Anger is only an emotion. It is witnessed in the best of us and the worst of us. Experiencing anger certainly does not make us lesser human-beings.
If it’s only a feeling-an emotion, why do we let it take control of our lives?
Good Question. The answer though is not that simple. Anger may be an emotion but it is a complex emotion. This is because everyone does not experience and express anger in the same fashion. Some react immediately while others may go on a slow burn for days before exploding in a fit of temper.
Displays of anger at work have become quite common place these days. Line workers are more prone to violent outbursts as compared to top level executives. In factories and manufacturing units, it’s not uncommon to stumble on workers sabotaging property and instigating strikes when their demands are not met. Higher level executives also have their fair share of anger related issues. These executives have deadlines to meet and responsibilities towards management. When things fail to go as planned, work pressure takes its toll and they sometimes react with hostility.
Domestic violence is a direct result of mismanaged and misplaced anger. Anger momentarily blinds and causes people to lash out at anything in front of them. “Angerholics” do not think twice before spewing their venom on their partners or even their children for that matter.
There are some people who come across as being angry all the time. Even, when things are apparently normal, they are simmering under the surface. The root cause may be traced to an unhappy childhood, low self-esteem, drug addiction and feelings of guilt and denial.
Anger Assessment: An anger assessment is necessary to gauge how far a person will go when angry. A properly designed assessment program will indicate how bad the anger is and the degree to which anger management is needed. It entails asking the participant to answer a few questions based on which certain conclusions are drawn. The questions are framed in such a way so as to judge whether a person is emotionally mature or faces mild to extreme anger issues.
Some typical anger assessment questions are:
• How often do you get aggressive?
• How often do you resort to violence like punching or assaulting someone?
• Do insignificant things irritate you when angry?
• Do you get abusive verbally or use expletives?
• Do you make nasty and hurtful remarks when angry?
• How long does it take for you to cool down?
• Do you vent your temper on things other than your object of anger?
• Have you hit your immediate boss or anyone else in authority?
• Have you ever punched a cop?
Based on the answers to these questions, people are categorized as having mild, moderate or highly severe anger management concerns.
Anger Assessment and Anger Management: Anger assessment is the first step towards anger management. If the degree to which a person experiences anger and the extent to which he’ll go is measured, anger management can be directed more specifically. Since every individual is unique, customized anger management can be done for individual cases. Anger assessment judges the level of anger experienced and reactions to it. Anger management takes off from here. Judging how bad the situation really is helps focusing on finding a solution.
Gregory Kyles, LPC, CEAP, CAMF