Workbook on Anger Management for Teenage Boys. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Skills

Being a teenager is quite difficult: many responsibilities, studying, the need to decide on the future, the desire to stand out among peers, the aspiration for adults to take your opinion into account. And there are not always enough resources... to cope with all this. Often, emotional experiences pour out as anger and irritation, after which you feel pangs of conscience. Our society encourages the suppression of feelings (both excessive joy and sadness) — you should always be calm and collected, i.e., convenient for those around you. Perhaps, in response to your experiences, you were told something like «stop attracting attention», «don't make a mountain out of a molehill» or «just be a man». However, you cannot hide your feelings forever. This will lead to you becoming even more explosive, conflictual, intolerant of others, unsociable, or alienated. This workbook is designed for you to learn how to express your emotions, not suppress them, but also not to appear inadequate, nor to push people away with outbursts of anger or irritation.

«Many young people are unhappy and live like this for years simply because they do not even allow the thought that they may have anger management issues. It is not easy to acknowledge one’s imperfections, including uncontrollable outbursts of anger. Teenagers feel that any problems, failures, or a lack of skills only confirm their inferiority, so they try to hide their shortcomings and deny their existence».

Thomas J. Harbin