{"id":6172,"date":"2017-06-28T05:59:42","date_gmt":"2017-06-28T09:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6172"},"modified":"2017-07-06T06:09:01","modified_gmt":"2017-07-06T10:09:01","slug":"police-psychology-anger-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6172","title":{"rendered":"Police Psychology: Anger!! Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Police Psychology:\u00a0 Anger!! Part 1<\/h1>\n

by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP<\/span><\/p>\n

Police Psychology is always dealing with how to keep officers less emotionally \"Policereactive, in particular, not reacting out of anger.\u00a0 \u00a0We all experience moments of frustration\u2014moments where we just feel like lashing out at everyone and everything around us because things aren\u2019t working out for us in the ways we wanted. \u00a0Frustration is the emotion we feel when we are being opposed, blocked from reaching a goal we want, or barred from doing something we want to do. Frustration is very common, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. Frustration can also range from mild to severe, depending on the circumstance. For instance, if you wanted to make it through a green light before it turned red, but by the time you got there it was too late, you\u2019d probably experience minor frustration. \u00a0On the other hand, if Notre Dame football has another defensive lineman injured on a jet sweep from a stupid cut block and the referee refuses to call it because he hates the Irish when they have a supposedly inferior opponent\u2026 wait I am losing it again. \u00a0I need to find a wall to punch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cycling Your Frustration
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A typical response to frustration is anger\u2014anger at your boss for making you redo your work, anger at your teacher for giving you a bad grade on a paper you spent hours doing, anger at the guy in the car next to you for cutting you off. \u00a0When the anger comes from re-living the same incident over and \"Policeover, I call this \u201cCycling\u201d\u2014spinning the frustration into anger, saying the same thing over and over until anger builds from your frustration, and then frustration from your anger. \u00a0Cycling is a never-ending mess which can have some dangerous consequences, especially if it leads you to say something you know you will regret later. \u00a0It is not uncommon for this cycling<\/em> to turn into something psychologists call the frustration-aggression-displacement syndrome (everything is a syndrome in psychology).\u00a0 Frustration-aggression-displacement is when you are frustrated at something or someone, but you know you can\u2019t do anything about it. For instance, it is not going to be helpful to yell back at your boss or teacher when they do something that frustrates you, because they have a higher authority than you do, and getting angry with them won\u2019t help assuage your frustration. \u00a0So, what do you do? You go home and yell at your wife, or your children, or you kick your dog, or yell at a waiter, or go into a road rage by driving like an idiot\u2014you lash out at people who can\u2019t or won\u2019t fight back. \u00a0In doing so, you are alleviating your frustration through aggression directed at people who are not responsible for your frustration. \u00a0This is not only unhealthy for you and the people around you, it is also dangerous, and can lead to a downward spiral of increasingly harmful behavior. \u00a0And research shows it can lead to heart attacks, cancer, rashes, organ dysfunction, etc. \u00a0Yes, the open expression of anger and frustration has been shown in statistical research to be worse than holding it in. \u00a0Sort of the opposite of what shrinks have told us in the past.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lower the Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So, what do we do about it? \u00a0Well, when I was in graduate school they had these things called batakas.\u00a0 A bataka was a foam bat that you would hit the walls, or the couch with, or even you mother or father with and you supposedly would get out all your anger and aggression.\u00a0 I am assuming a bunch of psychologists got pillow-punched into the hospital because they have seemed to have disappeared.\u00a0 \u00a0Or their patient died of heart attacks when they were bataka-ing their spouses and they got sued.\u00a0 But police psychology<\/strong> is still looking for new ways to make police officers and other individuals less reactive. \u00a0If frustration is a common, and often automatic response to different stimuli that occur to us, is there really something we can do to prevent it? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer to this is no. Frustration is natural and normal\u2014when we are faced with opposition, it is not unusual to feel thwarted and bothered. \u00a0Indeed, frustration is not necessarily a bad thing. \u00a0It can be used to motivate you to perform better in the future. \u00a0Or it can be used as an indicator to point out what areas in your life need improvement. \u00a0For example, if you find yourself constantly getting frustrated because you lose important items, this can indicate to you that you should try for some organization in your life, not letting the entropy consume your life<\/a>. \u00a0If you find yourself getting frustrated that you can\u2019t communicate with your spouse as well as you did before, perhaps that is an indication you need to go to marital counseling, and adjust your life\u2019s paces accordingly.\u00a0 Frustration is nature\u2019s warning signal, and we should never shut that down.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, frustration-aggression-displacement<\/em> can and should be prevented. Frustration in and of itself is nothing to get concerned about, but the way you respond to frustration should be appropriate and reasonable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Police3 Steps To Help Prevent Frustration Cycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Stop the Cycle. For frustration-aggression, the aspect that must be stopped in its tracks is not the frustration, it is the anger, the misplaced aggression you exhibit in response to the frustration. So, the first solution is to stop the cycle\u2014prevent your frustration from spiraling down into anger and aggression. You can do this with a thought stopping technique, a relaxation technique, or even a programming technique. For example the simple one I use is to have the person say ANGER-STOP-THINK 400-500 times a day while driving or something.\u00a0 When they get angry they automatically stop and think.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Another one is when something upsets or frustrates you, take a moment and inhale deeply. \u00a0Do this a few times until you calm down. Or close your eyes and count to 10. \u00a0Don\u2019t act hastily, because that is how you end up doing something you\u2019ll regret. \u00a0Your first line of defense is awareness\u2014accepting that this is something you do, and this is something you need to work on. Once you are aware of this cycling behavior, you can begin to stop the cycle in its tracks.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Look at the bigger picture. Sometimes, just embracing the idea that there is a bigger picture can help prevent you from lashing out in anger. If you are frustrated by something, you should take a moment to think: \u201cYelling back at my boss is not going to solve anything. It\u2019ll just make the situation worse\u2014I will get fired.\u201d Or, \u201cIt is not my child\u2019s fault that I did not get the promotion today.\u201d Or even, \u201cI know losing the car keys seems like the end of the world now\u2014this is just a random bad thing<\/a> that happened to me, but that doesn\u2019t mean everyone is deliberately against me.\u201d \u00a0Stepping back and looking at the situation objectively, through the eyes of a zoomed-out camera lens, can prevent you from doing or saying something out of misplaced frustration.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Think of effective ways to use the energy. \u00a0In police psychology<\/em>, we want people to understand that energy is everywhere and can be used effectively. Everything\u2014every emotion, every movement, every feeling\u2014has energy. \u00a0The trick is to use the energy of your frustration in effective ways. \u00a0Sublimation is when you take negative or dangerous energy and use it in a productive or constructive way. \u00a0For example, if you are feeling frustrated, go for a run or go to the gym and let out all your grief that way. \u00a0Or if you enjoy art, channel your unchecked emotions through art\u2014paint or draw or write about it. \u00a0Whatever hobbies you enjoy doing, use that to sublimate the energy of your frustration. \u00a0This is a much healthier way of releasing the built-up energy of frustration.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Site Administrator:\u00a0 Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    Please share this article from down below.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to your email.\u00a0 Also follow me on Twitter (https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThinBlueMind<\/a>) for other articles and ideas, and YouTube at\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCfjNw0510ipr3bX587IvAHg<\/a> .<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Police Psychology:\u00a0 Anger!! Part 1 by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP Police Psychology is always dealing with how to keep officers less emotionally reactive, in particular, not reacting out of anger.\u00a0 \u00a0We all experience moments of frustration\u2014moments where we just feel like lashing out at everyone and everything around us because things aren\u2019t working out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17165629],"tags":[17168920,17168864,17168831],"class_list":["post-6172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-emotions","tag-anger","tag-polcie-psychology","tag-police-stress"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3447,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=3447","url_meta":{"origin":6172,"position":0},"title":"Police Psychology | Angry!","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"July 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Anger! Nancy K Bohl-Penrod PhD, Director of the Counseling Team International and The Southern California Critical Incident Stress Management Team I am angry right now. \u00a0I am seething and boiling.\u00a0 I am sure many of you feel the same way.\u00a0 First there is Dallas and now Louisiana.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Emotions"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Emotions","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17165629"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6203,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6203","url_meta":{"origin":6172,"position":1},"title":"Police Psychology | Stress Inoculation: Not Just for Gunfights","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"July 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Stress Inoculation:\u00a0 Not Just for Gunfights by Patricia A. Robinson, Ph.D. Sonoita, Arizona \u00a0If you Google \u201cpolice stress inoculation shooting,\u201d you\u2019ll get about 300,000 results, with titles like \u201cWhy your firearms training MUST include stress inoculation drills.\u201d Acute stress induces the so-called \u201cfight or flight\u201d response, stimulating\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6253,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6253","url_meta":{"origin":6172,"position":2},"title":"Police Psychology: Anger!! Part 2 “Seeing Red”","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"July 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology:\u00a0 Anger!! Part 2\u00a0 Seeing Red by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.\u00a0 ABPP \u00a0 There are many that believe the expression of \u201cseeing red\u201d comes from when a Matador wants a bull to charge, he waves a red cape at him.\u00a0 The theory is the bull \u201csees red\u201d and gets\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Emotions"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Emotions","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17165629"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/color-blind-300x113.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2682,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=2682","url_meta":{"origin":6172,"position":3},"title":"Police Psychology | Too Much Ugly","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"June 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Police Psychology | Too Much Ugly By Robin Kroll, PsyD ABPP \u00a0 When officer Frank arrived at the scene of the crash, he knew immediately there was a fatality. He found the teenage driver ejected, lying on the side of the road, dying. In his attempt to give aid, he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":549,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=549","url_meta":{"origin":6172,"position":4},"title":"Police Psychology | You Change Your Underwear, Don\u2019t You","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"August 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | You Change Your Underwear, Don\u2019t You \u00a0 Police psychology is about change (and police stress\u00a0is often about dealing with change). It could be changing an officer\u2019s life, changing the behavior of a perpetrator, or choosing the officer who will go into an academy and have to deal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Change"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Change","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168881"},"img":{"alt_text":"Police Psychology Change 2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Police-Psychology-Change-2-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":842,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=842","url_meta":{"origin":6172,"position":5},"title":"Police Psychology | Apples to Orangutans: Life\u2019s Comparisons","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"November 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Apples to Orangutans: Life\u2019s Comparisons \u00a0 Police psychology has to constantly deal with comparisons cops make. It is essential to cut them off before they get to be a big problem. What comparisons you ask? \u201cI can\u2019t believe that every day I have to deal with Skylar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Thoughts"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Thoughts","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168878"},"img":{"alt_text":"Police Psychology, oragutans","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/oragutans-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60sbO-1By","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6172"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6209,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6172\/revisions\/6209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}