Rotarians Learn About Anger Management

May 25, 2012 | Clubs & Organizations

Rev. Dan Wilford of Laredo, who leads group sessions in domestic violence and anger management at the North Central Missouri Mental Health Center, said about one in 10 persons attend on their own, realizing they need help with anger issues. The remainder come via referrals through various sources. Wilford teaches that a certain amount of anger is okay as long as the person knows how, or learns how, to express such emotion appropriately. Often when a person is angry, they talk too much. Other times the situation can escalate into destructive behavior. He offered several techniques for persons who feel they’re getting angry about something, such as pausing and counting to 10; taking two or three deep breaths to help a person relax and think more clearly; and what he called the best tip, just taking a time out and getting away from someone you’re arguing with.
Among the causes of anger he noted were stress, frustration, fear, annoyance, disappointment and resentment. Rev. Wilford presented a quiz for Rotarians to honestly rate their level of anger with several true-false statements. He also presented another quiz with answers found in articles of the current Rotary magazine.
Also during the meeting, Rick Klinginsmith thanked the club for a nomination to receive a Rotary Heroes Award in honor of his community service work. He received the award at the Rotary district conference, held last weekend at Unity Village in the Kansas City area.