February 22, 2010

In The Movie “anger Management” Is The Scene Where They Are Hitting Pillows In “therapy Class” A Real Thing?

the scene where Buddy has this guy laying around hitting a pillow and throwing a temper tantrum like a child..is this kind of thing real?
why is this said to be good? and is this like an age regression?
how is it said that person is to get into that state of mind again? how they get them feeling angry again?
and how , when, why they come out again of this state?
also, is there a old psychological name for this type of thing?
please explain and describe
thanks for your answers!

Comments on In The Movie “anger Management” Is The Scene Where They Are Hitting Pillows In “therapy Class” A Real Thing?

February 22, 2010

MBK @ 5:08 am

I don’t know the movie, but what you describe is definitely real.
The ‘old psychological name’ is “catharsis”.
Some people say it’s good because they believe that “letting the anger out” on an inanimate object,such as a pillow, expresses harmlessly a feeling that has previously been suppressed, and that suppressed feelings are harmful.
People get to feel angry again because they have thwarted desires. I believe that working up anger (even at a pillow) puts harmful thoughts into one’s mind and into the world and does not benefit anyone. Sure, it is better to beat a pillow than your wife, so if you are already feeling angry right now, go beat a pillow yes. But to stir dormant anger? What for? Anger is genuinely countered by opposing good qualities like love, peacefulness, calmness, gentleness, patience, non-attachment (to desires, and to “I”) and kindness….. aikido. And by developing your non-angry powerfulness – e.g. self-esteem, gently-but-firmly assertiveness, “won’t power” (how to say ‘no’ without saying ‘f*** off’), saying how you feel without making the other person wrong (as in ‘when you …. I felt upset’ rather than ‘you hurt me’).