Anger in General
What is the definition of anger?
Anger is a feeling or emotion that ranges from mild irritation to intense fury and rage.
Anger is a bad emotion that should be avoided at all costs.
Bonus Points: Why or why not?
False: Anger is a normal and natural human emotions.
What is a habit?
A habit is a behavior we preform automatically, over and over again, without thinking.
What are the 3 phases of the aggression cycle?
What are some payoffs or consequences you have experienced due to expressing your anger? Please list 3 examples:
Examples: releasing tension, controlling people, getting charges, burning bridges with others, saying things you regret
What is the definition of aggression?
Aggression is a behavior that is intended to cause harm or injury to another person or damage property.
You must be aggressive to get what you want.
False: There are other more constructive and assertive ways, however, to express anger
When does anger become a maladaptive habit?
When anger is displayed frequently and aggressively, it can be viewed as a maladaptive habit because it results in negative consequences.
What occurs during the buildup phase?
The buildup phase is characterized by cues (increased heart rate, feeling hot, pacing, hostile thoughts etc.) that indicate anger is building.
What is the definition of hostility?
Hostility is a set of attitudes and judgements that motivate aggressive behaviors.
What is a trigger?
A stimulus-such as a person, place, situation, or thing-that contributes to an unwanted emotional or behavioral response
Too much anger can hurt your physical health.
True: Recent and ongoing research indicated anger, particularly when it leads to a hostile and cynical view can be very damaging to your well-being and can play a part in high cholesterol, heart attacks, stroke, etc.
How many days does it take for you to form a new habit?
Research shows that it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.
What occurs during the explosion phase?
The explosion phase is marked by a discharge of anger that is displayed as verbal or physical aggression.
What are two healthy coping skills you can utilize when you become angry?
Bonus: 100 points per extra coping skill
Timeouts, social supports, breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, taking cold showers, going on a walk, exercising, or ANY DBT skills!
When does anger become a problem?
Anger becomes problem when it is felt too frequently, or is expressed inappropriately.
Temporarily getting away from a potentially volatile situation is one way to start to learn to handle anger more effectively.
Bonus: What is the name of this skill?
Think back to when you were a kid!
True: It's called 'taking a timeout', which means leaving in order to give yourself time to figure out what is going on in your mind and let yourself calm down before getting disrespectful or more escalated.
Give two examples of anger habits
Blaming others, holding grudges, making threats, verbal or physical aggression, isolating oneself, throwing or breaking things
What can occur during the aftermath phase?
The aftermath phase is characterized by the negative consequences that result from the verbal or physical aggression (jail, making restitution, being terminated from a job, being discharged from a drug treatment or social service program, losing family and loved ones, or feelings of guilt, shame, and regret).
Act out these two styles of anger:
The Blamer: blames someone else for making them explode
The Masker: Hides their anger with humor or another emotion
500 Points!
List the four cues categories:
Hint: how your body responds, what you do, feelings and how you think in response about an event
physical, behavioral, emotional, cognitive
The way you express anger cannot be changed.
Bonus points: Explain why is this true or false
False: Behaviors is learned. People are not born with set, specific ways of expressing anger, it is possible to learn other appropriate ways to express anger.
What are two causes/origins of anger habits?
past events, negative self-talk, stress, expectations, family history, storytelling
Why is learning about the aggression cycle a primary objective in anger management?
One of the primary objectives of anger management treatment is to stop you from reaching the explosion phase.
Act out these two styles of anger:
Silent Type: Shuts down and is real quiet once they become angry
The Coper: Gets mad, but deals with it in healthy ways like blowing off steam, getting some exercise or talking to friends.
600 points!