Anger: Does Teen Need Professional Help?

The anger that causes a person to turn a gun on a crowd is frightening enough to those of us who hear about it on the news. But, what if you are a parent whose teen son is exhibiting the warning signs of deep-seated anger that could turn violent?

Professional Help for Anger

Family therapists, licensed counselors, and social workers are all trained to work with people who have anger issues. Some have extensive training and experience that make them specialists in the field of anger management. Although there are national and state registries of these professionals, I believe there is a better way to find the right therapist.

I suggest that you begin by asking local people in the helping professions such as medical doctors, clergy, and educators. Often, they keep a list of professionals for referral purposes. These people usually know the track record of the professionals and often work with them through the healing process.

Medication for Anger

Medical doctors, including those whose specialty is psychiatry, can prescribe medication for depression. Since that is often a symptom of suppressed anger, medication can be helpful. When depression is severe, it may be necessary to get it under control before counseling can be effective.

Never Ignore Deep Anger

Since the kind of anger that leads to violence may develop slowly, it is easy for parents to overlook its increasing severity. If your teen son has any of the warning signs for potentially violent suppressed anger, seek professional help before it’s too late. It’s not worth the risk to wait to see if he will get better without help.

Questions: Is this information useful? Do you need help finding a professional in your area? If you need professional help for your teen and can not find it through the people I suggested, please contact me so I can help you locate the correct registry for your state.