[color=darkgray][i]

[center]   -   -   -   [/center]
[/i][/color]
[center][color=darkgoldenrod][sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][url=https://open.spotify.com/track/3mPJHVpCvzykoxmWnYdnFq?si=KDUrel_LS1ms_PLq7w4sDQ][img]https://i.imgur.com/fnUOHKB.jpeg[/img][/url][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=darkgoldenrod][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Various P.R.C.U Campus Locations[/I]  [I][/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=darkgoldenrod][b]Welcome Home #3.055:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Anger Management[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=darkgoldenrod][SUP][sub]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][indent][sub][color=darkgoldenrod][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Lillian Morse - Webboysurf's NPC[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=darkgoldenrod][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [color=white][I]So, Are We Done Yet?[/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent]

[color=darkgray]
[color=white]"Well.  That was a lot."[/color]

Banjo sat and thought about everything that had just poured out of him.

Mad.  Anger.  Rage.

Not really descriptors he'd viewed himself as, or emotions he'd ever really felt he'd ever held on to.

[color=white]"Hmm.  When you've had incidents.  Been disruptive in class.  Undertaken... some of the disruptions which I've read about in your past... do you think that those moments have been lashing out with these kinds of angry outbursts."[/color]

Banjo sat, staring through the floor, his eyes looking through it.  His prolonged comments had clearly taken himself by as much surprise in reflection, as they had Lillian.  Now he seemed to be scanning through his own comments and trying to take meaning from them.

His eyes drifted to the right and he shook his head gently.

[color=darkgoldenrod]"No, no.  Nothin' like this.  I've never been mad like this.  I'm not normally angry when I do stuff like that anyway.  Stuff--  If it's somethin' big I generally plan through enough that it'd be impossible to hold it as an emotional response."[/color]

[i]"That's why..."[/i]  He realised.  His brows lowered and his eyes flicked back to the here and now.

[color=white]"Well, there are things that we can do.  Techniques that can be learned.  For anger management.  If you feel it starts to interfere with your life and want to try to move forward through it."[/color]

[i]"I've been bottling everything up.  It's never come to the surface, because I'm never this repressed.  This stifled.  These Foundation fuckin' flogs..."[/i]

[color=white]"Perhaps next time you're here, we can talk through some of these techniques which might help you, after I've had a bit more time to look into it..."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Eh..?  I thought you're a therapist..?"[/color]

[color=white]"I am."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, why'd'you have to 'look into it'?  You've never had anyone with anger issues before?"[/color]

[color=white]"Not every patient--"[/color]  His brow furrowed at the word.  [color=white]"--is the same.  Not everybody's issues with anger stem from the same places.  Taking the time to look into things which might be more pertinent and helpful [b]FOR YOU[/b] might mean, you're not trying to work with less helpful, or potentially even harmful, more general, broad advice."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"So yer just gonna tell me I'm angry and send me on my way?"[/color]

It was clear he wasn't going to be comfortable without hearing something general, even if it would be limited in how helpful it would be.

[color=white]"Well, first, 'Think before you spea--'[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Wow.  What part of anythin' I say, gives off the impression that I don't think before I speak?"[/color]

Lillian fought off the increasingly strong, yet unprofessional, urge to respond with a sigh.  Replying crisply when she spoke again.

[color=white]"In the heat of the moment, it is very easy to respond with something you might regret.  By taking a few moments, it can prevent this [b]AND ALSO[/b] lessens the chance that the person you're talking to, will do likewise."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"So basically, be fake and self-censure."[/color]

She chose to ignore this.

[color=white]"Once you're calm.  Express your concerns.  State your concerns clearly and directly, so that they can be understoo--"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Not an issue."[/color]

[color=white]"--in an assertive and non-confrontational way."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Some problem.  A smidge of a problem.  Some work required.  This doesn't apply when the other person is confrontational first, does it?"[/color]

It was becoming increasingly difficult to not sigh.

[color=white]"You could try exercise..."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Oh come on!  That's part of the problem in the first place!"[/color]

[color=white]"Like I said... giving broad general advice, may not apply, and its why it would have been best to look further into it."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"No, no...  Fair enough.  Ya did say.  What else have you got?"[/color]

[color=white]"You could try taking a timeout."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Nope.  Not runnin' from conversations.  What else have you got?"[/color]

[color=white]"You could try 'Identifying Possible solutions'--"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, that's what I'm tryn' to bloody do here!"[/color]

[color=white]"--instead of focusing on what makes you mad, try to--"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Oh, I see.  You're rollin' off a list you've got from memory, and that was just one of--  Fair enough.  Sorry."[/color]

[color=white]"[b]FOCUS[/b] on resolving the issue at hand, and understanding that you can only change what you can change and that some things are out of your control."[/color]  She could feel her blood pressure rising, and some small part of her wished he'd go back to being non-verbal in sessions, now that he'd at least provided her with a direction to address.

[color=white]"When feeling these moments rise, you could try focusing on using 'I' statements."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, now what's the bloody point in that?"[/color]

[color=white]"Well, criticism and the placement of blame can only raise tension.  Using 'I' statements removes that direct blame appropriation and instead gets people to consider perspectives.  For example, instead of an accusatory 'You keep interrupting me during this session', I could instead offer an 'I find it difficult to properly assist you in my role when you are interrupting me'."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, what's the fuckin' difference?"[/color]  He asked.  Sitting up and leaning in.

[color=white]"What do you mean?  One removes the placement of blame and instead gets you to try and see the perspective of my side of things."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, not really, 'cos it's already implied by virtue of the fact that you're the one sayin' it."[/color]

[color=white]"How so?"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, if you say something which isn't an objective fact, I'm already going to assume it's just something that you think due to the fact that you're tellin' it to me.  Like, if you tell me a political opinion, I'm not goin' to take it as gospel.  I'm just going to hear it as 'this is some shit that she thinks'.  Likewise if you say 'you keep interrupting me during this session'... the fact that you're finding it difficult  is implied."[/color]

[color=white]"Don't hold grudges."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Again, not a problem.  What else've ya got?"[/color]

[color=white]"You could try using humour to release tension."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Not a problem."[/color]

[color=white]"Hmm."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"What?  I'm hilarious."[/color]

[color=white]"From the brief times we've spoken, you've seemed to make more pointed jokes at people, and sarcastic jibes at situations themselves."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Yeah, and..?"[/color]

[color=white]"Well, these aren't really the kinds of ways of displaying humour that generally alleviates tension.  In fact, it can heighten it..."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, yeah.  I mean, I dunno...  It is funny."[/color]

[color=white]"You mean [b]you[/b] find it funny."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, yeah.  Like I said.  It's implied.  Hey, now you can see what I meant!"[/color]  He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

[color=white]"Hmm."[/color]  The therapist murmured, regretting lending more credence to his point.

[color=white]"I'm hesitant to suggest this to you, with how you've taken the rest, but you can try relaxation techniques."[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Go on."[/color]

[color=white]"Deep breathing exercises--"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"I'm angry.  I'm not givin' birth..."[/color]

[color=white]"Meditation or, even simpler, just imaging a relaxing scene.  A soothing mantra.  Finding some time for yourself in some kind of a peaceful, relaxing activity that lets you express yourself in other ways.  Even if it's just listening to music.  Some people write in journals.  Some people try yoga."[/color]

The gears in Banjo's mind churned and spun, thinking about something he did happen to do before everything started to bottle up on him.

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, now...  Now you might be onto somethin' there."[/color]

[color=white]"Really?  Okay.  Well, I actually have some pamphlets on yoga--"[/color]  She pulled a few from a rack on the wall.

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Wha--?  No.  Not the yoga.  That was daft.  But the other thing.  Relaxing activities that let you express yourself.  That bit.  Maybe that's been it with the lifestyle thing.  I've stopped doin' stuff that lets me-- y'know, get the creative juices flowin'.  So I just need to fill that hole and she'll be right!"[/color]

[color=white]"Well, there's not usually a panacea for these things, and it's rarely as simple as just--"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"Nup, I reckon you've just knocked this one for six, Doc.  Kickin' goals.  Just have to get back in that groove, and then all of this'll just fritter away to nothin' like before.  The hour's up.  So we're done here, right?"[/color]

She couldn't tell if she'd just made things better or worse.

[color=white]"Hmm.  Well, that [b]IS[/b] the hour, you're right.  But we'll speak more about this with our next session, and like I said, we'll address possible solutions which might be a bit more specific to you and your own situation, rather than broad vagueries which might lend themselves to quickfix solutions without really add--"[/color]

[color=darkgoldenrod]"All good, Doc!  Next time!  Catchya later, Rory'saunt![/color]

Even with only one good leg he was gone before she could get another word in.

Getting to her feet she could have sworn her own blood pressure had noticebly increased, and her heartrate had quickened.

She threw one of the yoga pamphlets in her bag for later.
[/color]