Airmen improve mental health by managing anger

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
A staff sergeant wakes to the annoying buzz of his alarm. He rolls out of bed and begins his day. As he is leaving his apartment his cell phone rings and his supervisor asks where he's at. The staff sergeant sighs and realizes today was the first day of spring and he forgot to set his clock ahead one hour for daylight-saving time. He rushes out the door, gets in his car and races out of the parking lot. As he enters the on-ramp to the freeway he sees a sea of red lights. Traffic is backed up for miles. He groans and starts rubbing his head, which is already aching.

These events start to upset him because he has rarely been late for anything, and it's only Monday. How can he get through the week before he has an event that really gets him angry?

Anger is an emotion everyone expresses but some people express it differently. Some people accept things they can't control and others lash out when they have been faced with too much.

Nevertheless, Warren's Mental Health Clinic is here to help. The staff offers a monthly anger management class for Airmen who are having difficulties coping with their anger.

Anger management is a prevention-based class, said Glenn Garcia, family advocacy outreach manager and the instructor of the class. If Airmen can get some education and express initial concerns they have in their life, most of them can work through their anger problems without having to progress to a more intensive level of counseling.

In the two-hour class, Airmen will learn basics on coping, anger signals and reading their body language so they can avoid getting angry. Mr. Garcia said one of the most important things he can teach is learning what can be controlled and what can't be controlled.

"Sometimes the Airmen who come to anger management are focusing their energy and their thought process on things they don't have any control over, and that's not healthy," he said. "If someone can be realistic and accept the fact they can't control everything, they can work through any issue they're having with anger."

Controlling emotion is an important part of anger management but paying attention to early warning signs can help someone realize they are getting angry, said Mr. Garcia.

Warning signs fall into four basic categories: physical, behavioral, situational and emotional.

Some examples of these warning signs are clenching fists, racing mind, tensing limbs, clenching jaw or grinding teeth, shaking feet, racing heart, being defensive and standing, raising voice or leaving a situation. Any of these signs could mean someone is getting aggravated, Mr. Garcia explained.

If Airmen can identify one or more of these signals they can find when they are getting more aggravated and determine what it was that was upsetting them, he said. "It's an important part of anger management to be able to notice when you are getting angry, and avoiding the point where you are enraged."

Once someone notices some of the early warning signs there are some steps taken to try and get back in control.

Take a timeout and get away from the situation, take a few slow, deep breaths or try counting to 10, Mr. Garcia said. It's important to sense when a person's anger is elevating and trying to reduce it, rather than letting the situation take control. It's okay for Airmen to take a minute, get their thoughts straight and then go back and address the issue.

Another helpful anger-reduction method is staying active by working out or playing sports, Mr. Garcia said. "Sports help release a build up of stress and help with overall health. It's a positive way to relieve daily stress."

Finally, the staff sergeant arrives at work, almost two hours late. The supervisor calls the staff sergeant into his office to talk. Calmly the staff sergeant explains the situation and the supervisor seems to understand. The staff sergeant remembered some techniques he learned in anger management, and realized traffic was something he couldn't control and he was able to let it go after listening to some music and counting to 10, allowing the situation calm down. He then accepted he was late and there was nothing he could do but remain calm and drive safely.