ATTACKING ANGER

A driver forces a fellow motorist off the road. A student assaults a classmate.

Across America, there's plenty of anger.

There are 1.5 million assaults in the workplace in the United States each year.

Fifty-seven percent of the nation's public elementary and secondary school principals reported incidents of violence at their schools in 1996-1997.

Over 6 1/2 years in the 1990s, some 10,000 incidents of violent, aggressive driving or road rage were reported on the nation's roads.

Del McKinney knows the statistics. An outpatient counselor with the Community Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau, McKinney has worked with clients to control their anger.

Last year, McKinney taught an anger management seminar. Twenty-two people attended the 1 1/2-hour seminar.

The Community Counseling Center also counsels individuals at the request of the state's Probation and Parole office.

Anger problems are "a little bit like alcoholism," McKinney said. "Sometimes the person doesn't recognize the problem."

Getting a person to recognize he or she has an anger problem is the first step toward getting it under control.

Claire Lafoon, director of education at the counseling center, said anger often arises from job, family and marital problems.

"A lot of people feel justified in their anger," she said.

McKinney doesn't view anger as good or bad in itself. The issue is how one copes with it.

Lafoon and McKinney said anger management counseling is designed to help people control how they respond when angry.

Lafoon said counselors try to help their clients recognize the physical warning signs that signal an impending anger explosion, such as sudden sweating, a tightness in the gut, a surge of adrenaline.

Actions like pacing the floor, making fists and raising one's voice often are signs of anger.

At such times, it is important to take a timeout, Lafoon said. Leave the scene until you can cool down.

"It is important to know that not much gets done productively when you are angry," she said.

People should avoid caffeine when they are trying to relax, McKinney said, because "it can make you more irritable."

In addition to caffeine, other drugs and alcohol also can lead to anger problems.

But outside of drugs and personal problems, anger is sometimes the result of a physical condition.

"There could actually be some brain problems where medication might be necessary," McKinney said.

Many people, though, can address anger through counseling. People can learn to control their behavior, he said.

Relaxation exercises can also help. Lafoon said relaxation is a skill that can be learned. "Soften your eyes. Quit glaring, staring or squinting," the center advises in a series of rules titled, "Climbing Down the Anger Ladder."

In addressing anger, Lafoon said counselors also try to help clients cope with the underlying issues that led to the anger.

Lafoon said it is important to get anger under control.

A person who can control his or her anger is a healthier person, she said. "People who are angry and hostile are more prone to heart disease."

Lafoon said angry individuals often think others should conform to their way of thinking.

"I think people who are angry a lot think in terms of shoulds," she said.

"Angry people have Velcro minds. Everything sticks," according to the center's "Climbing Down the Anger Ladder" rules.

Swearing only leads to more anger. People should avoid shouting and screaming. It only adds to the problem, counselors say.

Lafoon said anger management can benefit children, as well as adults.

"Our goal," Lafoon said, "is to help people be appropriately assertive."

CLIMBING DOWN THE ANGER LADDER

1. Take a timeout to avoid an angry confrontation.

2. Wipe the frown off your face, relax.

3. Quit trying to control others.

4. Accept that others have a right to their own opinions.

5. Ask, don't demand.

6. Reward, don't punish or threaten.

7. Speak quietly, don't swear.

8. Be responsible for what you say and do.

9. Treat others with respect.

10. Tell others what bothers you. Be direct, specific and polite.

Source: The community counseling Center

Check Your Anger

This quiz can help you recognize your level of anger and assess your need for anger management.

Circle yes or no to the following questions.

Yes No I became irritated or angry at relatively minor mistakes of others.

Yes No I tend to recall irritating incidents and get mad all over again, sometimes fuming for days.

Yes No Little annoyances have a way of adding up during the day leaving me frustrated, impatient or bitter.

Yes No When someone is late, I plan the angry words I'm going to say in response.

Yes No When someone cuts me off in traffic, I flash my lights, honk my horn, pound the steering wheel or shout.

Yes No I generally believe others are to blame for my problems.

Yes No. I believe that showing anger toward people over their mistakes will improve their performance.

Yes No I tend to focus on the person's personality instead of the issue when arguing.

Yes No When I get into an argument, I feel my pulse and breathing quicken and my jaws clench.

Yes No I tend to yell back if someone is yelling at me over the phone.

Yes No I frequently use obscenities in my speech.

Yes No I have been so angry with someone that I've thrown things or slammed a door.

SCORING:

If you circled yes three or less times, consider yourself generally cool headed; 4 to 7 times, anger and hostility may be hazardous to your health and relationships; more than 7, you have a high level of anger which most likely will endanger your health and relationships.

Source: The National Mental Health Association