PTSD and anger worksheet
By
HappierTherapy
Author bio
The Happier Therapy editorial team is made up of Masters and PhD counselling psychologists. Each worksheet is created by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The worksheet then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
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What is the theory behind this PTSD and anger worksheet?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterised by various maladaptive emotional, psychological and physical symptoms that occur after an individual experiences a traumatic event. The presence of anger and aggression as one of the symptoms is recognized in the fifth edition of DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual). Dysregulated anger is a common cause for interpersonal conflicts, aggression and suicide risk in individuals with PTSD.
This worksheet is based on the ‘Radical Acceptance’ technique that is used in Dialectical Behaviour therapy. It teaches key skills to help an individual fully accept the reality of their situation without any judgements or self critical thoughts. This helps them move on from focusing on why the situation happened and ruminating on the past to what they can do to control their reactions in the present.
How will the worksheet help?
In this worksheet, clients will go through a series of questions that will help them grasp the reality of their situation and open their mind to accepting it as it is. This will help them direct their energy from the negative thoughts and emotions regarding their situation to coming up with a proactive plan to deal with their current circumstances.
How to use the worksheet?
This worksheet can be used as one of the anger management techniques in therapy. Instruct the client to use the worksheet for less negative situations first before progressing to more difficult ones. Relay the understanding that it is a difficult process but like any other skill it can also be learned with practice.