MANAGING ANGER AND FEAR
In March, 2003, the Low Institute inaugurated a new program. Aimed at the chronically underserved ex-prisoner population, it offers a version of Abraham Low’s self-help system to a constituency in great need.
Power to Change class at the Youth Empowerment
Program of the Safer Foundation, Chicago
Much of this population lives in a perpetual state of violence, both verbal and physical. The stories they bring to the group meetings frequently involve fights, guns, and verbal abuse. The formation of new cognitive and behavioral habits – habits that can free them from the cycle of recidivism - poses the greatest of challenges.
WHAT IS
THE
POWER TO CHANGE:
MANAGING ANGER AND FEAR?
Far beyond anger management, this is really a life skills program. Participants learn to take control of their lives, rather than being victims of events or of other people’s behavior. The underlying premise holds that, while individuals have little control over the events or people around them, they can control their own thoughts and impulses. Through ongoing training and practice, they can form new habits that help them gain mastery over their angry and fearful reactions.
A 15-minute video illustrating The Power to Change program in action can be obtained for $15.00 (postpaid) using our literature page or by writing to:
The Abraham A. Low Institute
550 Frontage Road, Suite 2797
Northfield, IL 60093
1.
The group
The power of the peer-to-peer group process cannot be overstated. The typical
group experiences of the participants have been gangs, dysfunctional families,
and prison. Finding themselves in a safe environment where they can present
their experiences and receive supportive and helpful comments from their peers
is an entirely new experience for them. The system’s constraining guidance
moves the entire group toward objective, orderly expression of emotional issues.
2. The meeting structure
Rather than a free-for-all or a rambling discussion, the meetings are highly structured in such a way that the individuals’ stories and the group’s comments advance the participants toward calm and reasoned expression and analysis.
3. The 4-part example
At every meeting, individuals tell stories of disturbing everyday events they have experienced, using a structured format in four parts.
(1) They describe what happened as objectively as they can.
(2) They describe what feelings, sensations, thoughts and impulses they experienced in their bodies and minds.
(3) They tell how they did or did not use the program’s “tools” to manage their upset.
(4) To remind themselves of their progress, they tell what the experience would have been like before this program’s training.
Throughout, they are urged to report, not to complain or try to convince. And they are reminded to “endorse” (praise) themselves for every effort, even when the result is unsuccessful.
Using this structure again and again to describe experiences develops a habit of objective observation of events and of one’s responses, management of thoughts and impulses, and an increase of self-control and self-respect.
4. The group’s comments
After each example, the group members comment, using the “tools” provided by the program. These are short statements that provide insight into the nature of anger and fear. The use of these tools guides the participants toward recognizing that they have the power to choose how they will react to a situation.
• We can’t change an event; we can only change our attitude toward it.
• Antisocial responses must not be expressed in outer reactions.
• Every act of self-control leads to a sense of self-respect.
• We can break old habit patterns.
• Don’t strive for symbolic victories.
• Don’t look regretfully into the past or fearfully into the future.
• There are no uncontrollable impulses, only impulses that are not controlled.
• Don’t take yourself too seriously.
• Humor is your best friend.
Abraham Low saw language as a key to managing one’s emotional life. The program uses terminology that encourages moderate and concise expression.
In addition, certain terms evoke important concepts that underlie the program. For example,
• The word “temper” is divided into two parts, “angry temper” and “fearful temper,” to emphasize the close relationship of anger and fear to each other. Most inner disturbances come from poorly managed angry and fearful temper.
• Both tempers result from the “judgment of right and wrong,” whether the judgment “You are wrong” (angry temper) or “I am wrong” (fearful temper). Note that “fearful temper” does not refer to fear of realistic dangers (violence, risk of harm) but the fears we experience in our everyday life, relationships and social contexts.
• The terms “inner environment” and “outer environment” remind the participants that we cannot control what happens outside ourselves (people, events, the past) but we can apply controls to our inner thoughts and impulses (though not to our feelings and sensations).
• Through “choice” we say “yes” or “no” to destructive impulses or thoughts.
• “Training” is accomplished over time by ongoing practice and effort.
• “Self-endorsement,” or praising oneself not only for successful outcomes, but also for any effort to control temper, is strongly emphasized.
• “Temperamental language” – exaggerated, negative, insecure, alarmist, or defeatist expression – is discouraged.
IMPLEMENTATION
To be used effectively, The Power to Change program requires training in the cognitive-behavioral concepts and meeting structure established by Abraham Low. The Low Institute provides this training and licenses the program to partner organizations for a fee.
A prototype project was first conducted in partnership with the Safer Foundation of Chicago, the premier service provider for the ex-offender community in the Midwest. The Safer continues to offer The Power to Change to its Youth Empowerment Program, which works with young probationers and parolees, and has expanded the program to its adult facility in Harvey, Illinois.
Meanwhile, under a 3-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Low Institute is establishing The Power to Change in Chicago-area public schools. Discussions are underway with various departments of the Cook County criminal justice system.
A 15-minute video illustrating The Power to Change program in action can be obtained for $15.00 (postpaid) using our literature page or by writing to:
The
Abraham A. Low Institute
550 Frontage Road, Suite 2797
Northfield, Illinois 60093
For more about Abraham Low’s work, see our Home page and Profile of Abraham Low.