Problems managing anger has always been a concern for patients experiencing addictive disorders. Pioneering research by my mentor, Dr. Sidney Cohen at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrated the relationship between, anger, violence and the usage of alcohol and or cocaine. Certainly one of typically the most popular articles compiled by Dr. Cohen, was entitled, “Alcohol, the most dangerous drug proven to man “.In this and other publications, Dr. Cohen systematically demonstrated the causal relationship between cocaine and alcohol abuse and aggression. Much of the research was done in the 70s and 80s.
Anger has always been a factor in substance abuse intervention. Unfortunately, until recently, it’s been overlooked or treated as a following thought by substance abuse programs nationwide. Substance use and abuse often coexist with anger, aggressive behavior and person-directed violence. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicated that 40 % of frequent cocaine users reported engaging in some type of violence or aggressive behavior. Anger and aggression often can have a causal role in the initiation of drug and alcohol use and can also be a consequence associated with substance abuse. Persons who experience traumatic events, like, often experience anger and act violently, as well as abuse drugs or alcohol. This is currently occurring with recently returned combat veterans from Iraq.
In spite of the info available to any or all professional substance abuse treatment providers, anger management has not received the attention which will be deserved and required for successful substance abuse treatment. Many if not most substance abuse programs claim to offer anger management as among the topics in its treatment yet few substance abuse counseling programs include anger certification for these counselors.
Typically, new substance abuse counselors are simply told that they will need to teach a specific variety of hours or sessions on Christian anger management and then left to locate there own anger management information and teaching material. These counselors have a tendency to piece together whatever they could find and present it as anger management.
Despite the text of anger and violence to substance abuse, few substance abuse providers have attemptedto either connect the 2 or provide intervention for both. In the Los Angeles area, numerous primarily upscale residential rehab programs for drug and alcohol treatment have contracted with Certified Anger Management Providers to offer anger management either in groups on an individual basis for inpatient substance abuse clients. Malibu based Promises (which caters to the stars) has contracted with Certified Providers to offer anger management on an individual coaching bases.
This publication free and any program can order as numerous copies as needed without cost. There’s hardly any excuse for shortchanging substance abuse clients by not providing real anger management classes.
Anger management for Christians is rapidly becoming the most requested intervention in human services. It could 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’s not listed as a definite illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Nervous and Mental Disorders. Rather, anger is recognized as a lifestyle issue. Which means psychotherapy or psychotropic medication is not an appropriate intervention for teaching skills for managing anger.
The American Association of Anger Management Providers defines anger management as a skill enhancement course which teaches skills in recognizing and managing anger, stress, assertive communication and emotional intelligence. Anger is observed a normal human emotion which is a problem when it occurs too frequently, lasts too much time, is too intense, is harmful to self or others or contributes to person or property directed aggression.
In Summary
All anger management programs should conduct an examination at intake for substance abuse and psychopathology and all substance abuse programs should assess all participants for the existing amount of functioning in recognizing anger, stress, assertive communication and emotional intelligence.
All substance abuse programs should have their intervention staff certified in anger management facilitation.
Christian Anger Management 