Developing these skills can get to the heart of what triggers the problem and teach a person to lower his level of anger arousal. When perception is less clouded by anger, it is easier to identify the distorted thinking and paranoia that can lead to chronic extreme anger. Some key areas in which to build anger management skills are in interpersonal communication, compromise, negotiation and response to criticism. Some people benefit from learning coping skills for a specific situation, such as parent effectively, budget and speak with co-workers.
Theories/Speculation
There are several variables that influence the efficacy of anger management skills. In general, people benefit from repeated, long-term practice of a particular strategy. They build their skills best when applying them to relevant situations and contexts in which they find themselves on a daily basis. Ultimately, developing short-term achievable goals can improve anger management outcomes.
Considerations
One of the key considerations in regard to anger management skills is transfer learned skills to the setting in which they are most required, because the realm of counseling allows more room for failure than a place of employment, classroom or home. The transfer of skills is most successful if the patient feels safe in his environment, if he has a support system in place for making the change, if the environment feels relevant to the patient and if the patient feels he has some control and stake in the situation.
Misconceptions
Contrary to the stereotype presented by popular media like the film "Anger Management," it is nearly impossible to force a patient to adopt anger management techniques. Thus part of the initial process in developing skills is creating an environment of readiness. For some people, anger has brought them the attention, status and rewards they want in life, and it can be difficult to see the downside of perpetual anger. They may prefer the short-term benefits of anger over the long-term benefit of mental health. In these cases, counselors must work with patients to uncover the costs of chronic anger, be it an issue of health, mental health, self-image or the ability to form productive relationships.
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