Plenty of people lost their temper from time to time, but if you’re constantly clowning up over relatively minor things, or have trouble controlling your emotions on a regular basis, you may need to look into anger management help. These anger management books may be partnered with a therapist or could be the start of your journey.
Here are 15 of the best books on anger management:
1. Anger Management Workbook for Men: Take Control of Your Anger and Master Your Emotions, by Aaron Karmin, LCPC
Clinical therapist Aaron Karmin helps you get to the root of your anger with this modern workbook. Build self-confidence, self-respect, and self-control with positive practices to help you be in control of your emotions. It includes examples of clinical anger management strategies and provides examples of productively expressing your anger.
2. The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships, by Harriet Lerner, PhD
Anger isn’t just something to ignore, Dr. Lerner argues. It exists for a reason and is a call to something that needs to be addressed. In close relationships, it often is a source of discontent and may encourage women to silence themselves to not rock the boat.
Dr. Lerner writes that both men and women can benefit from learning to express anger in healthy ways and identify the true source of anger, allowing emotional intimacy in couples to flourish.
3. Mindfulness for Anger Management: Transformative Skills for Overcoming Anger and Managing Powerful Emotions, by Stephen Dansiger PsyD, MFT
We talk a lot about mindfulness here because it’s a powerful tool for mental health in a variety of uses. Dr. Dansiger takes his 25 years of experience and asks readers to look inward to identify the cause of their anger in real-life applications: work, home, and relationships. The result is a book full of self-reflective exercises, practical advice, and a deeper understanding of what happens to our body when we’re angry.
4. Rage: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Explosive Anger, by Ronald Potter-Efron MSW, Ph.D.
Anger can be categorized into four different types, and each one needs to be addressed differently. There’s impotence rage, triggered by feelings of hopelessness, or shame rage, induced when a person feels very disrespected. Dr. Potter-Efron offers practical advice for change while understanding that anger is a personal responsibility to manage for the safety of others.
5. Letting Go of Anger: The Eleven Most Common Anger Styles & What to Do About Them, by Ronald Potter-Efron MSW, Ph.D., & Patricia Potter-Efron, MS
Understanding what type of anger you’re experiencing is the first step to understanding how to treat it. The Potter-Efrons share that some of these styles are appropriate, but others are not, and this can lead to serious problems if not addressed.
This book offers concrete examples of types of anger and how to effectively deal with each in healthy, flexible ways.
6. The Anger Workbook: An Interactive Guide to Anger Management, by Les Carter, Ph.D., & Frank Minirth, M.D
Anger is expressed in a variety of ways, and why we feel it is just as crucial to understanding how to overcome it. This workbook helps readers identify their anger, let go of notions of defeat” or “weakness,” and live more in control of their emotions.
7. Beyond Anger: A Guide for Men, by Thomas J. Harbin, Ph.D.
Men tend to process emotions differently, and Dr. Harbin’s book is here to help men process difficult emotions and understand how they affect the world around them. Explosive, aggressive anger can damage relationships and affect work. This book, designed for men with anger issues, gives men simple strategies for understanding their anger and how to successfully deal with it in a healthy way.
8. The Anger Trap: Free Yourself from the Frustrations that Sabotage Your Life, by Les Carter
Anger isn’t just lost tempers and loud voices; it can be an annoyance, overly critical, or frustration. Learning how to recognize healthy and unhealthy ways of expressing anger can help you live a healthier emotional life. Dr. Carter draws on clinical and spiritual experience to help you live to your fullest without being trapped by your anger.
9. Never Get Angry Again: The Foolproof Way to Stay Calm and in Control in Any Conversation or Situation, by David Lieberman, Ph.D.
If you’ve struggled with anger management treatment in the past, maybe it’s time for a change of pace. Or rather, a change of mind.
Dr. Lieberman challenges readers to consider a change in perspective might be healthier than trying to just “calm down.” In his book, he argues it’s a lot easier to never get angrier in the first place rather than calming down after a blow-up.
10. Angry All the Time: An Emergency Guide to Anger Control, by Ronald T. Potter-Efron
If you’re someone who has lost a lot to anger – jobs, relationships, or worse – then this book is your first step in the right direction. Anger expert Ronald T. Potter-Efron outlines the step-by-step program to help you avoid what makes you angry, get to the root causes, and ask for what you need without anger.
11. Anger Management for Everyone: Ten Proven Strategies to Help You Control Anger and Live a Happier Life, by Raymond Chip Tafrate, Ph.D., and Howard Kassinove, Ph.D.
We all experience anger from time to time, but there’s a significant difference between occasional frustrations and anger that damages relationships or impairs your daily functions. Two doctors team up to give practical applications of anger-reduction techniques to keep you from losing it constantly.
12. The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anger: A Step-by-Step Program for Success, by William J. Knaus, EdD
This workbook draws on cognitive-behavioral therapy and rational emotive behavior therapy to give individuals the tools they need to overcome overwhelming anger. This book hopes to help you break free from dangerous anger traps and allow you to live a healthier, less angry life.
13. How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: Effective strategies for stressed-out parents, by Carla Naumburg, Ph.D.
Raising kids can be a frustrating challenge sometimes. But if you’re constantly snapping, screaming, or losing your temper with your kids on a consistent basis, you probably need a break. Carla Naumburg, a clinical social worker, wants you to know you’re not a bad parent. You likely are overworked and overstressed. Her book is here to help you work through your difficulties to live more presently with your children while also taking care of yourself.
14. The Anger Workbook for Women: How to Keep Your Anger from Undermining Your Self-Esteem, Your Emotional Balance, and Your Relationships, by Laura J. Petracek, Ph.D.
Many anger management books are geared toward men, and the stereotypical “angry guy” usually gets more attention in the anger management world. This book is for women and addresses the specific ways women tend to manifest their anger. Learn anger management techniques through exercises and how to take the steam out of potentially anger-inducing situations.
15. Overcoming Anger in Your Relationship: How to Break the Cycle of Arguments, Put-Downs, and Stony Silences, by W. Robert Nay, Ph.D.
Relationships require a lot of communication, and when one person is dealing with anger, resentment, or unhappiness, taking it out on their partner can be very damaging. Whether you and your partner are both dealing with anger issues or one is more frustrated than the other, this guidebook is here to repair the damage anger caused.
For Further Reading
- Best Self-Help Books for Men
- General Self-Improvement Book
- Understanding Repressed Anger
- Find the support you need at one of the best online therapy providers
