The essence of anger management therapy is to calm, isolate the real issue, and learn more productive ways to deal with the issue. Anger is often a secondary reply to hurt, disappointment, loss, embarrassment, distress, or emotional pain. Perhaps the person was never appropriately instructed in self-control in their youth, control was taken from them by incidents in their environment for an extended period, or an overwhelming life event contributed to their inability to appropriately respond to feelings.

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What is Anger Management?

Anger management is rapidly becoming the most requested intervention in human services. It may be worthwhile to define what anger management is and is not. According to the American Psychiatric Association, anger is a normal human emotion. It is not a pathological condition therefore; it is not listed as a defined illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Nervous and Mental Disorders. Rather, anger is considered a lifestyle issue. This means that psychotherapy or psychotropic medication is not an appropriate intervention for teaching skills for managing anger.

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