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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Janya Marshall (865) 541-8276 DEALING WITH ANGER Everyone gets angry. People are said to "lose their cool" or "hit the roof." Anger can also be a good thing. When children are treated unfairly, anger can help them stand up for themselves. The hard part is learning what to do with these strong feelings. Many things can make children and teens angry, and it is important for them to be taught how to handle these emotions and stresses. "We have many different emotions, and anger is just another way we feel," said Regina Johnson, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. "It is perfectly okay for a child to be angry at times - in fact, it's important to get angry sometimes. Anger, however, must be released in the right way." Children and teenagers may get frustrated when things don't go their way, when they do not understand homework, or when their team loses an important game. Frustration generally leads to anger, and anger must be controlled. There are different ways that people feel anger. Usually a person's body will tell them they are angry. People tend to breath faster, their face may turn red, muscles tense, and fists may get clenched when they are angry. Anger also may make people talk louder or even yell. Some children and teenagers keep their anger buried deep inside. "If a child or a teenager holds their anger in, they may experience a headache or their stomach may begin to hurt," Johnson said. "It is not good to hide anger; finding a way to let it out without hurting themselves or others is the best solution." It helps to offer a listening ear if a child or teen is angry. Once anger and the situation is talked about, bad feelings usually start to disappear. East Tennessee Children's Hospital offers the following list of "anger busters" to help children, teenagers and even adults when they are angry:
Never getting angry is impossible. Instead, remember that it is how a person responds to anger that can make a situation better or worse. Children-and adults-should take charge and don't let anger control them. For more information on dealing with anger, visit the Children's Hospital Web site at www.etch.com or call the Children's Hospital Community Relations Department at (865) 541-8165. East Tennessee Children's Hospital is a private, independent, not-for-profit pediatric medical center which has served the East Tennessee region for over 65 years and is certified by the state of Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center. Editor's Note: Children's Hospital's Healthy Kids program is a community education initiative of the Community Relations Department. The program serves as an education resource for parents by offering classes, literature and other opportunities for learning how to improve the health and well being of children. For more information or to sign up for classes, call the Healthy Kids Hotline at (865) 541-8262. |
