When Beloit police arrived at a tavern last summer, a woman reported that her live-in boyfriend accused her of cheating on him, threw his drink at her, called her derogatory names and pushed her, causing her head to bang against a wall.

The boyfriend was arrested and later charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct.

It was not an unusual domestic abuse case except that the defendant served in Iraq with the Marine Reserves. Offered a chance to become the first person in Wisconsin to go through a unique court for combat veterans who get into trouble, Casey K. Johnson, 24, agreed to be the test case.

Which is how Johnson, clad in black dress slacks and green shirt, ended up in a Rock County courtroom on a recent afternoon, politely answering questions posed by Judge James Daley, a Marine who earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam.

Johnson had already pleaded no contest to the charges, but judgment was deferred. If he successfully completes counseling set up by Department of Veterans Affairs officials, a process that could take a year to 18 months, the charges will be dismissed. As part of his treatment plan, Johnson must undergo alcohol assessment and counseling, not test positive for controlled substances and complete domestic violence treatment, including anger management counseling.

As the number of veterans battling post traumatic stress, alcohol and drug addictions, and traumatic brain injuries skyrockets while the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan drag on, many end up in the criminal justice system.

In 2004, about 140,000 veterans were in U.S. state and federal prisons with thousands more in county jails, according to a report on veterans battling addiction and incarceration released this month by the Drug Policy Alliance.

The aim of Rock County's veterans court is similar to other diversion or treatment courts - to give combat veterans a second chance, get them help and keep them out of jail. And in domestic abuse cases, where federal law bars anyone convicted of such crimes from possessing weapons, it allows people to stay in the military.

"Usually in criminal cases the prosecution and defense attorney are in an adversarial posture, but in these cases all parties agree to give the defendants in veterans court a second chance in recognition of them risking their lives," said Gerald Urbik, Rock County assistant district attorney.

Similar initiatives are under consideration in Milwaukee, La Crosse and Eau Claire counties.

Eligible for the new court in Rock County are veterans who have served in combat or were sexually assaulted while serving in the military and are suffering from post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury or something else that led to their ending up in the criminal justice system. That doesn't include veterans accused of committing serious crimes such as homicide or sexual assault.

Prosecutors decide who is eligible, and the veteran must agree to abide by the counseling program set up by VA officials. Those who don't complete counseling will return to court for sentencing.
Not all qualify

If there are no underlying problems to treat through the VA or the reason the veteran committed a crime has nothing to do with combat experience, then the person can't go through veterans court, Urbik said.

Treatment courts are a more effective way to deal with criminal behavior that's related to addiction, said David Klauser, assistant state public defender.

"With respect to veterans court in particular, we're trying to come up with a more effective way to deal with a particular set of problems that relates to the intensity of the experiences people have when coming back from these conflicts," said Klauser, a major in the Wisconsin National Guard who served in Iraq.

Diversion courts are expensive since counties must pay for treatment, but Daley noted that there's no additional cost to Rock County. Because veterans are already eligible for counseling for addictions or anger management through the VA, the federal government pays the tab.

Johnson and other veterans who agree to move their cases to veterans court will be paired with a mentor. So far, 11 mentors have volunteered, said Rory McGarry, mentor coordinator. McGarry, who served two tours in Iraq, is in the same Madison-based Marine Reserve company as Johnson and is his mentor.

A group of judges, district attorneys, public defenders and VA representatives traveled from Wisconsin to Buffalo, N.Y., earlier this year to check out a veterans court there. Daley, who served in Vietnam in 1967 and '68, agreed to be the first judge to start one in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee County officials, including District Attorney John Chisholm, who was on the trip to Buffalo, are taking steps to allow combat veterans to go to one of the specialized courts, possibly the drug treatment court. Officials are checking to see how many defendants would be eligible. Over the last few months, half a dozen people were identified as possible candidates, said Jeff Altenberg, deputy district attorney.

Altenberg is checking to see if VA officials could help screen defendants in jail to determine who would be eligible for VA benefits.

Kevin Kavanaugh, who will be the VA liaison when Milwaukee County gets a program started, said it's not unfair to single out one segment of the population passing through the criminal justice system. Kavanaugh, a Vietnam veteran, pointed out that veterans were trained by the military to be aggressive.

"Once you go to Vietnam or Iraq and you come back we say thank you for your service and send you home. Well guess what? You're still wound tighter than a spring. Some can unwind the spring and some can't," Kavanaugh said.

"This is not anything new. This was all going on in Vietnam, but nobody did anything about it. They just locked them away. Now people are saying maybe we should treat them differently."

During the short hearing in Rock County's veterans court, Daley asked Johnson for a progress report. He also asked Johnson, who declined to speak to a reporter, about a recent report of police sent to his home, an incident that ended with officers deciding not to file charges.

The judge, who retired from the Wisconsin National Guard in 2006 as a brigadier general, told Johnson he was under special scrutiny as the first defendant to go through veterans court.

"This whole opportunity is to give you a chance to express what you're feeling," Daley told him. "You've got the responsibility to follow through on the requirements."

WE LIVE in an angry world. You do not have to look far for evidence of that. You might, like me, see it flicker in your teenager’s heavy eyes as you wake him up on the morning of his Afrikaans exam.

Then, switch on the box and anger flashes across the morning news as residents of yet another township protest against their lot and the unlikelihood of change. The camera shifts and wrath resumes as the nation laments something else, like the trashing of its national anthem at a rugby match abroad .

You will almost certainly — unless you are a sheep farmer in the Karoo — see anger and overt aggression in the “up yours” fingers, flying fists and contorted faces of motorists on your way to work. You will read it on the letters page of this newspaper and, inevitably, you will find plenty of it when “you go over to the blogside”.

Perhaps tempers will flare among your colleagues at this week’s cost-cutting meeting or when your boss drops another bombshell by announcing that the company will not fill positions recently vacated or something similar. You might even flinch at the impact of the anger when it leaps out at you from your monitor as one of those increasingly rampant, rashly keyed and recklessly sent e-mails pings into your inbox.

Worse still, you might feel anger ignite inside you and gnaw away at you more frequently and in an increasing number of situations. Are you then among the many South Africans who, it seems, have gone from cool dude to hothead in recent years? Do you ever wonder how this affects your life, health and work?

We live, it seems, in a world angry enough to expedite global warming. This, says Pretoria- based corporate trainer Elmarie Pretorius, is not only increasingly evident in our homes, on the country’s roads and in other public places, but also in the workplace. Anger begets anger, and it breeds wherever you take it.

“I have had more requests than ever for anger management training this year,” she says. “And companies requesting this training look to address employees across the board, from top management all the way down the ladder.”

Pretorius believes that greater levels of anger are the direct result of increased stress and our inability to deal effectively with the pressure. It has been a bad news year with the poor state of the economy dominating headlines and headspace. Even where the recession has not directly dented individuals’ lives and incomes, many have been poised for months in readiness for the moment their bubble bursts.

“We are bombarded by bad news in this wonderful country of ours, whether we actively seek it out or not,” she says. “And this year, with the downturn of the economy, has brought with it a new set of concerns to add to our stress.”

Increased stress leads to lower levels of tolerance, anxiety, impatience, impaired coping skills and irrational thinking, all of which fortify anger. Extreme anger can cause health problems such as soaring blood pressure, aching ulcers, throbbing headaches, digestive disorders, substance abuse and an array of emotional problems.

And, if failing health does not force you to slow down or derail, displays of anger at work inevitably hinder work performance and diminish your opportunities to ascend the corporate ladder.

“The reality is, most of us experience anger at work,” says Pretorius, who was — prior to establishing her own training company, The Mindspa — MD of Primedia Publishing for three years before taking on the role of CEO of Cinemark. “I recall numerous occasions when I felt such fury that I imagined myself leaning over the boardroom table and throttling someone. But you might even say anger is to be expected in people who care about their work. The problem is not the anger but how you choose to behave when you experience the emotion.”

Where individuals do not manage their anger effectively at work, they risk being labelled emotional, irrational and immature. Moreover, anger in the workplace regularly results in conflict, which — in addition to triggering loss of focus — often requires mediation to resolve. Time is wasted, which costs organisations money.

This is why, Pretorius says, companies are increasingly turning to trainers to help them manage anger in the workplace.

They are acknowledging the impact that rising levels of anger have on their employees’ lives, health, behaviour and performance. They are also conceding the effect that it is having on their bottom lines.

Using her 21 years of experience in business to guide her, Pretorius says she avoids weighing delegates down with theory and applies a “practical approach” to anger management training.

“Most people are surprised initially when I tell them that I am not going to teach them how to avoid getting angry,” she explains. “Instead, I help them recognise why they get angry and I show them how to channel their anger positively.”

Pretorius uses role-playing exercises to demonstrate anger management techniques and encourages delegates to rehearse their softer skills. “Why not? We practise all sorts of other things when we want to get better at them.”

She invites her subjects to “tell their war stories”, and then triggers their anger and helps them see how to respond for a positive outcome.

“Anger is, after all, an energy. If you learn how to use it constructively and do not fall prey to destructive outbursts that show you up as being emotionally immature, it can be a very positive emotion both in the workplace and in other situations.”

Pretorius’s opinion is supported by a study conducted over 44 years by the Harvard Medical School. The research found that “getting angry at work may not be a bad thing, and may in fact help you move up the career ladder”.

Led by Prof George Vaillant, the study, published in March, found that those who repressed frustration were three times more likely to say they had reached a glass ceiling at work.

The research team, which monitored 824 people from 1964 to 2008, stressed, however, that it is important to remain in control when standing your ground. Outright fury, they found, was more destructive than anything else.

“People think of anger as a terribly dangerous emotion and are encouraged to practise ‘positive thinking’, but we find that that approach is self- defeating and ultimately a damaging denial of dreadful reality,” said Vaillant.

“Negative emotions such as fear and anger are inborn and are of tremendous importance. They are often crucial for survival. Careful experiments such as ours have documented that negative emotions narrow and focus attention so we can concentrate on the trees instead of the forest.”

Vaillant, who is director of the Study of Adult Development at Harvard Medical School, believes that while we all feel anger, those of us who learn how to express our anger without the explosive and self- destructive consequences of unbridled fury can achieve “something incredibly powerful in terms of overall emotional growth and mental health”.

Pretorius sums it up: “I believe it is all about emotional maturity. It is about channelling anger so that you can be assertive and stand your ground, while retaining a respectful and calm stance that allows you to think clearly. After all, as the old adage goes, ‘He who angers you conquers you.’”

So, anger is all about emotional maturity.

On the other hand, she says, emotional maturity is about knowing when something is not worth getting angry about, in which case you should choose to take the emotional bypass.

We might live in an angry world but there are many instances when one can choose not to add to the fury.

You might even say that anger is to be expected in people who care about their work


From Business Day

A 22-year-old man has been ordered into anger management counseling after a 69-year-old woman flipped him the bird.

According to court testimony, Paul Michael Pelletier and another man were seen getting out of a vehicle at Cliffe Avenue and 17th Street on July 21. They then proceeded to yell obscenities at the woman in the car behind them.

"She fingered me five times," Pelletier told the court. "You can't hit a woman so what's the next best thing? Hit her car, right?"

Pelletier kicked the side-view mirror off the driver's side of the car. He was charged and convicted of mischief under $5,000.

According to Crown prosecutor Richard Ellsay, the men had honked at the woman and she then fingered them twice.

"It's clearly what one might classify as a road rage incident," said Ellsay. "I don't think giving him the finger was the best course of action, but it certainly didn't justify his actions."

When asked by Judge Peter Doherty whether or not he noticed that the woman was nearly 70 years old when he attacked her car, Pelletier said "that's why I didn't hit her."

Pelletier and the other man left the scene. A witness, however, got the vehicle's licence plate number. Pelletier was pulled over by police later that day.

According to court testimony, Pelletier told police that he had wanted to teach the lady a lesson before she learned "the hard way."

In court, Pelletier said the woman had caught him on a bad day.

He said there are "psychos in this town" who would have done a lot worse.

"If somebody is going to finger you, what do they expect?" asked Pelletier.

Doherty, clearly unimpressed with Pelletier's angry outbursts in court, suspended sentence and placed him on 12 months probation. Conditions of his probation include that he not contact the complainant and complete a course in anger management.

From Canwest News Service

This is not a deliberate theme on my part, its just that the news seems to have a new story every day involving a football player and anger management.


When Hao-Kai Wu watched Troy Peterson go down, with what at the time looked like a season-ending ankle injury, in the third game of the season, Newton North’s senior backup running back couldn’t help but be conflicted. Since Peterson arrived in Newton in the eighth grade, after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Wu watched the first-string running back’s attitude grow by leaps and bounds.


Prone to outbursts that landed him in an anger management, Peterson once had to be corralled by Wu after spiking his helmet and walking away from a ninth-grade football game.


"I had to get him back, he was just storming off the field and I had to get him back," Wu recalled a week before this year’s annual Thanksgiving rivalry with Brookline High - the last Turkey Day showdown of both Peterson and Wu’s Tiger tenure. "This year he actually listens to coaches. When they yell at him he doesn’t flip out, he takes it in a mature way. Seeing him go down after seeing how far he’s come really made me feel bad for him but I had to push it in the back of my mind.


"On one hand he’s my good friend, I’ve been playing with him since middle school and I felt really bad for him. On the other hand I felt it was an opportunity, since I’ve been practicing so hard, to take what I’ve learned and apply it. It was both exciting at the same time it made me feel bad."


Wu rushed for about 70 or 80 yards in each of the five games before Peterson returned earlier this month, taking limited carries in a 42-14 victory against Dedham on Nov. 7.


The comeback even surprised Peterson, who rushed for about 80 yards in an 18-0 victory against Norwood that evened North’s record at 5-5 after a 1-5 start. Thursday’s 10 a.m. game against Brookline at Parson’s Field was the carrot at the end of his stick during twice-weekly rehab sessions on his severely sprained ankle that also had a bone chip.


"That was the only game I really wanted to play," Peterson said. "I was thinking ‘This is my last Thanksgiving game, my senior year.’"


Five years ago, when Peterson first arrived in Newton as a 13-year-old who helped his middle school football team go from winless in seventh grade to undefeated in eighth, Peterson didn’t even know about Massachusetts’ rich Thanksgiving football tradition. He didn’t attend the varsity game against Brookline.


Now he is completely immersed in the New England culture. This year will be his fourth straight year in which he flies home to New Orleans after North’s Thanksgiving Day game. Going home four years ago was his the first time Peterson visited since Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast in 2005, destroying his home, and forcing his family to flee to Houston.


Soon Peterson left to live with his grandmother, Irene Peterson, a live-in nanny for Newton doctor, Mark Vrahas, who formally worked as chief of the orthopedic trauma unit at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. His mother Rene Peterson, who had Troy when she was 16, returned to work at a hospital in her hometown.


"It was pretty hard," he said of his first time returning home, where he once saw someone shot to death as an 11-year-old. "I didn’t get to see all my friends. I got to see all the bad stuff down there. So it was pretty hard on me.


"When I go back home I can’t believe the city flooded and I came this far and I really made it."


Arriving in Newton, however, wasn’t easy either, North coach Peter Capodilupo said.


"Being dislocated from home and thrust into a culture he’s not part of up North, all those things would be difficult for anybody, they would be difficult for an adult and were equally difficult for him," Capodilupo said.


At first Peterson was a closed book, reluctant to talk about his experiences because it was "depressing", only dolling out one word or one sentence responses to his inquiring classmates who praised his athleticisms . Wu said all the admiration went to Peterson’s head and he developed a swagger that often clashed with coaches. He also struggled in the classroom. One class that did help him, however, was anger management provided by the school, where he learned to take deep breaths whenever he felt heated.


"He’s been a pleasure to have around," said Dr. Vrahas’ wife Cindy, who carted Peterson to rehab appointments. "To see him grown is very exciting for us."


Rushed for five TDs and about 2,750 yards last season, Peterson’s promise was unlimited going into this year, until the third game of the season when he tried to cut back on an outside toss to the right in the second quarter with Walpole leading 14-0.


"I was hit from the top and I felt somebody twist my left ankle," Peterson recalled. "It didn’t look normal. I thought I’d be out for the whole season. I couldn’t do anything to help them because I was injured."


When it was clear he’d be sidelined indefinitely, Capodilupo sat Peterson down to make sure the depression caused by the lack of football in his life didn’t trickle into other parts of his life.


"I’m very glad he’s back," Capodilupo said. "Part of his identity is as an athlete and as a running back. Whenever that is taken away certainly it can be trying. I’m sure it has been for him."


Peterson is still playing tentatively on his ankle as he tries to regain his rhythm.


Luckily Peterson has Wu by his side to help carry the load on Thursday as the Tigers hope to finish above .500, a proposition that at one time seemed as unlikely as Peterson’s own return.


"I was like ‘Shucks, less playing for me,’" Wu said of his conflicted feelings about Peterson coming back. "But seeing him back at the same time was good since I’ve known him for so long. It feels good to see him back. I’ve been his teammate for so long it was weird to see him on the sideline with crutches or a cast.


"It feels more comfortable playing beside him or seeing him run plays."

From The Daily News Tribune

LARGO — Former pro football player Hassan Jones pleaded no contest Monday to attacking his daughter, agreeing to probation and anger management counseling, his attorney said.

Jones, 45, who starred at Clearwater High School and Florida State University, was arrested in July after an altercation with his wife and daughter.

Under his plea agreement on an aggravated assault charge, judgment will be withheld if he completes 18 months of probation and eight hours of anger management sessions, defense attorney Douglas Prior said. With good behavior, probation can be cut in half.

"It was a family relations issues," said Prior, calling the plea agreement a reasonable outcome. "It was an unfortunate situation that everyone involved wishes never happened."

Prosecutors dropped a felony domestic battery charge Sept. 1.

Jones, a Clearwater resident, yanked his daughter by the arm out of the seat of her vehicle, according to police reports. He dragged her across concrete and into a residence, sat on top of her and held her by the throat, police said. The daughter was freed when her mother knocked Jones off her, police said.

They said Jones grabbed a Callaway Big Bertha driver, waved it at his wife and daughter and screamed that he was going to strike each of them in the head. He also hit walls near the victims with the club, the police reports said.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Jones, a wide receiver, in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL draft. He played eight seasons before retiring in 1993.

From TampaBay.com

Lions win! How in the world did that happen? Redskins lose. How in the world could that have not happened? Hope you have a peaceful and anger free Sunday! Back tomorrow.

Heather Ellis admitted guilt to disturbing the peace and resisting arrest late Friday, entering into a plea bargain with the State of Missouri following a trial that has lasted three days.

The prosecution agreed to drop two felony counts of assault on a law enforcement officer through the plea deal, while Ellis agreed to a plea of guilt regarding the two misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.

The terms of the deal include the sentence that Ellis must serve one year of unsupervised probation, attend at least two hours of anger management classes and serve four days in the Dunklin County Jail, which Judge Joe Satterfield referred to as "Shock Detention."

Additional details, including when Ellis will begin her probation, as well as, when she will be required to serve jail time, should be decided through the court soon.

Ellis is also required to pay court costs and other expenses relating the jury and the trial as a whole. Details on those fees will also be determined at a later time. The Daily Dunklin Democrat will issue a full report on the trial, including witness testimony in the Sunday print edition. The full report will also be available online.

From The Daily Duncan Demoocrat

Brian Souter, the multi-millionaire owner of Stagecoach, has ordered his teenage son to attend anger management and alcohol counselling sessions, a court heard yesterday.

Scott Souter, appearing at Perth Sheriff Court, admitted chasing in a car after a stranger who verbally abused his father at a drunken party, forcing him to stop and then punching him around the head.

The court was told that in the drunken incident last August the 18-year-old rounded up several friends to pursue Philip Johnston, 20, as he drove away from the party. Mr Johnston was pulled over on a quiet road and attacked as he sat behind the wheel.

Paul McBride, QC, representing Mr Souter, argued for his client to be let off without punishment but his plea was rejected by Sheriff Michael Fletcher. Mr Souter, who admitted leaving his victim battered and bruised, was fined £200 and ordered to pay £400 compensation to Mr Johnston.

From TimesOnline.com.uk

nteresting study I came across regarding aggressive behavior and anger being correlated with a strong immune system. As you read this please keep in mind that correlation does not imply causation - it doesn't indicate that you have a strong immune system and that makes you aggressive or vice versa. It could be coincidental (although statistically thats unlikely) or there could be a third factor mediating the relationship between the two.

Douglas Granger and colleagues analyzed data on 4415 men, aged 30 to 48 years, who were part of a Vietnam Experience Study. The researchers evaluated the subjects' childhood and adulthood aggression levels, testosterone levels, and measures of immune system functioning.

The researchers found that aggressive behavior was significantly correlated with five of the seven immune markers they studied. The relationship was curvilinear, with the most dramatic difference seen between men with moderate levels of aggressive behavior and those with very little aggressive behavior. The researchers also note, "These relationships remained strong even after statistically controllin ng for age, body mass, testosterone, health risk behavior (eg., tobacco, alcohol, and drug use and sexual promiscuity), physical illness (e.g., colds, injuries, trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, and general health symptoms), and depression," as well as post traumatic stress syndrome.

The aggression-immunity association was strongest for numbers of CD4 cells and B lymphocytes, which, the researchers note, "determine [to a large extent] the initiation, magnitude, and duration of specific cellular immune responses." They found no evidence that the relationship between aggression and immune function was mediated d by differences in testosterone levels.

A positive association between aggression and immune system function makes sense, Granger and colleagues say, from an evolutionary perspective. "Aggressiveness is vital for gaining access to females and food, protecting young, battling predators, and fighting [other] species over resources and territory," they note, all activities which promote survival. Conversely, they say, aggressive behavior increases the likelihood of injury and exposure to disease. Thus, a combination of aggressive behavior and strong immune system function could have bee en highly advantageous to early humans.

Their findings in human subjects, the researchers say, are consistent with primate studies showing that highly aggressive monkeys have higher lymphocyte counts than less aggressive monkeys.

-----

"Human aggression and enumerative measures of immunity," Douglas A. Granger, Alan Booth, and David R. Johnson, Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. of Biobehavioral Health, 315 Health and Human Development East, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.

Seems to be the theme of the week...

St, Louis — When he coached his team to an Orange Bowl victory and a 12-1 record just two seasons ago, he was fiery, a western Pennsylvania, blue-collar underdog who made it big and never forgot his roots.

Now that he’s lost five in a row, he’s an abusive, obnoxious bully who doesn’t always play nice with his football players.

Such is the nature of today’s instant-gratification society. Everybody loves a winner, warts and all. Nobody loves a loser, even one who brings lunch-pail charm and an obsessive work ethic to his job.

Glad-handers tend to weather storms of season collapses better than dictators who motivate through fear and intimidation. Mark Mangino, similar to so many successful football coaches through the years, from Bear Bryant to Vince Lombardi, falls into the latter category. The original Bear and Lombardi sustained their winning all the way to legendary status.

When Mangino was 12-1, he was a throw-back, and gosh darn it, the world needs more throw-backs. Now that he’s 5-5 and hasn’t been able to get a feel for this team, he needs anger management, and Kansas needs a new football coach.

Nobody wants to hear anything negative, and nobody wants to speak up about a coach who sends the paying customers heading back to the parking lot with a winning strut, all smiles. But they remember, they store their thoughts, and they unleash them when the moment is right. Now that Lori Williams, KU associate athletic director/risk management, has been assigned to investigate, enough grudges will be aired to send Kansas University’s first winning football coach since the late Jack Mitchell on his way to his next job.

Listening on the radio while riding to St. Louis for the 2008 basketball national-title rematch, I wasn’t surprised to hear a serene Mangino addressing the media.

“I don’t really have much to say about it other than, you know, you lose a few games in a row, those type of issues come up,” Mangino said. “It’s not uncommon.”

If the investigation reveals the extent of the physical contact Mangino has had with players is uncommon — as far as what’s known by the public to be common for football coaches — that will be enough. It’s no secret the football coach has a hot temper. Imagine that, a man who coaches a sport that rewards unbridled aggression, violent hitting and percolating adrenaline has a nasty side when trying to bring out those qualities in others.

Mangino never has made winning friends a priority, just winning football games. There is no “F” column in the standings for “friends,” just a “W” and an “L.” Friends can help a coach prolong his stay, but the next regret Mangino has about his style will be the first.

At this point, with all the damage done to recruiting, it’s difficult to see Mangino coaching beyond this season. Meanwhile, athletic director Lew Perkins works behind the scenes to land a big-name coach. Perkins pays well and shouldn’t have trouble landing his man.

Also, look for plans for the Gridiron Club, which faced price resistance and general indifference from the start, to be put on hold. Even a less daunting financing plan recently offered won’t be enough to go ahead with breaking ground on the ambitious project.

From LJWorld.com

who would have ever imagined - guys who make are trained from childhood to crush the opponent often struggle with anger issues??!!


Cut loose by the Kansas City Chiefs, Larry Johnson attempted a bit of damage control during his first interview since being released Monday.

Suspended by the Chiefs for conduct detrimental to the team before being released, including derogatory comments about coach Todd Haley and gay slurs directed toward fans and reporters, Johnson is in a job-hunting mode.

And it may be a tough sell given his 2.7 rushing average this season and controversial history in Kansas City.

Johnson characterized his dissatisfaction in Kansas City as a byproduct of him being extremely competitive, not extremely disruptive.

"If anybody likes losing, they shouldn't be playing this game," Johnson said today during an appearance on the Dan Patrick radio show. "For me, it left a bad taste in my mouth every game we were losing. .. You just felt like you were useless. If I was frustrated and upset, it was mainly for myself.

"I wasn't upset. People who knew me knew I was putting the stress on myself and wanting to put the team on my back. It just wasn't working out."

Johnson said he has no problem with Haley or Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli.

"I was the biggest Todd Haley fan," Johnson said.

And Johnson said that his remarks on Twitter were blown out of proportion.

"You completely lose yourself and you make a mistake," Johnson said. "It was a conversation that turns ugly. I kind of lost that perspective and got dragged into a conversation about coaches and credibility. You say the wrong thing."

Johnson insisted that he doesn't have an anger management problem.

"Nah, it's not an anger issue," he said. "I have a competitive issue. Ilike to win. I like to put myself in situations where I always want to win. Sometimes that gets the best of me and I become overly competitive and try to control every little thing. Sometimes, I lose myself. I have to understand that I don't have to win every little battle."

Seventy-five yards shy of breaking Priest Holmes' franchise rushing record, Johnson believes that was one of the reason why he was cut.

"It was just time," Johnson said. "Relationships are just done and it's time to step away."

Johnson remains convinced that he can contribute in a new setting.

"I still feel like I can play this game at a high level," Johnson said. ".. I want to prove and show I'm much more than the perception. I still have a lot of tread left on my tires."

From NationalFootballPost.com

Raiders coach Tom Cable finally received a bit of good news Sunday after a season's worth of bad news regarding his personal and off-field exploits.

On Sunday, ESPN reported that the NFL isn't inclined to discipline Cable for the recent allegations of physical abuse levied against him by his first wife and a former girlfriend.

Cable still faces the prospect of a clinical evaluation by independent doctors as to whether he needs counseling for anger-management issues.

The league also is considering whether to discipline Cable for his alleged attack of defensive assistant Randy Hanson during a training-camp incident in which Hanson wound up with a broken jaw.

No charges have been filed against Cable in any of the alleged incidents. He admitted only to slapping his first wife, Sandy Cable, more than 20 years ago.

ESPN aired a story Nov. 1 that featured Sandy Cable and former girlfriend Marie Lutz detailing how Cable physically abused them during their relationships with Cable.

The report also disclosed a divorce document from Cable's second wife, Glenda, that showed an allegation by her that Cable physically abused her, as well. Glenda Cable later issued a statement that recanted her original account.

In light of the initial ESPN report, the Raiders issued a statement saying that they don't condone the behavior alleged and that they would undertake a serious evaluation of the matter. There hasn't been any word of their findings.

From MercuryNews.com

Did I mention that Chris Brown is dating again? Had some problems with Blogger publishing posts this week and, well, long story short it more than made up for it yesterday.

Happy Sunday, stay cool. Hope your favorite team does well. Has I type my Skins have tied it up with Denver in the 4th Quarter and my Lions are shockingly making a pretty good show of it against Bret and the Vikes. Who knows they might even go 2 and 14 this year!

Chris Brown may have pleaded guilty to felony assault and been sentenced to five years probation, six months of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling, but he says he feels as if he's still on trial for beating his former girlfriend Rihanna.

"What I think, the steps that I've taken to show that I'm sorry probably have been perceived wrong," Brown said Friday in an interview on "The Wendy Williams Show", where Brown premiered his new video, "Crawl" from his new album, "Graffiti."

Many of his critics have said the young, baby-faced R&B singer hasn't acted remorseful enough for his violent actions. But Brown insisted that he regrets his actions and is working on self-improvement.

Brown released an apology on his Web site, which some thought was too scripted and he also appeared on "Larry King Live" in September as his first televised interview since being sentenced to five years probation for the assault.


"At the end of the day," he told Williams, "I'm definitely remorseful and it's not something that I take lightly or think that it's, like, under the rug. I really think it’s something that is a serious matter and I'm learning from it."

Brown has also been taking anger management classes, which he said has been working to change his life.

"I think it's been the most helpful part of my whole situation, you know, with everything. I'm at a better place in my life," he said.

Rihanna, who is set to release her new CD, "Rated R" on Nov. 23, has recently spoke out about her attack to ABC's Diane Sawyer and has become an advocate against domestic abuse.

The Barbadian singer admitted that she kept going back to Brown, whom she called her "first big love" despite being treated badly. "The more in love we became, the more dangerous we became for each other - equally as dangerous," she told ABC. "It was a bit of an obsession almost."

But now, Brown said he just wants to move forward, as does Rihanna.

"As I said before, I respect her opinion and her decision to speak on her behalf, but me personally; I'd rather keep all the situations and the incident that happened between me and her private. But I can only just be responsible for my actions and what I did," Brown said.

In addition to trying to control his anger, Brown, who saw domestic abuse first-hand as a child, said he is trying to change his character.

"I've just been more focused on making my circuit small and not listening to outside entities and being arrogant to a degree, you know what I’m saying? Being more down to earth, more humble, being a person, a human being," he said.

When asked if he would ever consider getting back together with Rihanna if he could, he said: "At this point, I’m really just focusing on my life, just focusing on getting me right."

Brown hasn't given up the ladies, however. He told Williams that he's dating.

"Of course. I love women," he laughed.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he and Rihanna argued (over a text message he had gotten from another woman) in a rented sports car after a pre-Grammy party. According to a police affidavit, Brown tried to push the 21-year-old singer from the car and repeatedly hit her, bit her and choked her.

From CBSNews.com

Chris Brown may have pleaded guilty to felony assault and been sentenced to five years probation, six months of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling, but he says he feels as if he's still on trial for beating his former girlfriend Rihanna.

"What I think, the steps that I've taken to show that I'm sorry probably have been perceived wrong," Brown said Friday in an interview on "The Wendy Williams Show", where Brown premiered his new video, "Crawl" from his new album, "Graffiti."

Many of his critics have said the young, baby-faced R&B singer hasn't acted remorseful enough for his violent actions. But Brown insisted that he regrets his actions and is working on self-improvement.

Brown released an apology on his Web site, which some thought was too scripted and he also appeared on "Larry King Live" in September as his first televised interview since being sentenced to five years probation for the assault.


"At the end of the day," he told Williams, "I'm definitely remorseful and it's not something that I take lightly or think that it's, like, under the rug. I really think it’s something that is a serious matter and I'm learning from it."

Brown has also been taking anger management classes, which he said has been working to change his life.

"I think it's been the most helpful part of my whole situation, you know, with everything. I'm at a better place in my life," he said.

Rihanna, who is set to release her new CD, "Rated R" on Nov. 23, has recently spoke out about her attack to ABC's Diane Sawyer and has become an advocate against domestic abuse.

The Barbadian singer admitted that she kept going back to Brown, whom she called her "first big love" despite being treated badly. "The more in love we became, the more dangerous we became for each other - equally as dangerous," she told ABC. "It was a bit of an obsession almost."

But now, Brown said he just wants to move forward, as does Rihanna.

"As I said before, I respect her opinion and her decision to speak on her behalf, but me personally; I'd rather keep all the situations and the incident that happened between me and her private. But I can only just be responsible for my actions and what I did," Brown said.

In addition to trying to control his anger, Brown, who saw domestic abuse first-hand as a child, said he is trying to change his character.

"I've just been more focused on making my circuit small and not listening to outside entities and being arrogant to a degree, you know what I’m saying? Being more down to earth, more humble, being a person, a human being," he said.

When asked if he would ever consider getting back together with Rihanna if he could, he said: "At this point, I’m really just focusing on my life, just focusing on getting me right."

Brown hasn't given up the ladies, however. He told Williams that he's dating.

"Of course. I love women," he laughed.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he and Rihanna argued (over a text message he had gotten from another woman) in a rented sports car after a pre-Grammy party. According to a police affidavit, Brown tried to push the 21-year-old singer from the car and repeatedly hit her, bit her and choked her.

From CBSNews.com

Chris Brown may have pleaded guilty to felony assault and been sentenced to five years probation, six months of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling, but he says he feels as if he's still on trial for beating his former girlfriend Rihanna.

"What I think, the steps that I've taken to show that I'm sorry probably have been perceived wrong," Brown said Friday in an interview on "The Wendy Williams Show", where Brown premiered his new video, "Crawl" from his new album, "Graffiti."

Many of his critics have said the young, baby-faced R&B singer hasn't acted remorseful enough for his violent actions. But Brown insisted that he regrets his actions and is working on self-improvement.

Brown released an apology on his Web site, which some thought was too scripted and he also appeared on "Larry King Live" in September as his first televised interview since being sentenced to five years probation for the assault.


"At the end of the day," he told Williams, "I'm definitely remorseful and it's not something that I take lightly or think that it's, like, under the rug. I really think it’s something that is a serious matter and I'm learning from it."

Brown has also been taking anger management classes, which he said has been working to change his life.

"I think it's been the most helpful part of my whole situation, you know, with everything. I'm at a better place in my life," he said.

Rihanna, who is set to release her new CD, "Rated R" on Nov. 23, has recently spoke out about her attack to ABC's Diane Sawyer and has become an advocate against domestic abuse.

The Barbadian singer admitted that she kept going back to Brown, whom she called her "first big love" despite being treated badly. "The more in love we became, the more dangerous we became for each other - equally as dangerous," she told ABC. "It was a bit of an obsession almost."

But now, Brown said he just wants to move forward, as does Rihanna.

"As I said before, I respect her opinion and her decision to speak on her behalf, but me personally; I'd rather keep all the situations and the incident that happened between me and her private. But I can only just be responsible for my actions and what I did," Brown said.
In addition to trying to control his anger, Brown, who saw domestic abuse first-hand as a child, said he is trying to change his character.

"I've just been more focused on making my circuit small and not listening to outside entities and being arrogant to a degree, you know what I’m saying? Being more down to earth, more humble, being a person, a human being," he said.

When asked if he would ever consider getting back together with Rihanna if he could, he said: "At this point, I’m really just focusing on my life, just focusing on getting me right."

Brown hasn't given up the ladies, however. He told Williams that he's dating.

"Of course. I love women," he laughed.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he and Rihanna argued (over a text message he had gotten from another woman) in a rented sports car after a pre-Grammy party. According to a police affidavit, Brown tried to push the 21-year-old singer from the car and repeatedly hit her, bit her and choked her.

From CBSNews.com

Kanye West and his road manager were ordered to complete 50 hours of community service for their scuffle with photographers last year, a Los Angeles judge ruled Friday.

In exchange, a number of misdemeanors will be dismissed against the two men after West's attorney Blair Berk successfully convinced the judge that the criminal charges were too harsh. Blair indicated that the musician would perform the volunteer hours with the American Red Cross.

Following the hearing, Berk commented to reporters, "I'm very pleased that the court granted a dismissal of all the charges."

RELATED: Kanye Pleads Not Guilty in Paparazzi Scuffle

Also revealed at the hearing Friday: West voluntarily received anger management counseling following the altercation. He completed 12 one-hour sessions. West was not present in court for the hearing.

West's attorney also indicated that a civil settlement had been reached with the photographers last month, who wrote letters to the court saying they were satisfied with payment they received.

West, 32, pleaded not guilty on May 18 to misdemeanor vandalism, battery and grand theft stemming from the scuffle at Los Angeles International Airport last year.

His road manager, Don Crawley, 33, who was charged with two counts of each of the above crimes, also had pleaded not guilty.

The pair were arrested while attempting to catch a flight to Honolulu. Video of the incident showed both men wrestling a camera away from a photographer and smashing parts of it into the ground.

RELATED: Kanye's Bad Behavior: A Short History

Crawley also allegedly smashed a second photographer's camera.

"I'm cool with the paparazzi," the rapper wrote on his blog following the arrest. "This guy wasn't cool. I gotta work now ... I'll rant later!"

On Nov. 14, West was arrested in Newcastle, England, after another run-in with a photographer, but West was released without charge.

From People.com

Something to consider on this day that we honor those who have served

Incarcerated vets receive community support

Three years ago, Sheriff Tom Allman approached county veterans with an idea: creating a celebration for incarcerated veterans. Though initially met with some trepidation, the idea took root and is now part of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1900's yearly Veterans Day activities.

"We usually have between 12 to 15 veteran inmates in custody. The Ukiah VFW Post does the cooking and socializing. The Willits American Legion Post is very instrumental to this event by raising the necessary money for food," says Allman, who emphasizes that no tax dollars are used to cover event expenses.

Derek Shawk, senior vice-commander of VFW Post 1900, is a Marine who served in the Persian Gulf from 1988 until 1992. The Ukiah native got involved with the VFW three years ago at the prompting of his wife, who is not a veteran but volunteers at their monthly pancake breakfasts.

Today Shawk is head cook for the breakfasts, so it was natural for him to prepare food for the picnic. "The event is unexpected for the veteran inmates. They're very appreciative and humbled by the experience," notes Shawk.

The picnic lasts about two hours, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a barbecue, dessert and socializing. Several years ago, a Ukiah vet made a comment to the sheriff: "Just because someone has done something bad, doesn't mean they haven't done something good in their life," Allman quotes.

Shawk notes that last year, some of the corrections officers who are veterans attended the picnic. "It was a chance for the inmates and officers to see themselves as veterans."

He feels post traumatic stress disorder is one of the root causes of many of the problems plaguing today's veterans. "While you're in a combat zone you don't have time to think. You're not going to leave your buddies behind by telling a counselor you're under stress. It's when they come home and everything's calm that people start to have problems," Shawk notes. "That's what the word post' means, in PTSD."

What was called "shell-shock" during World War I has undergone several re-brandings. During the Second World War, it became "combat fatigue" and today is known as PTSD. Shawk feels vets have always suffered with post-combat, anxiety-related conditions.

Today's soldiers, according to Shawk, spend months in grueling, unrelieved combat situations, making it very difficult to manage stress. Once home, problems with addiction, homelessness, anger and violence can ensue unless vets receive early counseling. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimated that nearly 200,000 veterans were homeless in 2006.

"Many veterans try to assimilate, but they are not the same person they were before they enlisted, and they never will be," he explains.

"I've met vets who prefer to be homeless. They want to be left alone and they prefer to be self-reliant. It happens to the best of us - especially many Vietnam vets who spent years in the jungle," notes Shawk.

For vets suffering with PTSD, Shawk says the road to regaining trust is long and difficult. "The past is what makes us, but the important point is how to get through today. When you are willing to die for a person and they are willing to die for you, it is a relationship like no other." Some vets tend to keep very small circles of trusted friends and family. Many have gone through several marriages and some may panic if they feel confined or in a situation they cannot control, according to Shawk.

Allman notes the picnic stirs up strong feelings for everyone involved. "When I say that this is emotional, I have received mail from relatives of the veterans who have told me that nobody has ever recognized their loved one's duty to our country." Even vets who are locked down are brought a plate of food. "We're doing this for all the vets," says Shawk.

He hopes more local veterans will join the VFW. "I'm the youngest member at 39. We need that younger energy of the 20- and 30-year-olds," says Shawk. One of the most important aspects of his service is participating in the Honor Guard during funerals. "Folding and presenting the flag to the family of a veteran is tough, but it is so rewarding, and families deserve it," says Shawk. "But it would be nice to give our older members a break now and then. If there's one funeral per month or six, we try to be there."

Today, VFW members are handing out poppies at Lucky's. "There are less than 20 active members, but we do a lot with the few we have," says Shawk. The VFW sponsors scholarship programs, puts on awards banquets for the officer and firefighter of the year, provides phone cards for vets and care packages for those overseas. They sponsor school fundraisers and donate flags, and are always at the head of the Memorial Day parade.

Today's picnic has become one of the VFW's signature events. "All served their country," says Shawk. "It's ironic that today when many have the day off, most people working will be veterans."

Allman, a veteran himself, sees the day simply. "It's veterans spending time with veterans."

From The Ukiah Daily Journal

Change, real lasting change, requires effort. If you go to any gym in the middle of January it will be so packed that you will be lucky to find an available treadmill. Go back to that same gym in the middle of March and it will be half empty.

I've seen the same thing happen with anger management. Most people approach a course like this like gangbusters telling themselves that I'm gonna lick this thing once and for all and then go all out for five or six weeks. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people about a month into the program say to me "Ya know Doc, I really think I've got this thing l beat; I haven't gotten pissed off in weeks". Thats usually my first sign that a big blowout is just around the corner. Its just human nature - just like the gym, quitting smoking or going on a diet, we all get excited , we are all super aware and super diligent about our behavior and things seem to come so easily. But enthusiasm can only carry most of us so far and then reality starts to creep back in.

The sad part is that when people have a bad day, be it skipping a workout or two, having a couple of cigarettes or getting angry they take that as a sign of defeat - that they just can't overcome their problem. Pardon my technical jargon, but HORSEHOCKEY!! All of these things, anger in particular, are habits that you have had for years and years. Its very rare that someone is able to stop like flicking a switch. It was a gradual process that took years for you to develop a habit and its going to be a gradual process for you to be able to overcome it completely. It takes the average person something like 7 real tries to quit smoking for it to actually stick. You wouldn't read a book on skiing and expect to go out the next day and be the perfect skier. You would expect to fall down a lot and learn from each fall. And, slowly but surely, you would find yourself getting better at it each day.

Anger is no different. I can almost guarantee that you can you that you can watch all the videos, complete all the exercises and you are still going to get mad. The trick is to use these as learning experiences – to review the material we are going to cover in this course, ask yourself where things went wrong and what you can do differently in the future.

I have watched (and often cringed) as the news reports have played and replayed the red-faced screaming and gut-wrenching anger of some of the guests at the town-hall meetings and the way some politicians are cranking up the rhetoric to fan the flames on the health care bill. It hasn't even reached the Senate yet, but there are already rumblings coming from that August body.

We are hard wired to be suspicious of people who are not like us and this is part of the reason that its so easy for us to get angry and turn off when its someone in a faraway place with a foreign agenda and accent. But the angry people in the town halls look pretty much like you and me, and they live just around the corner. While some of them seem manipulated by interest groups, others are clearly possessed of a personal passion. I don't like listening to any of them, but they have gotten me to ask myself: "What is a reasonable response to this anger?"

Understanding is hard to do with the mute button engaged. So, I decided a couple of days ago to try to listen to the angry voices, trying to hear their actual words.

I think a reasonable response starts with listening to the music more than the actual words. After all, people get angry for a reason. Even the truly deranged have some physiological or psychological trigger for their anger. We are all to be one, not something that's possible without listening.

In the few days Ive been actually listening, I hear a lot of fear. I hear people who feel powerless. I see people moving toward the last quarter of their lives deeply anxious about their health and well-being. I also hear a lot of unusual resentment and even hatred toward those with a different ideology or policy perspective.

When faced with fearful anxiety and even hatred, I know there is little I can do except to listen and to stay centered myself. Try to stay calm and respectful and to listen to those with whom I disagree. Treat those who are angry with dignity so that they may become centered and respectful and perhaps feel a bit safer. Most importantly, hope that our leaders may make right decisions and take wise actions for the welfare of all people.

Its oh so challenging, but try to remember that when someone is angry they on some level feel powerless and that the more you try to listen to them and give them the sense that you want to understand their point of view the calmer they are likely to become. Set boundaries and don't let yourself be abused and don't let their fears cause your fears to erupt to the point where you fire back or turn them off.

Wishing you a peaceful and anger free Sunday.Particularly if you are a Redskin fan.

Some more interesting statistics from a study done by the London Times a couple years ago:

45% of those surveyed reported losing their temper at work on a "regular basis", 64% reported becoming enraged on at least one occasion and 50% have hit their computer at some point.

Some more interesting statistics from a study done by the London Times a couple years ago:

45% of those surveyed reported losing their temper at work on a "regular basis", 64% reported becoming enraged on at least one occasion and 50% have hit their computer at some point.

Did you know that many courts accept home study courses for court ordered anger management? Think about how much easier that would make it for you to meet the requirements of your sentencing! Check out our court ordered course section for more details or go to www.CourtOrderedAngerManagement.com!

Rebecca Houston and colleagues evaluated 15 individuals with strong histories of impulsive aggression, and 15 non-aggressive, non-impulsive control subjects. The researchers measured the subjects' brainwave responses to light flashes presented in groups of increasing intensity. They report that:

* Compared to controls, the impulsive aggressive subjects exhibited significantly reduced P1 amplitudes, suggesting that they are unable to process stimuli efficiently. This defect in initial sensory processing, the researchers say, may impair ensuing cognitive processes. Houston et al. say their finding is consistent with earlier studies revealing abnormal brainwave responses in impulsive aggressive individuals during decision-making tasks.
* Impulsive aggressive subjects also exhibited larger N1 amplitudes than those of control subjects, indicating enhanced attention to the stimuli. The finding is interesting, the researchers say, in light of the large body of evidence showing that impulsive aggressive people have lower-than-normal arousal levels. "This enhancement of attentional orienting," they say, "may serve as a compensatory response in order to boost arousal to more optimal levels." They add, "It has been suggested that... sudden change in arousal induces an agitated and irritable state. Often impulsive individuals report having these feelings directly preceding an outburst."
* Aggressive impulsive subjects also exhibited shorter P1, N1, and P2 peak latencies, which the researchers say is additional evidence that these individuals "jump on" any stimulus as quickly as possible in order to increase their abnormally low arousal levels. They note, too, that the subjects displayed increasing arousal in response to increasing intensity of stimuli, which is consistent with evidence that impulsive aggressive individuals are more physiologically reactive than other people.

Anticonvulsant drug normalizes brainwave patterns, behavior

In a separate study, Houston, Matthew Stanford, and colleagues investigated the effects of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin on subjects with impulsive aggression. Previous studies had shown the drug to be effective in controlling aggressive behavior.

The researchers administered the drug to 23 impulsive aggressive subjects, and report that subjects experienced fewer outbursts and improved mood. In addition, they say, phenytoin exerted a normalizing effect on the brainwaves of the subjects.

The results of their study strongly suggest, the researchers say, that "the expanded use of such inexpensive techniques and medications as phenytoin could make a significant impact in the management, treatment and prevention of impulsive aggressive behavior in both the mental health and criminal justice systems."

*****

"Mid-latency evoked potentials in self-reported impulsive aggression," Rebecca J. Houston and Matthew S. Stanford, International Journal of Psychophysiology, Vol. 40, 2001, pp. 1-15; and, "A double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of phenytoin in individuals with impulsive aggression," Matthew S. Stanford, Rebecca J. Houston, Charles W. Mathias, Kevin W. Greve, Nicole R. Villemarette-Pittman, and Donald Adams, in press. Address for both papers: Matthew S. Stanford, Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148.

From Crime Times

Some normally nonviolent in-dividuals exhibit bizarre and frightening aggression following epileptic seizures. In an attempt to learn more about what prompts this behavior, M. Elizabeth Gerard and colleagues combed their database of 1,300 patients and identified six who experienced post-seizure aggressive episodes. Among the patients they studied:

* One 42-year-old man, an auto mechanic, had suffered seizures since an episode of meningitis in early childhood. The man's behavior is normal except during periods of increased seizure activity. "During these times," the researchers say, "he exhibits a post-ictal [post-seizure] psychotic state characterized by religious preoccupations, hypersexuality, auditory hallucinations, occasional visual hallucinations of God, and paranoid delusions." He has committed a number of violent acts during these phases, including attempting to stab his sister. "The psychosis typically begins 6 to 24 hours after the last seizure," Gerard et al. say, "and lasts from several hours to several days."

* One 32-year-old man, who suffered from seizures beginning in childhood, developed post-seizure aggression in his teenage years following experimentation with illegal drugs. His aggressive behaviors typically lasted from 20 minutes to one hour. "If the patient's mother was in the vicinity," the researchers say, "he would actively seek her out, and display both physical and verbal aggressive behavior toward her alone."

* A 55-year-old military veteran, with seizures of unknown origin, experienced several post-seizure aggressive episodes so violent he required hospitalization. Following the seizures, the researchers say, the man believed that people wearing red represented the devil and would attempt to take off their clothes, fighting them if they resisted. "He has attacked family members with knives and broken bottles," the researchers say, "and has attempted to `baptize' his own child by immersing her in a swimming pool."

The six patients they studied, Gerard et al. say, showed no consistent pattern of age, seizure cause, or right-left seizure focus. However, some common patterns emerged. All of the patients were male, and the researchers note that in all cases, "the episodes of post-ictal aggression were not isolated events, but recurred repeatedly," with symptoms unique to each patient. In addition, the aggressive episodes tended to follow clusters of seizures, rather than single seizures. Furthermore, all of the patients had intractable epilepsy, and in all cases, aggressive episodes occurred within three days of the last seizure.

The researchers note that five of the patients had no memory of their aggressive acts, and that "all of the patients were remorseful about their behaviors" following attacks. Four of the patients exhibited no mental disorders between attacks, while two had psychiatric disorders.

Gerard and colleagues say that post-seizure aggression, while rare, "appears to be a true clinical entity with several consistently observed manifestations." Similar behavior, they note, can be induced in rats with kindled seizures in the amygdala.

Interesting article from Crime Times:

It's been linked to suicidal tendencies, violence and aggression, depression, alcoholism, and impulsive behavior. It's not a drug, but a natural brain chemical-serotonin-and growing evidence suggests that low levels of this neurotransmitter are a significant risk factor for psychopathology.

It's not surprising, many researchers say, that alterations in serotonin production or metabolism are linked to so many aberrant behaviors. Serotonin receptors are widespread throughout the brain, and the chemical helps regulate mood, arousal, aggression, impulse control, and sexual activity.

Among the new studies linking low serotonin levels to violent or aberrant behavior:

--Jeffrey Halperin et al. compared aggressive and non-aggressive boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The researchers subjected both groups to a "challenge" with the drug fenfluramine, which provokes a response by the brain's serotonergic system. The results, they say, suggest diminished serotonin release and availability in the aggressive boys.

Aggression, suicide, impulsivity, and alcoholism have all been linked to low serotonin levels.

--Matti Virkkunen et al. believe they have identified a specific genetic variation which predisposes some individuals to suicidal behavior. Studying violent offenders, they found that one variant of the THP (tryptophan hydroxylase) gene, which codes for an enzyme necessary in the biosynthesis of serotonin, was strongly linked to suicide attempts, regardless of whether or not offenders were impulsive.

Numerous studies link suicidal behavior-often characterized as "aggression turned inward"-to low serotonin. Researcher Mim Landry says most studies show a correlation between low serotonin levels and "violent and/or impulsive suicide attempts, not premeditated suicide or nonviolent, passive attempts such as drug overdoses."

A second study by Virkkunen et al. found that low cerebrospinal fluid levels of a serotonin metabolite, 5-HIAA, were associated with poor impulse control (a major risk factor for criminal behavior) in alcoholics.

--Monkeys with low serotonin responsivity "displayed significantly more aggressive gestures in response to a threatening slide of a human being than did the high responders," in a 1995 study by Randall Kyes et al. Kyes says the data "support related findings in people and nonhuman primates linking reduced serotonergic activity and aggression."

-----

"Aggression and brain serotonergic responsivity: response to slides in male macaques," Randall Kyes et al., Physiol. & Behav., 57: 2, 1995. Address: Randall Kyes, Reg. Primate Research Ctr., University of Washington Health Sciences Building, SJ-50, Seattle, WA 98195.

--and--

"Serotonergic function in aggressive and nonaggressive boys with ADHD," Jeffrey Halperin et al., American Journal of Psychiatry, 151: 2, February 1994. Address: Jeffrey Halperin, Department of Psychology, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367.

--and--

"Suicidality and 5-HIAA concentration associated with a tryptophan hydroxylase polymorphism," and "CSF biochemistries, glucose metabolism, and diurnal activity rhythms in alcoholic, violent offenders, fire setters, and healthy volunteers," both by Matti Virkkunen et al., both in Archives of General Psychiatry, 51, January 1994. Address for either: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 10, Room 3C102, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Wishing you a peaceful and anger free Sunday. Back tomorrow!