Monthly Archives: September 2013

Anger Management Classes Help Develop Skills for Coping with Anger and Conflict

Anger Management seems to be a popular subject these days.  Anything from Charlie Sheen’s new television sitcom to court ordered anger management classes for celebrities, sports heroes and fans, and even politicians and your everyday Joe.  No one seems to know, understand or use proper anger management and rage control techniques and skills as basic as ‘think before you speak’ or just walk away until you cool off.  Unfortunately the lack of these skills can land you in legal hot water, jail or even in the hospital.
One thing is for sure, it does require an extra effort from those that seem to have a short fuse to begin with.It doesn’t have to be this way.  Some simple tools and skills for managing stress, emotions and anger are at your fingertips if you just learn to use them.
Tom Wilson, LCPC, suggests that even those that are not court ordered to take an anger management class should consider taking one BEFORE something explosive happens.  He has even developed a new Cognitive Self Change class that gives you the tools for dealing with volatile situations using new approaches to manage anger and resolve conflict.
Here are some suggestions to use in your life.
First, learn to recognize the cues of anger;
  1. Physical Cues (how your body responds; e.g., with an increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, feeling hot or flushed)
  2. Behavioral Cues (what you do; e.g., clench your fists, raise your voice, stare at others)
  3. Emotional Cues (other feelings that may occur along with anger; e.g., fear, hurt, jealousy, disrespect)
  4. Cognitive or thought Cues (what you think about in response to the event; e.g., hostile self-talk, images of aggression and revenge)

And second, use what are called “Anger Reducers” to deal with hot emotions before they trigger an aggressive response;

Anger Reducer #1: Deep Breathing
How to use: When you recognize your cues, tell yourself “Relax, stay cool or other words to signal the start or relaxation. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Imagine that you are trying to keep a feather a float with your breath. Use deep breathing until your cues subside.

Anger Reducer #2: Backward counting from 20 to 1
How to use: As soon as you experience a cue, start counting backwards from 20 to 1 until your cues are lessened. Repeat if necessary.

Anger Reducer # 3: Switch Thinking to a Calm Scene or Distraction
How to use: As soon as you experience an anger cue, it becomes your signal to switch your thoughts to a calm scene or distraction until you feel calmer.

Anger Reducer #4: Time Out
How to use: As soon as you experience your cues or see the other person getting too angry to talk to take a personal T/O (excuse yourself) or suggest you come back to the discussion later. It takes a minimum of 20 minutes to an hour before your flight or fight system can calm down.

We can’t always anticipate what will trigger our anger but we can control how we respond if we stop and think BEFORE we react.
ALL classes developed and monitored by Tom Wilson, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who is also a Certified Alcohol and Substance Prevention Specialist. Tom is the author of “Taming Anger and Aggression”, an anger management program which has been taught to hundreds of people at the counseling center over the last twelve years. He specializes in adapting evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs for delivery through the web and other electronic media.

Negative Effects of Alcohol on College Students

College Students and Drinking

Courtesy of Tom Wilson Counseling Online Classes
Think Safety First
An estimated 599,000 college students suffered alcohol-related injuries nationwide in 2011.
Approximately 1,800 college students die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries each year.
Strive for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind
One long island ice tea cocktail has up to 520 calories. That’s the same caloric content as a Quarter-Pounder with cheese from McDonald’s.
Do you think light beer will help you cut back on calories?  Think again.  Just one 12 oz Bud Light has 110 calories, but most people don’t have just one beer. If you drink five bottles of Bud Light you will consume the same number of calories that are in a small, healthy meal.
Save Your Money
If a student goes out to drink 3 nights per week and has 3 drinks per night, they will spend about $2,000 each semester.
The cost of replacing your lost cell phone is $100-$400.
The cost of missing 1 class due to a hangover can be as high as $200.
The cost of a DUI = $10,000 to $20,000. This depends on where you live.
Adding Up the Hours
How long does it take you to recover from a hangover?  How many nights do you regret and wish you could get back?

How else could this time be spent?

How about spending more time doing the things you actually like? You’d be surprised, how much more time you actually have after cutting out a few drinks on your night out. 

Maintain Your Image – It Could Affect Your Future

Photos of your night out can and do end up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. Your future employer will be looking.

37% of employers admit to using social media to pre-screen job applicants. 34% of these employers have not hired someone because of content they found on social media accounts.

What if your friends captured your night on video camera–would you like the person you see?

Keep People Close
Let’s face it, we’re different people after too many drinks. Don’t let alcohol get in the way of your relationships. One bad night could ruin a relationship or destroy a friendship.

According to one study, friends, roommates, and bystanders reported experiencing the following with students who had drank too much:

-23% had experienced an unwanted sexual advance
-11% had been pushed, hit, or assaulted
-36% had been insulted or humiliated
-16% had property damaged
-71% had sleep or study interrupted

What are you doing or saying that you don’t recall because you were blackout drunk? Have you lost any friends? 

Don’t Let Your Grades Suffer
One university found that the median GPA for their first-year students who were treated for a binge-drinking episode was almost a third of a point below that of their class.  This put them in the bottom 25 percent of their class.
Sources: 

BeWise.syr.edu from Syracuse University (http://bewise.syr.edu)

College Drinking – Changing the Culture (http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov)

Alcohol Drug Awareness Education for Students

Tom Wilson Counseling Center provides TeleHealth Education for Teens and Young Adults returning to School

www.mipclass.com was developed by Tom Wilson, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and Evaluator to meet court, employment and education requirements for Alcohol, Drug and Substance Abuse Awareness and Education. 
The classes offer education regarding patterns of use and abuse, health consequences and risks, information on underage drinking, costs of alcohol and drug related automobile accidents, how alcohol and drugs affect the brain, alcohol use in different cultures, relapse prevention strategies, steps for change and reducing risks.
There is also a helpful assessment included in the DUI, Alcohol and Drug Awareness classes that provides personal feedback based on answers to questions about use. The assessment provides feedback regarding BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) effects and risks for driving under the influence.  It also outlines the costs, calories and risks for aggression associated with alcohol use with an emphasis on teen and young adults and situations they are commonly exposed to in high school, college or universities.

BUY NOW by clicking on a link below :

Level 1 Class:
Level 2 Classes:
Level 3 Classes:
Drug Diversion:
This 24 Hour Online Drug Diversion and Awareness class is a program that allows eligible defendants to be diverted out of the criminal court system and into a drug rehabilitation program. This class was developed by a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, for first time drug offenders, such as possession of marijuana and/or paraphernalia. If a first offense drug defendant has an otherwise clean criminal record, judges generally will find a defendant eligible for the drug diversion program without requiring a formal eligibility evaluation. Get court approval before enrolling.

California DUI Court Sentencing and DMV Action Guidelines

What are the Sentences for a First Offense DUI in California?

VC 23152 Court Sentencing/DMV Action Guidelines for the State of California

Effective July 1, 2010

 

First Offense VC 23578 BAC > .15 shall consider for possible enhanced penalties, granting probation, enhanced probation conditions (Excessive Blood Alcohol or Refusal to Take Chemical Test: Enhanced Penalties VC 23578. In addition to any other provision of this code, if a person is convicted of a violation of VC Section 23152 or 23153, the court shall consider a concentration of alcohol in the person’s blood of 0.15 percent or more, by weight, or the refusal of the person to take a chemical test, as a special factor that may justify enhancing the penalties in sentencing, in determining whether to grant probation, and, if probation is granted, in determining additional or enhanced terms and conditions of probation.)

Probation Granted /Mandatory Sentence

Court Sentencing includes:
Fines: $390 – $1000
Order First Offender Program
BAC < .20: Program 3 months or longer
BAC > 20 or refusal: Program 9 months or longer
Confiscate Driver’s License
VC 23538(b)(3) advisement (Court shall advise that the driving privilege shall not be restored until proof of completion of a H&SC 11836 approved DUI program has been received by DMV (VC Sec’s 23538(b)(3), 23542(c), 23548(d))

Probation Granted /Discretionary Sentence

Court Sentencing includes:
Jail: 48 hours to 6 months
Disallow issuance of a restricted drivers license
BAC > .15: may order IID
Presentence Investigation Report/ordered education or treatment plan

DMV Action includes:

Suspend for 6 months from date of conviction
Notify DL restriction eligible after 30 days of suspension, fees, proof of DUI Program enrollment, SR22 FR responsibilities
Suspend for 10 months if sentencing per VC 23538(b)

No Probation Granted/Mandatory and Discretionary Sentence

Court Sentencing includes:
Jail: 96 hours (48 hours continuous) to 6 months
Fine: $390-$1000
May order program attendance
May disallow issuance of a restricted drivers license

DMV Action includes:
Suspend license for 6 months from date of conviction Notify DL restriction eligible after 30 days of suspension, fees, proof of DUI Program enrollment, SR22 FR responsibilities, suspend for 10 months if sentencing per VC 23538(b)

For more information, please download this document.