Taking Charge of Anger: Six Steps to Asserting Yourself Without Losing Control

By W. Robert Nay

Book Overview

This straight-talking book--grounded in over 25 years of experience--has already helped many tens of thousands of readers understand and manage destructive anger in all its forms. Anger expert Dr. Robert Nay guides you to: *Figure out which of the five "faces of anger" are a problem for you, from passive-aggression to all-out rage. *Recognize the early warning signs of anger in your physical sensations and thoughts. *Master cooling-off strategies that work in the heat of the moment. *Identify and change unrealistic expectations you have for yourself and other people. *Communicate effectively when differences arise. *Practice your new skills in everyday life--until they become second nature. The second edition includes a new chapter on forgiveness, plus updated examples and resources. If anger is getting in the way of your goals--or disrupting the relationships most precious to you--the time to make changes is now.

See also Dr. Nay's Anger Management Workbook: Use the STOP Method to Replace Destructive Responses with Constructive Behavior, which helps you build core anger management skills using interactive exercises, and Overcoming Anger in Your Relationship: How to Break the Cycle of Arguments, Put-Downs, and Stony Silences.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1462502423
• ISBN13: 9781462502424
• Release Date: March 2012
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 289 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Provides a way to identify behavior issues AND gives methods to change them.

I have been greatly helped by this book. I've read others and had lackluster results mainly because they focus on identifying and classifying issues but fall short when it comes to weponizing the reader with techniques that achieve results. This text (like some others) begins by drawing the reader in with situational examples mapped to a breakdown of the underpinning anger types. There are self assessments to help guide the reader into better insights. This is further (and nicely) developed in Chapter 4 to give powerful techniques that allowed me address my own particular issues. By the time I completed Chapters 6 and 7 I was actively engaging effective methods that had real positives impacts on my life. The methods used are sensible, easy to apply and effective. I am a slow reader by comparison to most; however, I believe that I was served well by this. I would suggest reading this book at a pace that allows time to reflect and apply the techniques. It seems logical to me that the process of behavioral change is much slower than the process of understanding my issues, so taking the material in chunks allowed me time to manage these methods in an effective way. "Taking Charge of Anger" is allowing me to reframe the world in away that I can effectively cope; likewise, I am better equipped to be a more comfortable person to be around. Good luck on your particular journey.

Very practical and concrete book

This is an excellent self-help book. Several factors make this book stand out of the multitude of other books on anger management and psychological self-help. The book starts with a relatively short, but serious analysis of the anger phenomenon. The approaches suggested for anger management are very practical and concrete. For example, when the author talks about relaxation, he gives a detailed description of the relaxation technique and suggestions on how to master and practice it. The book presents a whole system for managing anger-provoking situations and for resolving the issues that cause anger in the first place. Many examples are given which are very relevant and serve both to illustrate the author's points and as sources of additional learning.

A LOT more than common sense here...

I found Dr. Nye's book on anger management extremely helpful. The book offers a pragmatic, organized approach to confronting anger that has set my life on a new track. Following the recommendations in the book has helped me not only rethink situations that affect my day, but also better see how situations affect others, and allow me to grow into a more compassionate human being. His ordered approach provides for an immediate improvement in handling anger. Each time I would reach a new roadblock in growth, the next chapter was there to help me reach the next level. In reading the book I found it vital to allow a brutally honest self-assessment in order to reap maximum benefit from Dr. Nye's recommendations - but there was no reason to cheat myself here since it was my life and my relationships that were on the line. If you have a serious anger problem, buy this book. If you don't think you have an anger problem but can't explain why your relationships are not as good as they might otherwise be, buy this book. If you believe your heritage or your childhood experience is a cause for your problems, buy and USE this book!! Being true to yourself, read and faithfully apply Dr. Nye's book, chapter by chapter. This method works!

comprehensive, practical and tremendously helpful

I have had a problem with my anger for the past 20 years and Dr. Nay's outstanding treatment of the six clearly defined steps of anger management was incredibly useful in helping me to identify my anger early on and to derail my anger before it gets the best of me. The chapters are easy to understand and logically move the reader from identifying your personal anger profile, to understanding how anger develops, to "dampen" anger arousal and to change the way you think (which is the inner trigger for anger in the first place). Also, Nay covers how to communicate your anger and to defuse another's ire directed to you. If you foul up and old habits reemerge, Nay covers how to get back on track. I highly recommend this book as tremendously helpful if anger has become a problem, or if you are in a relationship with someone who has an anger problem.

A "must-read" for taking back control over one's life

Taking Charge Of Anger is a straightforward self-help guide to learning how to experience and even use anger without letting it take control. Licensed clinical psychologist W. Robert Nay covers how to identify and prepare for common triggers of anger, learning how to dampen anger or identfy and change thoughts that fuel anger, skills for staying cool under fire, establishing new habits for managing anger instead of falling back into destructive old patterns, and much more. A "must-read" for taking back control over one's life, especially for anyone whose temper has cost them a job, a great opportunity, a relationship, or more.