What Is Anger Management and Could I Benefit From It?

It's no secret that many of us struggle to feel (and identify!) our feelings. For many of us, one emotion is more difficult than the rest—anger. Anger is an uncomfortable emotion for a lot of us, but can sometimes cause the most damage. But here's the good news, when you learn to handle anger in a healthy way, it can actually lead to positive change in your life!

What Is Anger Management?

Contrary to popular belief, the goal of anger management isn't to get rid of your anger. As we mentioned before, anger can be a really important emotion to feel. According to Mayo Clinic, "anger management is the process of learning to recognize signs that you're becoming angry, and taking action to calm down and deal with the situation in a productive way."

If that doesn't sound like reason enough to work on your anger management, here are some other ways you might benefit. Anger management can help you:

• Communicate more effectively
• Have more fulfilling interpersonal relationships
• Improve your overall health and wellness
• Get in touch with your emotions
• and more!

People who struggle with anger management may benefit greatly from taking anger management classes, which we will explain below. 

What Do Anger Management Classes Cover?

If the prospect of taking an anger management feels a little scary, please know you're not alone! Aaron Community Cultural Center has resources that might be able to help you. We offer a 15-week anger management course perfect for parents or individuals who may be court-ordered by DCFS or Probation, or are just interested in strengthening their emotional regulation skills!

In our classes (which are 1-2 hours a session), we work on a number of anger management techniques including:

• Calming breathing exercises
• Identifying emotions
• Sharing life experiences with peers in anger management group
• Scheduling 30-60 minutes for personal self-care time
• Homework assignments including eating a family meal together
• and more!

One of the most helpful parts of anger management is the fact that it is done in a group context. In group, you will be able to form relationships with other group members who are struggling with anger management. As a note, all information shared in group is to remain confidential. When you enter the class, you will agree to sign and date the class confidentiality agreement form.

How Can Anger Management Classes Benefit Your Client?

If you are a social worker or other mental health professional, your client may benefit from taking anger management classes at ACCC. Strengthening emotion identification can help your client in many areas of their life, including family relationships, romantic relationships, and workplace relationships. In addition to emotional benefits, clients are able to earn a certificate that may be presented to DCFS or Probation at the end of 15 weeks. For clients who are unable to make every meeting, additional homework "extra credit" can be given to make up hours.

Who Benefits from Anger Management?

The truth is, all of us need a little help sometimes managing our anger, so anger management classes can be helpful for anyone. That being said, our anger management classes at ACCC may be particularly useful to parents or individuals who have been court-ordered by DCFS or Probation. In addition to the individuals who take the class

Sign up for anger management here!

For those of you interested in signing up for anger management classes at ACCC, please email acccbsm@gmail.com. For the anger management intake form, head here. We hope this blog post helped answer any questions you had about anger management. We thank you for being part of the ACCC community. 

Photo credit: Unsplash photo via Christian Senan