Anger Management 101

Is it me or was 2010 the year of anger? I noticed it from my daily commute to and from work to the moment I turned on the television and saw it on the news. It seemed people were out of control and overwhelmed with the tough times of 2010.

So when Bibi asked me to look into free or low cost anger management classes, I couldn't help but to think of the state of the country in 2010. Specifically, the rise of animosity and the fall of civility. I mean, whatever happened to “Good Morning”, “Please” and “Thank You”,or "lets agree to disagree"?

Incidentally, I came across a piece from the Los Angeles Times, written by Valerie Ulene, addressing the clinical questions of anger and anger management, and whether or not anger could be diagnosed and treated as an illness.

According to Ms. Ulene, what is most important in dealing/coping with anger and anger management issues is distinguishing anger that is healthy from anger that is not. Depending on the circumstances, it is healthy for angry feelings to either resolve relatively quickly or go on for days, weeks, months, and even years. However, if that anger starts taking over your life in a negative light then it can be unhealthy. For example, if anger starts to interfere with your job or your relationships with other people, or if it starts to affect your health, then it is time to seek treatment. But it is only when people do acknowledge the problem that treatment is possible. And of course, that is not always easy.

I, for one, am guilty of the occasional (perhaps frequent) honk on the road. Of course, I honk when people do not use their signal lights or follow the basic rules of the road. It’s a HUGE PET PEEVE of mine. But I do it to CAUTION other drivers who are not paying attention and who are putting my life on the line because A) a car is a weapon and B) driving is a privilege not a right. But for me, this irritation goes away by the end of the day. But if you’re not like me and you find yourself still dwelling after more than one day on some issue that has triggered your anger, then perhaps it is time to ask yourself, “Do I need help?”