cover image Healing the Angry Brain: 
How Understanding the Way Your Brain Works Can Help You Control Anger and Aggression

Healing the Angry Brain: How Understanding the Way Your Brain Works Can Help You Control Anger and Aggression

Ronald Potter-Efron. New Harbinger, $16.95 trade paper (200p) ISBN 978-1-60882-133-4

Director of Wisconsin’s First Things First Counseling, Potter-Efron takes an extensive look at the neurology of controlling temper. In simple terms, this involves an intra-brain struggle between the amygdala (the brain’s “fight or flight” region) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for rational thought). He delineates six stages, ranging from feeling offended to acting to getting feedback on one’s outburst, and guides readers through the mental patterns of those who are habitually rageful: “When someone says something nice to them, they hear it as neutral... something neutral, they hear... as negative... and... something that’s actually negative, they hear... as a total attack.” Potter-Efron (Angry All the Time) is most helpful in suggesting ways to “rewire” neural pathways, including becoming more aware of bodily changes when you’re angry and practicing deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and biofeedback. The process takes practice and patience; brain changes take six months to a year, Potter-Efron observes. In a fine concluding chapter, he discusses developing a greater sense of empathy and learning to practice forgiveness. Despite some minor organizational problems, this is a helpful work for laypeople struggling to hold their anger in check, though mental health practitioners should benefit from it as well. (Apr.)