Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Anger Connects Mental Health and Violence (Gun and Other)


As the discussion of mental health care and violence (gun and other) and been unfolding, more and more professionals are correctly observing that most people with mental health concerns are not dangerous. While mental illness is certainly a factor, a more specific common thread in what we call "senseless" violence is anger. 
An article in the Dallas Morning News today reported the admission of a young man to a random, hacking murder of a jogger was precipitated by his anger at his own life.
I have long passed on the psychological principle I was taught that anger is a "secondary emotion," that is it is preceded or precipitated by another emotion, which may be fleeting or overwhelmed by the intensity of the anger. In counseling, when people express anger the counselor seeks to uncover the preceding emotion to effectively address the anger.If we extended that idea to the realization that "senseless" violence (gun or other) expresses anger, I suggest that trying to figure out what emotions precede or precipitate it might be more effective than a blanket blaming of mental illness.
Having said that, as I listen to the public rhetoric of our time (certainly political but not limited to political), I detect widespread and virulent anger. I can not say for sure, but as I listen I suspect that fear of loss of privilege precedes these expressions of anger. Those who complain about the entitlement mentality of others are afraid they will lose their own entitlements.
More deeply, I wonder if the social acceptability of anger in public discourse does not fuel and give permission for personal anger that comes out in often deadly violence. I'm not for a minute excusing those who act violently, but only suggesting that nothing happens in a vacuum and that there is a social dimension to the violence we are witnessing.
Here is the link to the DMN article I referenced.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20151012-former-aggie-football-star-killed-jogger-at-random-on-white-rock-creek-trail-police-say.ece

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