Economic Crises Fuels Stress and Anger

One of the unfortunate consequences of the tragedy of 9/11 was a nationwide increase in the incidence of anger, stress, PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Research conducted by the Rand Corporation and the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA Medical Center indicated that the impact of this disaster on vulnerable persons was the same, independent of the proximity to New York or Washington, D.C.

The current worldwide economic crisis is having the same impact as 9/11. Mental health providers, certified anger management providers and family medicine practitioners in the U.S., Canada and Europe are reporting an increase in all of the disorders mentioned above.

Stress is so widespread that even clergy and the faith based community is opting to have select members of their congregations trained and certified in anger management, stress, management, communication and emotional intelligence.

The San Francisco the Pubic Defender, Jeff Adachi, has concluded that the role of the public defender should also include violence prevention and anger management for at-risk youth.

Stress is a common system that serves to create or exacerbate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anger, anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

Unlike anxiety, depression, substance abuse and PTSD, anger is not a mental or emotional disorder and is not responsive to counseling, psychotherapy or psychotropic medication. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association maintain that unhealthy anger is a lifestyle issue and therefore not a subject of interest to the APA.

The most appropriate intervention for problem anger, stress, aggressive communication and rage is anger management. Certified Anger Management Facilitators are trained to provide non-psychiatric assessments designed to determine a clients’ level of functioning in recognizing and managing anger, recognizing and managing stress, styles of communication and emotional intelligence. Following the assessment, the client is given a workbook and skill enhancement assignment in all of the areas mentioned above.

For a list of Certified Anger Management Facilitators, click visit: http://www.andersonservices.com/providers.html.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org