Employee Assistance Program National Institutes of Health EAP / 301‐496‐3164 / Bldg. 31, Rm. B2B57 / www.ors.od.nih.gov/sr/dohs/EAP — OccupationalMedical Service What is ? The Nature of Anger Try this Intervention Tool

nger is a natural human Anger can emerge from external stim- The following is a simple intervention A that prepares and enables us to uli or internal thoughts about things tool to help you gain control over attack a perceived threat. Anger is not that we perceive as threats, whether your anger in response to a recurring a bad emotion, but we must learn to real or imagined. Memories of trau- provocative event. Try it to see if it control it. Mismanaged anger is a ma- matic events that caused rage can also helps. jor cause of conflict in relationships at trigger angry . Without life home and at work. Violence — in the — Divisionof Occupational Health & Safety skills to manage anger, it is easy to feel home, at work, and on the road — is powerless over it. Instructions: Reproduce the anger most severe consequence of misman- management tool 10 times. Each time aged anger. you experience the event that pro- Getting a Grip on Anger duces anger, fill out the sections of the tool. As time goes by, you may Most techniques for managing experience diminishing anger re- anger fall within three cate- sponses to the event. gories: suppression, ex- pression, and interven- First sign that tion. Each has its I was angry. unique benefits. What Suppression is the triggered It? practice of con- — Officeof Research Services How did I re- sciously inhib- spond to this iting the ex- event? pression of What did I do your anger. well this time? Expression en- What will I do tails talking about better the next angry feelings to time this event reduce their inten- occurs? sity. Intervention

— Na seeks to reduce anger by changing the way you think or react What the EAP Can Do tionalInstitutes Health of to anger producing events. If you are concerned about the way you manage anger, or have experi- Controlling the Response enced difficulties in relationships at Do You Need Help? home or at work because of your an- Although is a natural re- ger, the EAP may be able to help. If you have a problem with anger, you sponse to anger, society requires us probably already know it. You may to manage it. Many of us do not learn The EAP will meet with you to dis- — respond to negative situations with cuss your experiences with anger, ex-

Departmentof Health and Human Services this well while growing up. As a re- uncontrollable rage. You may say or sult, anger is often mismanaged in plore the course of angry responses to do things that frighten yourself and response to life events. We then ex- specific events, and ask how you have others. Perhaps you have physically perience more harm from these attempted to control your response to hurt someone or come close to doing events than they would otherwise anger. The EAP will then help you so. You may not yourself to act cause. Fortunately, we can change decide what sources of help might appropriately and control your temper. the way we react to unpleasant events work best for you. You may overuse suppression to pre- and gain control over anger and rage. vent anger, and as a result, risk Rage is an explosive, violent re- an explosive response to an enraging sponse to anger and is typically dis- event. Feeling out of control is a sign proportionate to the distress of the that more help is needed. precipitating event.

This information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your health care © 2005 DFA E003 provider or EAP for advice about a personal concern or medical condition.