What are Anger Management Techniques for Mentally Ill Patients?

Anger management training educates people to deal with and experience their anger in healthy ways, and many people benefit from anger management courses. Anger management techniques for mentally ill patients are especially important because mental illness often causes extremely high levels of stress, and people with mental disorders may have difficulty expressing emotions and relating to others in healthy ways.

Identifying the signs

• Anger management techniques for mentally ill patients often start with identifying the physical signs of anger so patients can become aware of the signs of anger before escalating to rage level. By focusing on body cues, such as increased heartbeat, shortened breath, grinding teeth, headache, stomachache, sweating, or feeling hot, shaky or dizzy, mentally ill patients can alert themselves to start taking steps to relax.

Relaxation

• Relaxation is a central component of anger management techniques for mentally ill patients. By teaching basic stress-reduction tips, mental health professionals give patients the tools they need to calm down. Relaxation techniques may include deep breathing, identifying underlying emotions, exiting the situation or room, visualization or meditation, or yoga or other physical activities. Counselors may also use therapy pets, music and soothing surroundings to help mentally ill patients feel more at ease.

Talk therapy

• Talk therapy is another staple anger management techniques for mentally ill patients. Many mentally ill patients have trouble identifying their emotions, or they may feel controlled by their emotions, and venting their feelings to a trained professional can greatly reduce stress and anger. Therapists may encourage patients to use tools such as writing, painting and other forms of art to express their emotions. Another way for mentally ill patients to vent is to write letters to the person or thing that is causing their anger.

Other forms of therapy

• Some mental health professionals may also encourage patients to attend group therapy to learn to manage anger. In group therapy, participants can share with and support each other while learning about the feelings of anger we all experience at times. Assertiveness training can also be beneficial for mentally ill patients dealing with anger issues, as it can help patients learn to identify and assert their own needs in healthy ways without resorting to aggression, violence or suppression.