Kelsey Torgerson Dunn - When Anxiety Makes You Angry: CBT Anger Management Skills for Teens with Anxiety-Driven Anger

Finally, a book about how to handle the anger that anxiety often brings with it! This is a must-have book for teens, parents, and even clinicians trying to address anxiety. This book will connect the dots that are often missing when it comes to anxiety-driven anger.

Natasha Daniels, LCSW , anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) child therapist, creator of www.atparentingsurvival.com, and author of Anxiety Sucks

As a practicing psychologist working with teens for over twenty years, and as a parent myself, Im very excited to see Kelsey Torgerson Dunns new book, When Anxiety Makes You Angry , coming forward. With straightforward, engaging narrative and many useful tools, strategies, and exercises, Torgerson Dunns book offers kids much-needed support in going beneath the surface of anger to the discomfort and chaotic feel of underlying anxiety. Kids need to be seen for more than their anger on the surface, and they need help like Torgerson Dunns book in breaking free of deeper anxiety so that anger is no longer necessary.

Mitch Abblett, PhD , psychologist, and author of Prizeworthy

Kelsey Torgerson Dunns book on anxiety-driven anger for teens fills an important gap in skills-based learning, tapping into the intersection of two impactful mind states in a uniquely nuanced way. As a clinician who encounters anger and angst regularly in sessions, this book will be immensely useful in providing a thorough and relatable framework for teens in and outside of the therapy experience!

Katie Krimer, MA, LCSW , therapist; authenticity coach; author of The Essential Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens ; and founder of the wellness and self-growth platform, Growspace

Kids need a much deeper understanding about the anxiety they experience, and to have the tools to both manage and prevent it. In her new book, When Anxiety Makes You Angry , Kelsey Torgerson Dunn lays out exactly what parents need to learn in order to best support their children to deal with their emotions.

Tim Jordan, MD , developmental and behavioral pediatrician, and author of She Leads

When Anxiety Makes You Angry gives teens (and parents!) hope. Using exercises that build on one another, Kelsey Torgerson Dunn gently guides teens through the process of understanding their emotions and managing them well. No judgment or shame, just practical advice that can be used anywhereeven in the middle of a busy school day.

Nicole Schwarz, LMFT , parent coach, owner of Imperfect Families, and author of It Starts with You

This book is an excellent contribution to the mental health resources available to teens and their parents at a time when they are so critically needed. The book is remarkably well written, jargon-free, and in an interesting and colorful style that will appeal to adolescents. The coping and problem-solving skills are evidence-based and introduced with real-life examples. Teens, parents, and teachers will find this creative and developmentally sensitive book highly informative.

David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP , author; fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology; and board-certified and licensed psychologist

Finally, a resource for teens that struggle with anxiety that is masked by anger! Anger is an often-misunderstood symptom of anxiety leading to ineffective treatment choices and significant problems in teens relationships with others. Kelsey Torgerson Dunn does a beautiful job of helping teens understand the fight response to anxiety, and skillfully guides themstep by stepin learning the choices in coping with these difficult emotions.

Angela Adamson Springer, LCSW , owner of Calm Mind CBT, LLC in St. Louis, MO; and diplomate and certified trainer consultant of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

INSTANT HELP, the Clock Logo, and NEW HARBINGER are trademarks of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

New Harbinger is an employee-owned company.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2022 by Kelsey Torgerson Dunn

Instant Help Books

An imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Shoup

Acquired by Jennye Garibaldi

Edited by Karen Schader

All Rights Reserved

Contents

To Sofia, born during the pandemic. I love you forever.
Mama

Foreword

Hey Mallory, Im writing a book about anxiety and anger, and I want you to write the foreword- will you do it?

When Kelsey first asked me this question my first response was, UhMe? Really? Are you sure? Isnt there someone better? To which she promptly replied, Absolutely not! Youre an expert when it comes to teen mental health, and I want you to do it.

Even though Im a mental health therapist like Kelsey, and I have a YouTube library of 100 plus videos sharing how teens like you can improve their mental health, I also get anxious thoughtsmuch like the ones that probably inspired you to pick up this book and start reading. Its easy to go with our automatic negative thoughts as factseven when theyre mostly opinions.

You see, thats the thing about Kelseyshes able to see the value in who you truly arenot all the noise and filters that surround your daily lives. And just like she did when she asked me to write the foreword for this book, shell help you realize just how capable you are when it comes to managing your anxiety-driven anger for yourself with this book too.

Kelsey knows youre not meaning to be mean when youre feeling so much. When most people notice anger, they stop there and try to manage just that emotion. This book will help you investigate whats going on under that anger and what you can do about it. Like how the cognitive triangle in chapter 2 can help you reframe your experience. Or using emotions elevators from chapter 5 to help you know when and how to use your coping skills.

Each chapter is filled with funny, relatable exampleslike the time your teacher called you out in an online classroom in front of everyone because your teacher didnt know how to DM you (big yikes!). Kelsey understands how these struggles impact teenagers in real ways that make sense.

Chapter 4 is my favorite because it focuses on how to find your explosion point, and Kelsey is not shy in letting you know that this stuff takes time. Everyones starting point is a little bit different, so by taking the time to practice the exercises recommended in this chapter, you can start to recognize your window of tolerance and how you can plan for, and eventually open that window a bit wider over time.

My greatest advice for you as you start this book is to take breaks, go slow, and read it again later. With experience comes new knowledge, so revisiting the concepts in these chapters may take on new meaning once you start practicing what you learn. Kelsey even goes a step further than most authors and includes a nice breakdown of common scenarios that may pop up and which chapters make the most sense to revisit.