Myths about Anger

Anger is a feeling or emotion that ranges from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. Often times, many people confuse anger with aggression. Aggression is behavior that is intended to cause harm or injury to another person or damage property. 

Here are some following myths associated with anger. Keep track of the ones you thought were true.

Myth #1: ANGER IS INHERITED.
Evidence from research indicates that people are not born with set and specific ways of expressing anger. Rather, these studies show that the expression of anger is a learned behavior and a person can learn more appropriate ways to manage anger.

 Myth #2: ANGER AUTOMATICALLY LEADS TO AGGRESSION.
Aggression is not an effective way to manage anger. There are more constructive and assertive ways to express anger. Effective anger management skills involves controlling the escalation of anger by learning assertiveness skills, changing negative and hostile "self-talk," challenging irrational beliefs, and utilizing behavioral strategies.

 Myth #3: YOU MUST BE AGGRESSIVE TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.
Many people confuse assertiveness with aggression. The goal of aggression is to dominate, intimidate, harm, or injure another person. Also, known as to "win at any cost." The goal of assertiveness is to express feelings of anger that is respectful of other people. Expressing yourself in an assertive manner does not blame or threatens other people and minimizes the chance of emotional harm.

Myth #4: VENTING ANGER IS ALWAYS DESIRABLE.
Research studies have shown that people who vent their anger aggressively (such as screaming or beating on pillows, etc..) simply get better at being angry. Therefore, aggressive manner reinforces aggressive behavior.

 If you thought the majority of these myths were true, you may need help with managing your anger. Give us a call today. We can help you work towards creating a BETTER YOU.

WE'VE MOVED! Our new office location is 2881 Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306.  We accept insurance, private pay, and offer a sliding scale.  Kacee Tannenbaum, LCSW is a Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapist specializing in adults, children, and adolescences.  Give us a call today at 954-800-0108 to schedule an appointment. Take the first step in creating a better you.

5 Tips for De-bunking Stress

Modern life is full of hassels, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people stress has become a way of life. It has become their normal. STRESS is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. Stress isn't always bad. In small doses, it can actually make you perform better under pressure and motivate you to do you best. However, if you are constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the ulimate price. So the question, you must ask your self is... Am I in control of my stress or is stress controlling me? If stress is in control of your steering wheel, try these 5 tips: exercise daily, engage in relaxation techniques, talk to someone you trust, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. There is "no one size fits all solution" to managing stress. Most importantly focus on what makes you feel positive, calm, and in control. If you feel that you need more helpful tips for managing your stress, schedule a session and we will work together to get YOU in control of your stress. ~ Kacee Tannenbaum, LCSW

Let's get Communicating!

More and more people are coming into my office perplexed by communication within relationships. There are 3 important communication styles one should know. These are: aggressive, assertive, and passive. The most important communication style to display with other is assertiveness. I believe this is a characteristic we should all strive to have in our daily communication.

What is assertiveness? Assertiveness is being firm, direct, and honest with the person you are speaking with. It's respecting the rights of others and recognizing the importance of having your needs and rights respected as well. A person who displays assertiveness communication is confident about who they are and realize that they have choices about his or her life. Aggressive people are loud, bossy, and pushy. They dominate and intimate others as well as violate other's rights. This type of person "gets his or her way" at anyone's expense, steps on people, and reacts instantly. Lastly, passive communication is where an individual is unable to speak up for his or her rights, gets "stepped on" often, and is always very accommodating towards others. This communication style reminds me of the "proverbial doormat."

Now, analyze your own communication style. Which are you like? What do you need to do make a change? Need help with this change, call us at 954-800-0108.

~Kacee Tannenbaum, LCSW

The World Need Inspiration!

Life is diffcuilt, and no one said it was easy. Here is an inspirational poem that will surely have you standing TALL.
You Will Never See Me Fall
by Joyce Alcantara
You may see me struggle but you won't see me fall.
Regardless if I'm weak or not I'm going to stand tall.
Everyone says life is easy but truly living it is not.
Times get hard, people struggle and constantly get put on the spot.
I'm going to wear the biggest smile even though I want to cry.
I'm going to fight to live even though I'm destined to die.
And even though it's hard and I may struggle through it all.
You see me struggle...you will NEVER see me fall.

3 Tips to Loving Yourself

Self-love means that you forgive yourself of your past errors and mistakes; you continue to strive to be the BEST person you can be. It's important to note that loving yourself does not mean that you are selfish or condone your past mistakes. But simply you treat yourself fairly and with respect.

Here are three tips to help you love yourself:
1. Stop being hard on your self.
Beating yourself up may have the short term effect of making your work hard. However, the price of this may be costly in the sense of resentment to self, sense of defeat, and emotional scars.

2. Implement the Golden Rule and include your self.
The Golden Rule, as we teach to younger children, is to treat others as we would wish to be treated. What if we added a little twist to this? Treat ourselves the same standards as we treat others. You would never call you mother, best friend, or child "stupid." Why would you call yourself that?

3. Forgive your self.
Striving to be your best maybe one of your goals in life. However, it is important to cut your self some slack when you fall short of your expectations. Making a mistake or not being perfect is apart of being human. If you make a mistake or didn't give it your 100%, its okay. Simply, dust your shoes off, pick your self up, and move forward.

Love your self for who you are and all of your parts. Start today and love you!
Namaste ~Kacee Tannenbaum, LCSW