Photo By Staff Sgt. Brahim Douglas | Lana Johnson (left), a Family Advocacy Program specialist, teaches an anger management...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – Military life can come with many stressors that can lead to anger, from working long hours to being separated from loved ones.
Lana Johnson and Tyrone D. McDuffie Jr. are two United States Army Family Advocacy Program specialists who teach an anger management workshop. These classes give soldiers specific tools on how to manage their reactions to situations and events that may cause anger.
“We see ourselves as part of the mission of the unit,” said Johnson. “We see anger management as an emotional and mental way to get ready for battle.”
The anger management workshop is based on utilizing the eight anger management tools outlined in the book, “Anger Management for The Twenty-First Century.”
The first tool is dealing with stress, which is essential in managing anger because stress and anger are often interlinked, said Johnson.
Other tools include empathy, responding instead of reacting, changing the conversation with yourself, and forgiving but not forgetting.
“Something I mention to all my students, is that you have to make this a practice in your life,” said McDuffie. “So much of what we do comes from habits, so now you got to start making new habits.”
One student who found success from the classes, is MSgt. Oliver Baker-Rowell, a human resources noncommissioned officer assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 290th Training Support Regiment. Baker shared that after being diagnosed with an invasive disease and moving to a new unit, she decided to go to the anger management workshop in hope of overcoming stress and continuing to be an effective leader.
“They made it possible for me to open up, and made a safe space to communicate,” said Baker.
She further elaborated that Johnson’s and McDuffie’s teaching style of relating their personal experience to those of the soldiers led to a classroom environment that allowed free flowing expression.
One tool taught in the anger management workshop that she now uses in her daily routine is journaling. It helps her to prepare for potentially stressful situations in the future.
“Journaling helps me to pinpoint the exact things that make me angry on that given day,” said Baker.
In addition to giving soldiers tools to manage anger, Johnson and McDuffie also educate students on the consequences of anger.
“Our classes have a direct impact on people's lives and also a direct impact monetarily that keeps them out of other trouble and other situations that can come up in their life,” said McDuffie.
He asks students to consider these questions “If you end up getting a divorce because of your anger, how much does that cost you? If you end up in the criminal justice system because you can't manage your anger, how much does that cost you? If you lose custody of your children because you can't manage your anger? How much does that cost you?”
Johnson and McDuffie emphasize that they hope soldiers utilize the tools they learn and that in the future more soldiers will attend the anger management workshop.
“Some people see the class as a stigma, but we all experience anger,” said Johnson. “It’s not anything to be ashamed of.”
The anger management workshop will continue to be held every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Army Community Service center here at Fort Bliss.
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2023 01:35 |
| Story ID: | 438322 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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