What's good about anger?

One week in art therapy group the talk came around to Anger and although several women had concerns about the emotional pain it brought to their lives only a few individuals had positive ways to deal with it. I promised to come up with a creative activity on the theme ...

Although I had spoken rather confidently inside I was concerned. There are many ways that individuals react to working on emotionally painful material and the conversation can quickly turn harsh making some people so uncomfortable they close in fear. There are mountains of material available online for that specific topic but I knew our situation called for something that could be easily completed in 45 minutes, leaving extra time for listening while each woman had an opportunity to share. The essential element was the conversations that happened while the individuals worked together.

At the same time, we needed to be able to provide some basic information on the benefits of anger: It alerts us that something is wrong. It motivates us to make changes and when expressed in healthy ways it can help build honest relationships.

In our Big Box of supplies there were several pairs of trouser socks, rolls and rolls of ribbons and bright decorative tapes. There were also magazines that had been thoroughly gleaned of any usable pictures. We wouldn't have the time or the skills to sew our own Dammit Dolls but the concept could be adapted to something similar but more suited to our needs. Plus, the idea of slamming a replica of a small person to release anger would not be well accepted under our group guidelines of respect and kindness. 

The magazines were rolled, taped and inserted into the socks which were then tied tightly. The women personalized them with the materials supplied. They were also given pre-printed tags to attach with this "poem"

Whenever things don't go so well 

 And you just want to scream and yell

Here's a little Dang-It toy

That you can use instead

Just grab it firmly by the top

And find a place to bang it

And as you bop the stuffing out

Say Dang-it Dang-it Dang-it !

As I demonstrated my example, the sharp crack startled me and others nearby. I used it as a teaching opportunity by apologizing and then banging it more lightly reminding them that the idea is to release the anger in a healthy not threatening way. I also stressed that the idea was not to ever use it as a weapon, please. Laughter at my mistakes often defuses tensions and gives permission for everyone to not be perfect.

By the time the group was finished we had compiled a list of suggestions that could be used to take positive action and move the anger out safely. We talked about how our work together might bring up residual rage and how to access mental health community resources. 

The activity activated a lively discussion of both positive and  inefficient ways of dealing with strong negative emotional reactions and reminded me of the value of non-judgmental conversation on a sensitive subject. From the comments made as group wrapped up the women were  appreciative of the opportunity to discuss a difficult issue in a supportive non-judgmental atmosphere.