Unit 6.00: How Angry Am I? The Anger Thermometer

  A very helpful Conceptualization of Anger can be accomplished through the use of an "Anger Thermometer".  

Being Angry; versus Feeling Angry.

  IF I "am" Angry then that might be misunderstood with the notion that I am an Angry person.  But nobody wants to be thought of as an Angry Person.

  But if I say that I 'feel" angry, well that kind of breaks it down a little bit...

  Makes me seem more human -- less threatening.  

  The APA says, we should "Control Our Anger before It Controls US."  

"We all know what anger is, and we’ve all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage. Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life.

Anger can make you feel as though you’re at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion."

  "What is anger?  The nature of anger

  Anger is “an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage,” according to Charles Spielberger, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger. Like other emotions, it is accompanied by physiological and biological changes; when you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.

  Anger can be caused by both external and internal events. You could be angry at a specific person (such as a coworker or supervisor) or event (a traffic jam, a canceled flight), or your anger could be caused by worrying or brooding about your personal problems. Memories of traumatic or enraging events can also trigger angry feelings."  (Source).

  It sometimes helps to separate the things that i get angry about' from my Self.  So I am NOT angry... But rather I feel angry about certain things.

  So let's check the Anger Thermometer as a Model for understanding our anger.

  So Picture a Thermometer"  Naturally, hotter temps on this device indicate More Anger!  Go figure...  A big ball of Anger!

Hotter is toward the top of the thermometer -- like indicating more Anger.  

Colder is toward the bottom of the thermometer -- like indicating less Anger.  

Anger is a Feeling, Right?    A Sensation.  Angry Behavior is a Behavior still; 

Not a Feeling or a Sensation.

Our Goal Here is to get to where we can understand the Feeling and the Sensation a whole lot better; such that we can control the related Behaviors better.

  The idea here is to start learning how to Rate or Calibrate your anger.  It's good to know how angry a given situation might make you -- or might make someone else.  

  This way we can better prepare in advance, so as to prevent negative consequences of our Angry Behavior; or someone else's Angry Behavior.

  Think about it: Have you ever tried to Quantify your Anger???  LIke putting a score on each level of anger -- Like on a thermometer.

*** CLICK HERE to 

Complete the Anger Thermometer Worksheet. ***

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