Editing Anger (section)

===Therapy and behavioral strategies===
According to Leland R. Beaumont, each instance of anger demands making a choice.<ref>Leland R. Beaumont, Emotional Competency, [http://www.emotionalcompetency.com/anger.htm#path Anger, An Urgent Plea for Justice and Action] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629210133/http://www.emotionalcompetency.com/anger.htm#path |date=2017-06-29 }}, Entry describing paths of anger</ref> A person can respond with [[hostility|hostile]] action, including overt [[violence]], or they can respond with hostile inaction, such as withdrawing or stonewalling. Other options include initiating a dominance contest; harboring [[resentment]]; or working to better understand and constructively resolve the issue.

According to Raymond Novaco, there are a multitude of steps that were researched in attempting to deal with this emotion. In order to manage anger the problems involved in the anger should be discussed, Novaco suggests. The situations leading to anger should be explored by the person.<ref name="AngerTheory"/><ref>Novaco, R. (1975). Anger control: The development and evaluation of an experimental treatment. Lexington, MA: Heath.</ref>

Conventional therapies for anger involve restructuring thoughts and beliefs to bring about a reduction in anger. These therapies often come within the schools of CBT (or [[cognitive behavioral therapy]]) like modern systems such as REBT ([[rational emotive behavior therapy]]). Research shows that people with excessive anger often harbor and act on dysfunctional [[attribution (psychology)|attributions]], assumptions and [[evaluation]]s in specific situations. It has been shown that with therapy by a trained professional, individuals can bring their anger to more manageable levels.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Beck |first1=Richard |last2=Fernandez |first2=Ephrem |title=Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Anger: A Meta-Analysis |journal=Cognitive Therapy and Research |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=63–74 |year=1998 |url=http://www.acu.edu/img/assets/6655/Cognitive-Behavioral%20in%20the%20Treatment%20of%20Anger%20(A%20Meta-analysis).pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060905115446/http://www.acu.edu/img/assets/6655/Cognitive-Behavioral%20in%20the%20Treatment%20of%20Anger%20(A%20Meta-analysis).pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-09-05 |access-date=2007-02-05 |doi=10.1023/A:1018763902991 |s2cid=5209157 }}</ref> The therapy is followed by the so-called "stress inoculation" in which the clients are taught relaxation skills to control their arousal and various cognitive controls to exercise on their attention, thoughts, images, and feelings. "Logic defeats anger, because anger, even when it's justified, can quickly become irrational." ([[American Psychological Association]]). In other words, although there may be a rational reason to get angry, the frustrated actions of the subject can become irrational. Taking deep breaths is regarded as the first step to calming down. Once the anger has subsided a little, the patient will accept that they are frustrated and move on. Lingering around the source of frustration may bring the rage back.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control |title=Control anger before it controls you |publisher=American Psychological Association |access-date=20 July 2022 |archive-date=27 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727085305/https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control |url-status=live }}</ref>

The skills-deficit model states that poor [[social skills]] is what renders a person incapable of expressing anger in an appropriate manner.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Frederiksen | first1 = L.W. | last2 = Eisler | first2 = R.M. | year = 1977 | title = The control of explosive behavior: A skill development approach. In D. Upper (Ed.), Perspectives in Behavior Therapy. Kalamazoo, MI: Behaviordelia. Ranhiam, S., LeFebre, C., and Jenkins, J.O. 1980. The effects of social skills training on behavioral and cognitive components of anger management | journal = Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry | volume = 11 | pages = 3–8 }}</ref> Social skills training has been found to be an effective method for reducing exaggerated anger by offering alternative coping skills to the angry individual. Research has found that persons who are prepared for aversive events find them less threatening, and excitatory reactions are significantly reduced.<ref>Leventhal, H.. Emotions: A basic problem for social psychology. In C. Nemeth (Ed.), Social psychology: Classic and contemporary integrations. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1974.</ref> In a 1981 study, that used modeling, behavior rehearsal, and videotaped feedback to increase anger control skills, showed increases in anger control among aggressive youth in the study.<ref>Kolko, D.J., Dorsett, P.G., and Milan, M. (1981). A total assessment approach to the evaluation of social skills training: The effectiveness of an anger control program for adolescent psychiatric patients. Behavioral Assessment, 3, 383–402.</ref> Research conducted with youthful offenders using a social skills training program (aggression replacement training), found significant reductions in anger, and increases in anger control.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Glick | first1 = B. | last2 = Goldstein | first2 = A.P. | year = 1987 | title = Aggression replacement training | journal = Journal of Counseling and Development | volume = 65 | issue = 7| pages = 356–361 | doi = 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1987.tb00730.x }}</ref> Research has also found that antisocial personalities are more likely to learn avoidance tasks when the consequences involved obtaining or losing tangible rewards. Learning among antisocial personalities also occurred better when they were involved with high intensity stimulation.<ref>Reid, D., Dorr, J., Walker & J Bonner (eds.), New York: Norton (1971).</ref> [[Social learning theory]] states that positive stimulation was not compatible with hostile or aggressive reactions.<ref>Bandura, A. Aggression: A social learning analysis. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973.</ref> Anger research has also studied the effects of reducing anger among adults with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), with a social skills program approach that used a low fear and high arousal group setting. This research found that low fear messages were less provocative to the ASPD population, and high positive arousal stimulated their ability to concentrate, and subsequently learn new skills for anger reduction.<ref>Sanderlin, T.K., and Cellini, H.R., "Anger Management Intervention with Offender Populations". Offender Programs Report, Vol. 2. No. 4, November/December 1998.</ref>

A new integrative approach to anger treatment has been formulated by Fernandez (2010).<ref>"Toward an Integrative Psychotherapy for Maladaptive Anger", ''International Handbook of Anger''.</ref> Termed CBAT, for cognitive behavioral affective therapy, this treatment goes beyond conventional relaxation and reappraisal by adding cognitive and behavioral techniques and supplementing them with effective techniques to deal with the feeling of anger. The techniques are sequenced contingently in three phases of treatment: prevention, intervention, and postvention. In this way, people can be trained to deal with the onset of anger, its progression, and the residual features of anger.