Anger Management Classes for the Angriest Americans

  

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A new study has found some common characteristics for angry Americans.  Here's some excerpts from the Fox News article Study Reveals the Angriest Americans:

A national survey of 1,800 Americans aged 18 and older questioned participants on how and when they feel angry in order to build "a broader social portrait of anger in the United States," said study researcher Scott Schieman, now at the University of Toronto.

These angry emotions range from mild annoyance to yelling and feelings of outrage.

While anger is a normal human emotion, it could be detrimental if you hold on to it too long. And those who express their anger might actually live longer than those who keep it bottled in, one study found.

The results of the survey, conducted in 2005 and to be published next year, showed several key connections to anger.

For one, people under 30 experienced anger of all forms or intensities more frequently than did older adults. This was mainly due to the fact that young people are more likely to be affected by three core stressors that can trigger angry feelings, Schieman said:

- Time pressures;

- Economic hardship;

- Interpersonal conflict at the workplace.

Time pressures had the strongest link to anger, especially low-grade versions termed "feelings of annoyance," the study found.

Those who were under financial strain tended to report higher levels of anger, a connection that could be particularly important in today's flagging economy, Schieman noted. The financial influence tended to be stronger among women and younger adults.

Having children was also associated with angry feelings and behaviors, such as yelling, particularly in women, the survey found.

Here are some of my thoughts on these findings based on my anger management classes for angry men.  The time pressures connection is definitely accurate.  A guy I'm currently working with has said that one of the triggers for his anger is when his wife is late.  What happens for him, and a lot of other men, is not just the time pressure to be somewhere or meet a commitment, but also not being in control that sets him off.

Financial pressures are also a connection to anger that I see regularly -- although this doesn't mean just men who are struggling financially have anger management problems.  Many financially successful men struggle with anger due to the job pressures that come with their success.  Contrary to the research, my experience hasn't shown financial pressures to be a stronger influence on women than men, but actually the opposite.

Interpersonal conflicts are common anger triggers for men, but more so at home, especially with a wife or partner, than at work.  The men I've worked, as a whole, have been better able to manage their anger at work than at home.  Children are another common trigger for anger for men.  A couple of men I've worked with have gotten the angriest dealing with their 4 year olds.

If you're a man working on anger management, be on the lookout for these anger triggers for men: Time pressures, wanting to have control, job pressures, and your relationship with your wife and children.

What do you think of these triggers?