Anger management treatments focus on recognizing triggers to anger and learning how to deal better with the stressful situations to prevent destructive behavior. Even though there are different treatment methods for doing this, the most effective treatments are being active in the counseling sessions as well as continuing at-home homework. Cognitive behavioral therapy, reality therapy and self-help are three common forms of treatment for anger management.
CBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a method of treatment that focuses on how a person perceives the experiences leading to anger, how the anger is expressed and how to improve communication with others to prevent the unhealthy behaviors of poor anger control. CBT is a short term and active treatment. From the start of session with the therapist, the client learns and uses skills to decrease unhealthy responses to stress. It is common in CBT for the client to be educated about the physiology of anger, as well as the core beliefs underlying unhealthy anger patterns. CBT requires the client to complete homework tasks related to the therapy sessions to impact the learning process further.
Reality Therapy
Reality therapy is based on choice theory. Basically, this means motivation and behavior are inspired by a drive to meet specific and universal human needs, such as belonging, power, freedom and survival. Reality therapy for anger management is interactive. It focuses on stress management and recognizing the wants and needs that are not being met that influence the anger response. The client meets individually with a therapist to learn skills for managing stress, to form a healthy relationship and to learn techniques for understanding and managing emotions.
Self Help
Self help includes individualized learning or being a part of a support group focused on skill building for anger management. Typical areas of focus in self help include learning how to take a time out before responding to a distressing event, using physical activity as an emotional outlet and gaining problem-solving skills to manage anger-provoking situations. Additionally, support groups explore relaxation methods, such as breathing and meditation techniques, that can be used when anger is triggered. Support groups are not necessarily facilitated by a professional and are not meant to take the place of professional intervention.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Teen Pregnancy Risks
According to the National Campaign for Preventing Teen Pregnancy and the Guttmacher Institute, nearly 750,000 girls ages 15 to 19 become pregnant annually. Although this statistic is reportedly lower in recent years, it still indicates a high number of teenage pregnancies. Teen pregnancy carries many physical, social, emotional and psychological risks for teens as well as unborn babies.
Medical Risks
According to the National Institutes of Health, teens are at a higher risk for developing medical complications during pregnancy than pregnant females older than 20. Infants born to teens are also at a higher medical risk for low birth weight, prematurity and inadequate fetal growth. The Mayo Clinic indicates that pregnant teens are at higher risk due to a lack of knowledge about the kind of prenatal care required for healthy pregnancy. Teens are also more likely to be unaware of the health risks associated with substance use or unprotected sex. Pre-eclampsia, a condition in which the pregnant mother experiences dangerously high blood pressure, and high protein in the urine related to poor diet are common complications in first pregnancies. Pre-eclampsia may result in early delivery of the baby due to the risk of harm or potential death to the mother or baby.
Emotional and Psychological Risks
Adolescence is naturally a time of emotional turmoil in the development process. In addition to the normal trials of development, a teenage pregnancy may add emotional stress. The Mayo Clinic recognizes that pregnancy may often result in the teen feeling alienated from peers due to decreased likelihood of graduating with her high school class, increased potential for poverty due to lack of stable employment, and depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry further indicates that pregnant teens often have conflicting emotional reactions related to not wanting the baby, having unrealistic expectations about motherhood, or being overwhelmed by anxiety and fear of a future with a baby. The emotional turmoil may negatively impact the pregnancy causing undue stress. It could also potentially lead the teen mother to neglect her child.
Social Risks
Pregnant teens may be challenged with choices about the future and often there is a social cost to these choices. Teen moms often drop out of high school to raise their child; without a proper education, however, financial stability is unlikely. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy indicates that society pays the cost for teen pregnancy, especially in regard to the required public health care for pre- and post-natal medical follow up. If the teen is not fortunate enough to have a solid support system, the stress of financial instability and lack of peer support may lead to additional barriers in teen parenting success.
Medical Risks
According to the National Institutes of Health, teens are at a higher risk for developing medical complications during pregnancy than pregnant females older than 20. Infants born to teens are also at a higher medical risk for low birth weight, prematurity and inadequate fetal growth. The Mayo Clinic indicates that pregnant teens are at higher risk due to a lack of knowledge about the kind of prenatal care required for healthy pregnancy. Teens are also more likely to be unaware of the health risks associated with substance use or unprotected sex. Pre-eclampsia, a condition in which the pregnant mother experiences dangerously high blood pressure, and high protein in the urine related to poor diet are common complications in first pregnancies. Pre-eclampsia may result in early delivery of the baby due to the risk of harm or potential death to the mother or baby.
Emotional and Psychological Risks
Adolescence is naturally a time of emotional turmoil in the development process. In addition to the normal trials of development, a teenage pregnancy may add emotional stress. The Mayo Clinic recognizes that pregnancy may often result in the teen feeling alienated from peers due to decreased likelihood of graduating with her high school class, increased potential for poverty due to lack of stable employment, and depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry further indicates that pregnant teens often have conflicting emotional reactions related to not wanting the baby, having unrealistic expectations about motherhood, or being overwhelmed by anxiety and fear of a future with a baby. The emotional turmoil may negatively impact the pregnancy causing undue stress. It could also potentially lead the teen mother to neglect her child.
Social Risks
Pregnant teens may be challenged with choices about the future and often there is a social cost to these choices. Teen moms often drop out of high school to raise their child; without a proper education, however, financial stability is unlikely. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy indicates that society pays the cost for teen pregnancy, especially in regard to the required public health care for pre- and post-natal medical follow up. If the teen is not fortunate enough to have a solid support system, the stress of financial instability and lack of peer support may lead to additional barriers in teen parenting success.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Alcohol Effects
the United States alcohol use is involved in the majority of social activities and is glamorized through media on a daily basis. What is less glamorized is the consequences of long term alcohol abuse. Last year an estimated 115,000 people were diagnosed with a chronic liver disease from alcohol abuse. There is a fine line between alcohol abuse and use but a lifetime of problems that can occur from not knowing the difference.
Alcohol abuse occurs when drinking becomes patterned and is followed by an increased inability to maintain daily obligations, increased risk of engaging in dangerous behavior, and the development of problems in a relationship that are a result of the substance use. When alcohol is abused it can impact the physical body by limiting digestion, conversion, and absorption of essential nutrients to the cells. Overtime this creates organ malfunction leading to liver disease, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and/or pancreatitis. The ultimate physical health problem resulting from alcohol abuse is death, which for most would be a more plausible consequence than living with the pain of organ shut down for unknown periods of time.
Alcohol abuse can lead to cognitive deficits such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome attacks the brain and leads to memory loss, story confabulation, hallucinations, and confusion due to the lack of thiamine required by the body to function. Depression, sexual dysfunction, and in some cases attempts at suicide are psychological problems that can ensue from long term alcohol abuse. Relationships often deteriorate due to alcohol abuse and in many cases the alcohol abusing partner can become violent toward the household. For further reading about long term effects of alcohol abuse check out http://www.aamft.org/families/Consumer_Updates/SubstanceAbuseandIntimateRelationships.asp , http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/wernicke_korsakoff/wernicke-korsakoff.htm .
If you have questions about alcohol abuse or think you have an alcohol abuse problem there is local help available. Contact http://www.kc-aa.org/ to find an anonymous support group or to talk with a local specialist about options for help.
Alcohol abuse occurs when drinking becomes patterned and is followed by an increased inability to maintain daily obligations, increased risk of engaging in dangerous behavior, and the development of problems in a relationship that are a result of the substance use. When alcohol is abused it can impact the physical body by limiting digestion, conversion, and absorption of essential nutrients to the cells. Overtime this creates organ malfunction leading to liver disease, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and/or pancreatitis. The ultimate physical health problem resulting from alcohol abuse is death, which for most would be a more plausible consequence than living with the pain of organ shut down for unknown periods of time.
Alcohol abuse can lead to cognitive deficits such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome attacks the brain and leads to memory loss, story confabulation, hallucinations, and confusion due to the lack of thiamine required by the body to function. Depression, sexual dysfunction, and in some cases attempts at suicide are psychological problems that can ensue from long term alcohol abuse. Relationships often deteriorate due to alcohol abuse and in many cases the alcohol abusing partner can become violent toward the household. For further reading about long term effects of alcohol abuse check out http://www.aamft.org/families/Consumer_Updates/SubstanceAbuseandIntimateRelationships.asp , http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/wernicke_korsakoff/wernicke-korsakoff.htm .
If you have questions about alcohol abuse or think you have an alcohol abuse problem there is local help available. Contact http://www.kc-aa.org/ to find an anonymous support group or to talk with a local specialist about options for help.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Body Image
http://www.examiner.com/x-38895-Kansas-City-Mental-Health-Examiner~y2010m2d18-Kansas-City-supports-healthy-body-image
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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