Anger Management Treatment Programs

Anger triggers a series of physiological responses designed to prepare the human body to fight adversaries or flee from danger. But in the modern world, these responses are maladaptive and lead to anger problems. Anger management teaches the body to stay calm through a series of techniques targeting the central nervous system.

These techniques involve desensitizing individuals to anger-inducing situations and also equipping them with physical relaxation techniques[8] to apply in these situations. For example, if a patient is struggling with road rage, they may be asked to view a POV of driving rush hour traffic and be asked to practice relaxing each part of their body, one muscle group at a time. Or if an individual is always fighting with their spouse, they may be asked to practice deep breathing while recounting a difficult conversation in their marriage.

Other common physical relaxation techniques for anger issues may include:

• Deep breathing, rising up from the diaphragm and into the nose
• Box breathing, which involves inhaling and then exhaling at a slower rate
• Calming phrases like ‘it’s not so bad’ or ‘I can handle this’, sometimes paired with tensing and releasing muscles
• Body scanning to find tense areas of the body and allowing them to relax

An important component of anger management treatment is helping individuals address and change the mental thought patterns behind their anger problems. This is done using a variety of behavioral health modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, and one-on-one conversations with a therapist.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) addresses anger issues by helping individuals identify aggressive and negative thoughts and feelings based on physical and mental signs. Then, the individual learns how to challenge, replace, or lessen these reactions.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) gives patients the tools to break down the black-and-white thinking that often precedes an angry outburst. It provides communication and conflict de-escalation skills as well. And like CBT, DBT helps individuals identify anger and other difficult emotions and choose healthier reactions.

One-on-one talk therapy, or psychotherapy, for anger management is really designed to help individuals understand the root causes of their anger problems, with the goal of developing a self-awareness of the thinking behind it, which will allow them to take control of anger before it takes control of the situation at hand. One-on-one therapy also allows patients to explore any co-occurring disorders fueling their anger issues.

Anger management classes are courses with a classroom component that often offer a mix of CBT, DBT, and psychotherapy so that students can learn to handle anger problems in healthier ways in the future.