Explore Dr. Pat's expert advice on CTV News Calgary with Teri Fikowski about managing road rage. Discover practical strategies for staying calm and emotionally regulated while driving, and learn how to navigate the roads with increased safety and peace of mind.
In this article, I discuss anger management skills derived from analyzing points in the sequence of an anger episode. In my last article, I discussed the value of analyzing anger episodes as detailed in the excellent book, Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook For Practitioners by Drs. Howard Kassinove and Raymond Chip Tafrate. These analyses go through the sequence of events which occur in situations in which a person has challenges in managing their anger. Skills and strategies are identified to address challenges which occur at different points in the sequence of the episodes. While my last article focused on the sequence of events comprising an anger episode, in this article I will discuss skills and strategies which can be used to manage anger effectively at different points in the sequence of an episode. I will do so in the following sections...[more]
In this article, I discuss how various anger management skills can be identified by analyzing how episodes of anger unfold. A common issue for which clients seek help is managing their anger. They are typically looking for strategies to reduce the intensity of their anger and, more importantly, strategies to help them manage the verbal and behavioural reactions to their anger. Various strategies for managing anger can be identified by analyzing anger episodes as detailed in the excellent book, Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook For Practitioners by Drs. Howard Kassinove and Raymond Chip Tafrate. These analyses go through the sequence of events which occur in situations in which a person has challenges in managing their anger. Skills and strategies are identified to address challenges which occur at different points in the sequence of the episodes...[more]
In this article, I discuss how to strike a balance between exposing yourself to challenging situations and avoiding those situations. For various issues in therapy, a go-to treatment is exposure. This entails repeatedly entering and remaining in challenging situations rather than avoiding them. Exposure works because, over time, the person learns that they can cope with the situation’s challenges. This is typically accompanied by experiencing a significant and lasting reduction in the intensity of emotions they experience in the situation. In contrast, avoidance spares the person from experiencing short-term discomfort but deprives them of the more substantial and lasting long-term benefits which come from exposure. So, it seems that choosing exposure over avoidance is a ‘slam dunk’. However, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, although exposure is ultimately preferred over avoidance, there are many instances in which it is wise to strike a balance between exposure and avoidance. In the following sections, I will use examples from several issues to illustrate this point...[more]
In this article, I discuss a therapy technique most commonly used as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder but which is also effective with many other issues. The go-to treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is exposure and response prevention (ERP). This treatment consists of two steps. In the first step known as exposure, the client deliberately exposes themselves to situations which lead them to have obsessive thoughts along with strong accompanying anxiety. In the second step known as response prevention, the client is prevented from performing their usual response to the obsessive thoughts and accompanying anxiety—engaging in compulsive behaviours to avoid thinking the obsessive thoughts and experiencing the strong anxiety. Preventing the response of engaging in compulsive behaviours forces the client to sit with the anxiety stemming from their obsessive thoughts. Doing so over a prolonged period results in the intensity of their anxiety diminishing in a lasting way rather than seeing it diminishing only temporarily by performing the compulsive behaviours. The desensitization or habituation which results from prolonged exposure and response prevention is indicative of success in addressing OCD. Fortunately, there are many other therapy issues which can be addressed by using ERP. I will discuss how this treatment is used to address these issues in the following sections...[more]
In this article, I discuss strategies to manage frustration and anger in order to reduce the likelihood of aggression. In my last article, I discussed the differences among the concepts of frustration, anger, and aggression as well as how they interact with each other in everyday situations. Much of the discussion focused on how the experience of frustration and subsequent anger often leads to aggressive behaviour. Although unfortunately frustration, anger and aggression often operate in tandem as described in my last article, such a sequence of events culminating in the negative outcome of aggression is not inevitable. In the following sections, I will discuss strategies you can learn and apply to manage the emotions of frustration and anger to reduce the likelihood of behaving aggressively when you experience these emotions...[more]
In this article, I discuss the differences among the concepts of frustration, anger, and aggression as well as how they interact with each other in everyday situations. Three psychological concepts which are often discussed in tandem with each other are frustration, anger, and aggression. Given that many situations we encounter give rise to their co-occurrence, it is tempting to view them as interchangeable. In fact, despite their often appearing together they are distinct concepts. In the following sections, I will describe how frustration, anger and aggression differ from each other and how they interact with each other in situations we encounter...[more]
In this article, I discuss how you can use an anxiety management tool to help you manage anger. One of the most effective tools which I teach my clients to use to manage their anxiety is the PR Plan which was created by psychologist Dr. Kathleen Mooney. Since I began using this tool for clients with issues involving anxiety, I have also found it to be helpful for many of my clients who have the goal of managing their anger more effectively. In the following sections, I will first revisit how the PR Plan is used for the purpose for which it was created—managing anxiety—and then discuss how it can be adapted for the additional use of managing anger..,[more]
In this article, I discuss various strategies which you can use to calm down. Many clients with whom I work benefit from having strategies which they can use to calm down or ‘self-soothe’. These strategies are called for when the person is experiencing one or more emotions at a level of intensity which is uncomfortable, hard to manage and at times overwhelming. Being unable to calm down at these times often results in the person having difficulty managing their verbal and behavioural reactions. In turn, this often has negative effects on the individual or others with whom they are interacting. As an example, consider an athlete or other performer whose inability to calm themselves before or during a performance results in their experiencing a level of anxiety so strong that it leads them to perform at a level below their capabilities. Or think of someone who has to deal with stressful situations and challenging people in their work. Being unable to calm down may result in their having difficulty managing their stress and anger. This may leads them to make too many mistakes and to get involved in altercations which puts their employment in jeopardy. Fortunately, there are many strategies of different types which a person can use to calm themselves in these and other situations. And like with most psychological skills, you will become more proficient at these strategies the more you practice them. I will discuss these strategies in the following sections..[more]
In this article, I discuss how you can target different kinds of thoughts and behaviours for positive change depending on which emotional issues you are trying to address. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a research-based form of treatment which focus on helping clients make changes in their cognitions (thoughts) and in their behaviours to address their issues. Often the issues which the client seeks to address using CBT involve the experience of intense emotions which are having a negative impact on major areas of one’s life such as work, school, relationships and leisure activities. Among the problematic emotions in these issues are sadness or depressed mood, anxiety, anger, frustration and guilt. CBT focuses on lowering the intensity of these and other emotions to manageable levels by making changes in cognitions and behaviours. However, the kinds of cognitions and behaviours which are targeted varies depending on which emotion is being addressed. I will discuss this in the following sections...[more]
