Mental Health
Guide

Anger

Lesson 1

Introduction

If there were a poll to determine the most dangerous and damaging emotion, anger would surely be at or near the top of that list.


Virtually all humans experience this emotion at times and as something that has a functional value for survival. However, uncontrolled anger can negatively affect individual or social well-being and impact those around them. Individuals and other animals share it, and it occurs when the animal is tormented or trapped. This form of anger is episodic.


The limbic system mediates basic emotions such as fear and anger. 

As with any of our emotions, there is a general lack of understanding of what triggers anger or frustration and the differences and relationship between them. 


There is no culture in which the basic emotions (Joy, distress, anger, fear, surprise and disgust) are absent. Many emotions are not learned and are universally innate. For example, babies who are born blind still make those emotional facial expressions. (Dylan Evans - Emotions. The science of sentiment.) 

At times, anger is the appropriate response to the actions of others. When viewed as a protective response or instinct to a perceived threat, anger is positive. The negative expression of this state is known as aggression.


Many people falsely believe that anger should be “let out” to be healthy, or that you cannot control feeling angry. While it is true that you should not suppress emotions, venting is not a healthier option. When you exhibit inappropriate expressions of anger, it inevitably leads to problems at work, personal relationships, and even conflict with the Law.


One of the critical components of emotional intelligence is controlling your own emotions – particularly negative emotions such as stress and anger. If you cannot prevent yourself from panicking or flying off the handle in a temper, you will find that you struggle to interact with others positively. This can wreck your relationships and your career, and it’s very unpleasant to live with. The concerns arise when we do not handle our anger well and are nasty to innocent people.


The word “emotion” dates back to 1579, adapted from the French word émouvoir, which means “to stir up”. However, the earliest precursors of the word likely date back to the very origins of language.

Emotions have been described as discrete and consistent responses to internal or external events which have a particular significance for the individual.


Emotion can be differentiated from many similar constructs within the field of effective neuroscience:

  • Feelings are best understood as a subjective representation of emotions, private to the individual experiencing them.
  • Moods are diffuse effective states that generally last for longer than emotions and are usually less intense than emotions.
  • Affect is an encompassing term used to describe the topics of emotion, feelings, and moods together, even though it is commonly used interchangeably with emotion.
  • Anger is an emotion related to one’s psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged, or denied and a tendency to react through retaliation. Sheila Videbeck describes anger as a normal emotion that involves a strong, uncomfortable and emotional response to a perceived provocation.


Raymond Novaco of UC Irvine, who since 1975 has published a plethora of literature on the subject, stratified anger into three modalities: 

  • 1. Cognitive (appraisals)
  • 2. Somatic-affective (tension and agitations)
  • 3. Behavioural (withdrawal and antagonism)


William DeFoore, an anger-management writer, described anger as a pressure cooker: we can only apply pressure against our anger for a certain amount of time until it explodes.

Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterised by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. (Reference)

What Are the Different Types of Anger?

Several types of anger are more prevalent and commonplace. Those types are outlined below. It should be noted that anger is not typically deliberate, nor is it indicative of a more profound mental disorder.

Assertive Anger

Assertive anger is calm and respectful. Being the most constructive and usually produces a positive outcome. The assertive person doesn’t need to cause an argument or be violent. It is felt when you are in a situation of injustice or threatened in some way that does not prompt a physical outburst of any violent behaviour, rage, or harsh verbal confrontations. This type is a powerful catalyst for desired change and the least harmful kind of anger.

Chronic Anger

Do you hold on to anger for longer than a few months? Then you might fit the chronic or habitual anger profile. This type is an ongoing, chronic frustration, resentment, or unforgiving. It often results in physical manifestations, such as flushing, extremely increased blood pressure, headaches, muscle tension, jaw-clenching, and sometimes even shaking. It is a compelling type of anger.

Drugs and alcohol can help mask bitterness temporarily. However, they may also have the effect of worsening one’s anger, as drugs and alcohol can reduce self-control and tend to increase impulsivity.

 

The triggers can be simple, run-of-the-mill happenings that wouldn’t seem to set anyone else off. However, those with chronic anger issues jump first to anger before really evaluating the situation. Chronic anger isn’t always accompanied by fit-throwing, tantrum-style reactions when triggered. 

It’s more of deep-seated, internal anger with outward physical manifestations. Think of an earthquake; the plates are shifting and moving underground, but the public will only know it’s happening if the vibrations reach the surface. 

Left untreated, this is the type of person who ends up in trouble with the Law or alienates him or herself from family and friends.

Judgmental Anger

Not to be confused with moral anger, which results when someone breaks an ethical code. With this type of anger, one has a sense of superiority over another’s shortcomings or behaviour. 

 

The beholder cannot seem to come to terms with their feeling of moral, righteous fury resulting from a perceived injustice. This type of anger is often held inside and improperly addressed if it is discussed at all.  

Passive-Aggressive Anger

 Prevalent in people who avoid confronting their fears or frustrations, this type of anger is the inability to articulate that they feel wronged and why to another person.  

Passive Aggressive anger uses sarcasm or mockery to express their anger and stay away from confrontations and conflict. But they won’t tell anyone about it.

 

They hint they are angry instead by their body language, short responses in communication or withdrawing from people.

A person with assertive anger is looking for a win/win solution for all characters concerned. 

Many perceive the French communication style as typically passive-aggressive. 

The French have a wonderful expression for passive-aggression: sous-entendu. It means “what is understood underneath.” In other words, you’re saying one thing that sounds innocent but actually means another that can be pretty vicious.

Passive anger can result in dire consequences in personal and professional relationships. Often, the entire point is overlooked or disregarded because of the passive-aggressive manner it was delivered. 

It usually occurs when the angry individual has a problem with someone else but refuses to come out and say it. Breaking the passive anger cycle is engaging in physical activity to lower your overall stress. 

 

Self-Abusive Anger

Anger may be directed at oneself or others. Hopelessness, helplessness, and shame are some of the root causes of this type of anger, manifest in negative self-talk, self-abuse, substance abuse, or even lashing out at others. These actions mask an internal battle and can be devastating. 

 

Instead of spewing anger out like hot lava and then moving on, the self-abusive anger type has an inner dialogue constantly feeding negativity to the beholder.

 

Annoyance or Volatile Anger

 This is the most common type of anger. Annoyance anger can arise from the many frustrations of daily life, and if you are prone to road rage when you’re behind the wheel? You may be experiencing volatile anger or its more severe form, intermittent explosive disorder.

It seems to come out of nowhere as a result of annoyances, both big and petty. Those people affected feel they have to walk on eggshells to avoid setting the person off. For example, your partner said something insensitive; the kids aren’t listening, your supervisor is a real jerk, etc., and it’s easy to experience annoyance anger regularly. We may add to this frustration by unwittingly allowing other people’s problems to become our own.

Substance abuse is a common factor of anger that is volatile. Males are more likely to display related symptoms. Some may show symptoms of explosive anger during childhood or as a teenager. Genetics, living environments, and a history of mental health concerns are other possible contributing risk factors.

This type of anger puts people at risk for self-harm, damage to property, violence against others, and trouble with interpersonal relationships. It’s essential to seek professional help for patterns of this type of anger and to use caution if someone around you is prone to it. 

Retaliatory Anger

 Nearly all of us have displayed this most common type of anger at one time or another. It is quick to set in, and it is our response to another person first lashing out their anger at us. 

This is, anger can be directed at an individual or organisation to ‘get back at them’ for a perceived wrong on their behalf. For example, this type of anger might be caused by an insult or a company refusing to refund faulty goods.

 

It tends to be more common in situations involving those close to us – family or friends – because we are more likely to feel hurt by their actions or words and feel the need to lash out in return. 

 

Retaliatory anger can damage relationships as it can be a spontaneous reaction without much thought involved or a planned reaction.

Justifiable Anger

Justifiable anger is having a sense of moral outrage at the world’s injustices—whether it’s the destruction of the environment, oppression of human rights, cruelty towards animals, violence in the community, or an abusive relationship at home.

Justifiable anger may benefit the short term, as its intensity can be channelled into passion and action for change. 

However, over time, any type of anger is inherently unhealthy, as it robs us of our peace of mind and causes suffering within. Feeling angry regularly for any reason only hurts oneself in the long run.

 Vengeful Anger

If you’re obsessed with someone you feel has wronged you, you probably have what’s called vengeful anger. This type of anger takes a toll on you both mentally and physically in the form of obsessive thoughts, high levels of stress, and an increased risk for heart problems. 

The best cure for vengeful anger? 

Forgiveness, also, if you feel stuck in your anger and have a tough time forgiving and forgetting an event where you think you were wronged, you may have what is referred to as petrified or hardened anger.

Temper Tantrums

Temper tantrums (sometimes intertwined with aggressive anger) can be characterised as disproportional outbursts of rage when an individual’s selfish wants and needs are not fulfilled, no matter how unreasonable and inappropriate.


Temper tantrums are often directed toward those whose words and actions do not deserve such emotional fury. As stated above, anger is a universal emotion, and we all experience it. It presents itself in a whole range of styles, with only a few of them mentioned here.


Simply being aware of what sets our anger off can be immensely constructive in diminishing its intensity and destructive outcomes.

The Causes and Signs of Anger and Aggression

Just like all other emotions, anger is a feeling that all of us feel from time to time. It is a universal human phenomenon and is as essential as feeling tired, hungry, or lonely.


Anger can even be an excellent emotion to release pain, make you feel safe, and it is a genuine motivator. Some people confuse anger with aggression.


Anger is a perfectly healthy emotion that needs to be acknowledged to be processed. But these two are entirely different things. Aggression is a behaviour also known as aggressive behaviour. Aggressive behaviour can cause physical, verbal, emotional harm and hurt to others. It usually comes as a direct response to feelings of anger, but unlike an angry emotion or feeling, aggression is a behaviour that you choose and can control.


Aggression can be in the form of physical abuse, verbal or emotional abuse, or harming another person’s property. The harm or hurt that most aggressive behaviour causes violates social boundaries and can further ruin or break relationships or the Law.


Aggression is a rather unhealthy way of responding to your anger, and several factors can cause or lead to it.

Causes of Aggression

When people exhibit aggressive behaviour, they are usually feeling angry, restless, impulsive, and irritable. Aggressive behaviour can likely be a direct response to negative experiences as well.


Apart from anger and negative experiences, aggression can also be caused by the following factors.

  • Physical Health
  • Mental Health Conditions
  • Pressure from Work or School
  • Nature of Family Dynamics / Relationships
  • Socio-economic Factors
  • Personal Experiences


Certain conditions to a person’s physical health can limit their ability to control aggression, such as:

  • Brain damage resulting from stroke
  • Brain/head injury
  • Specific infections / illnesses


Aggressive behaviour is also more common amongst people with certain mental health disorders/conditions:

  • Autism 
  • ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)


Some health conditions contribute to aggressive behaviour due to the patient’s inability to process and respond commonly. But aggression is still prevalent amongst normal individuals who choose to act on their anger violently.

Signs of Anger and Aggressive Behaviour

Anger is a normal and healthy emotion, but when it becomes uncontrollable and the person chooses to inflict harm or violence to self or others, it can pose a significant risk to both well-being and relationships. 

Here are the signs to look out for if anger and aggression have been getting out of hand.

  • Being physically violent when angry
  • Threatening violence to other people and their property
  • Inability to control one’s anger
  • Becoming angry/violent after consuming alcohol
  • Failure to compromise without getting angry
  • Inability to express one’s emotions calmly / without getting angry
  • A cycle of bad behaviour that affects your relationships and social life
  • Feeling that you have to hide or hold your anger inside
  • A tendency to isolate and self-harm
  • Staying away from situations because you’re worried about your outbursts
  • Ignoring other people / refusing to speak with anyone
  • Feeling compelled to be reckless because of uncontrollable emotions.


It’s vital to deal with feelings of anger and to be able to hold it together to keep yourself from doing something hurtful to yourself or others or damaging property in a fit of rage. These aren’t the healthiest ways to deal with anger and aggression.


Being unable to deal with anger and aggression healthily can escalate to something much worse and unimaginable sooner or later, such as inflicting harm, causing violence, or committing a crime at the very worst. The sooner you suspect any problem, and you need to seek medical or professional help while you can. 


Anger and aggression rarely happen without any underlying reason or a more profound issue behind them. Identifying the reasons and causes may be the key to preventing it from causing you undue harm.

Anonymous

“The goal isn’t to feel angry. The goal is to understand your anger and to choose healthy ways to respond to it."


The Difference Between Anger and Frustration

Anger and frustration are both universal emotions.

 

While they do have a close relationship and are often used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between the two terms. 

Frustration Characteristics

Frustration is a response to feelings of dissatisfaction. This can be intrinsic or extrinsic – for example, we may be frustrated by another person’s inability to grasp what we are trying to explain or frustrated by our inability to express our explanation adequately. 

 

Frustration itself is not anger but can provoke or incite anger. The degree to which this occurs or the frequency in which it appears in any individual is closely related to the person’s anger management profile. Frustration can be one of many triggers that lead to anger. 

 

Those who readily progress from frustration to anger are likely to move to the anger phase in other triggering circumstances quickly. Frustration is only one of these potential triggers. Those who better manage their anger are more likely to reconcile their frustration before allowing it to trigger their rage.

 

Rather than invoking an action, frustration often causes inaction or stagnation. The resultant anger (if that is the result) usually compels action, which can, of course, be positive or negative.

 

Frustration is created in our minds over circumstances that we perceive as being beyond our control at that particular point in time or as readily as we would like. 

 

It invokes feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. We become frustrated when the desired result of a particular situation is not met to our satisfaction and results from an escalated annoyance. 

 

Frustration has many origins but results in a mixture of disappointment, sadness, or discouragement that our time and efforts have been in vain and to no avail. If frustration is not dealt with effectively, it can become anger.

The Positive Side of Frustration

Life’s little annoyances and disappointments can prove to be positive self-help for us if we choose to learn from them. We will never eliminate frustration from our lives entirely; it naturally crops up here and there as we go about our daily routines.


The key is in teaching ourselves to become more mindful in frustrating situations to seek solutions instead of devolving into anger.

 

Doing so expresses emotional maturity, a learned skill, whereas allowing a habitual anger response to frustration is an emotionally immature reaction.

Anger Characteristics

Anger generally produces an emotional escalation that compels the person to action. This does not mean that all anger is acted upon or results in physical expression, depending on the emotional makeup and maturity of the person angered. 

 

When outside factors overwhelm us and become more than we can handle, anger can be the result. There is passive anger and aggressive anger. Passive anger is the least harmful to others but can cause physical damage inside our bodies if we don’t deal with the source. 

 

Aggressive anger is evidenced by a hostile display of loss of temper, physical aggression, shouting, and other behaviours which cannot be hidden from those around us. Often these features of anger are directed at others or toward something inanimate. 

 

Anger is accompanied by loss of control in one way or another, which can be fleeting or sustained. Resolution from anger usually requires the passing of time, an intervention by another person, or a pleasant experience replacing it. 

 

The “pleasant experience” can be attaining the desired outcome or getting our way. Anger is a normal human emotion, but the way we display it, allow ourselves to be affected by it, and resolve from it can be controlled with learned self-discipline techniques or anger management therapy. 

Body Language

 

Is There a Positive Side of Anger?

 

As civilised people, we mostly do our best to avoid or mask our anger. The usual end result of a display of anger can be a sense of calm or a feeling of shame and embarrassment, sometimes even self-destruction. 

 

But is there an upside of anger? 

Research has shown that constructive anger can be a powerful motivator to help you get what you want by causing you to push on toward your goal despite barriers. 

 

Strange as it may seem, angry people, are more optimistic (like happy people). 


Anger can also benefit relationships, believe it or not. In our society, we tend to try to hold back any showing of rage. 

 

But in personal relationships, it is best that we constructively show our anger, so there is less confusion about what we want from the relationship. This lays the groundwork for less venting and more productive communication.

 

We have the Power to Choose our Responses.

 We are all individually responsible for choosing our own thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions. Our thoughts generate emotions. No one else controls these for us. When we put everything into perspective, we can ask ourselves if this situation is worth getting angry or annoyed. 

 

Sometimes it’s as simple as switching your focus from the problem to the solution.

What Causes Sudden Explosive Anger Outbursts?

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Anger is a normal emotion, and at one time or another, almost all of us has experienced an outburst to one degree or another.

When anger becomes impulsive and explosive, it deserves a much closer look. Whether you’ve been the aggressor or the victim of someone else’s sudden explosive outbursts of anger, it is in your interest to get a better understanding of the possible underlying causes.

Characteristics of Sudden Explosive Anger

From a clinical standpoint, Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is very real and can be very damaging if left untreated. What degree of behaviour justifies a formal diagnosis? 

 

Physical or verbal aggression toward property, people or animals with or without actual damage occurring two or more times a week for at least 90 days, or at least three episodes of explosion within a 12-month period where damage did occur is considered the bare minimum. 

 

If criteria are not met for a formal diagnosis, it’s still possible to have explosive anger episodes that need addressing. 

 

The aggressive episodes typically last less than 30 minutes, but that’s plenty of time to wreak some pretty devastating havoc. Also, these tirades are not premeditated. The aggressor has a loss of control and acts entirely on raw, unbridled impulse. 

 

An analogy is a tornado spinning out of control without general direction, even to itself, leaving nothing but chaos and destruction in its wake.

Causes

 

Like most behavioural issues, this too is thought to have links to both biological and environmental factors – nature and nurture. Some researchers believe IED can be passed down the genetic line. Others put more emphasis on environmental influences starting in young adulthood. 

 

The cold, hard truth is it’s impossible to pinpoint a single cause that applies to all cases, and it would be simplistic to attempt to do so. It is also understandable to see where both could be viable factors in a single issue. 

 

However, the risk factors give a pretty good idea of what to look for if you deal with sudden explosive anger outbursts as either the aggressor or the victim.

The risk factors are:

 

  • Male
  • Exposure to violence at a young age
  • Exposure to volatile behaviour patterns, especially at a young age
  • Past physical and emotional trauma

 

It’s also essential to consider an underlying medical condition, such as dementia or traumatic brain injury history, an adverse reaction to prescription medication, and illicit drug use/abuse as probable culprits for uncontrolled anger outbursts. 

What are the Signs of Hidden Anger?

For most people, dealing with their reactions to their feelings can be less work than dealing with the causative issue or issues. They find it easier to correct the way they display their emotions to the outer world than to spend time determining what might be causing the feelings they are not comfortable with. This is especially so with hidden anger. 

 

Many people have been raised to perceive expressed anger as being socially inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour. However, many have also not been taught, or taught themselves, how to resolve feelings of anger. 

Their only solution is not to express their anger. This can have detrimental outcomes on their physical and emotional well-being. Let’s face it, and nobody wants to think there is something wrong, and often, we chalk it up to just being a bad day. Burying feelings can have a significant influence on how our interactions go with others. 

 

The whole “out of sight, out of mind” ideal could be one way of tricking yourself into believing there are no more profound issues. Others know something is going on but utilise a “fake until you make it” attitude to get through their day. There are consequences in pushing these feelings down or trying to mask the way you genuinely feel. You can compare it to a champagne bottle that has been shaken. 

 

All this energy is bottled up, and the moment the cork is popped, BOOM! An explosion of mass proportions is let loose. Let’s look at some of the signs that may help a person understand that there is something they should probably give attention to. Firstly, to prevent or repair the damage that repressed anger can cause and live a happier and more fulfilling life.

Physical & Mental Exhaustion

Usually, when something is going on within our mind and body that is not as it should be, the body creates alarms to warn us. Again, these can be ignored or suppressed until we fail to recognise their importance. It is in our best interest to pay close attention to any signals our body tries to send us.


People who appear to sleep through the night might wake up feeling tired instead of being refreshed. If an individual does not fix an internal problem, it could result in frightening dreams or jaw-clenching during sleep. Imagine going to work and feeling exhausted halfway through your day. Not only are you concentrating on the work at hand, but also fighting to stay awake.


In turn, this could make someone more irritable than usual. If you are having a difficult time getting to sleep or remaining asleep at night, it could be something other than the room’s temperature or the hardness of the pillow.

Sarcasm as a Weapon

A change in someone’s demeanour is another sign that something may be going on. If you are typically cheerful and walk around the office with a bounce in your step, it could be an alarm if that suddenly changes. Don’t ignore it. People tend to lash out at others if something is not going as planned in their world. We use this as a technique in dealing with difficulties in our own life. 

 

Making fun of someone else’s situation is a common way we go about this. Engaging in sarcastic conversations about other people tricks yourself into believing things aren’t that bad for you

 

Crude jokes might become something of the norm if you are having a tough time with an issue—anything to take the spotlight off what you are hiding. When sarcasm becomes a weapon, there’s probably some underlying anger that needs attention.

Elizabeth I

“Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.” 

What Triggers You?

Triggers for anger and frustration are unique to each person. Stimuli can also be deeply enhanced depending on the situation. For instance, it will likely be intense anger if anger is triggered during a circumstance where emotions are high. 

Additionally, traumatic experiences from the past could cause anger and frustration to be more intense when triggered. 

Survivors of domestic abuse might feel incredibly frustrated or angered if someone is treating them disrespectfully, or they perceive it as such. Likewise, someone who grew up with alcoholic parents might be extremely angered if they suspect their partner is hiding a drinking problem. 

As you can see, the past is just as important as the present when identifying possible triggers for anger and frustration.

Unfair Treatment

Have you ever felt annoyed or angry when something unfair happens? It might be as simple as someone cutting in front of you at the grocery store checkout line, but it changed your whole mood. If you’ve worked hard on a project for work and your boss doesn’t seem to notice, that might set you off as well. 

Here’s the deal. Life is unfair. 

A huge key to happiness is recognising and accepting that fact. The quicker you learn to accept that you are only in control of your reaction, you’ll be a much happier person. 

It is unreasonable to expect that external events or other people’s actions should always follow your wishes or expectations. Mostly they are random and do not have the aim of causing you frustration or anger.

They just are. What matters is your response.

Misuse of Your Time

There’s no getting around it; we are bound to do some multitasking in one form or another throughout the day. This is a busy world, and we are busy people. 

Time stops for no one, but when there is a blatant misuse of your time, you might get upset or even enraged. It can seem that our friends and family have very little respect for our time, especially when incessantly texting. 

If you’re chronically rushing and then get delayed even further by things outside your control (traffic, long lines, etc.), it probably really gets under your skin. 

Likewise, when someone else disrespects your valuable time, it probably doesn’t leave a good taste in your mouth. When you’ve set up a meeting, the other party should at least have the decency to be on time.

Suppose you’re constantly being interrupted. Set better boundaries. The thing about your phone, you don’t have to answer it or reply to texts immediately. Carry on doing what you’re doing, and let your fans wait in line until you have time. 

If you loathe traffic and long lines, adjust your schedule, so these things aren’t as damaging to your mood for the day. 

When others aren’t on time for meetings, note it, but don’t let your blood get to a boiling point. Make good use of the time you have left with them instead of focusing on things you can’t change.

Is Your Anger Situational?

Sometimes it’s not simply based on the here and now. For instance, you might be hungry, exhausted or stressed, manifesting in anger. Other situations might be an unhappy marriage or a job you have grown to despise. Look for other potential culprits for your rage.

What are the Effects of Anger on Your Health?

There are many effects emotions can have on our overall health, and anger is probably the most complicated emotion to keep under control. Emotions can have some pretty adverse effects on physical and mental health.

Breathe

When we get to a boiling point, instead of acting on it at the moment, take the time to breathe through it and delay a reaction. Often, you’ll find your initial response is disproportionately much more than what the situation might call for and could lead to a much more damaging outcome. 

Breathing The first and most important thing to do when you feel yourself getting worked up is to try and breathe steadily and deeply. 


When you get anxious, this causes your autonomic nervous system to trigger the fight or flight response, in turn releasing neurochemicals that cause your body to get ‘worked up’ like norepinephrine, cortisol and glutamate. By breathing steadily, though, you can push your parasympathetic nervous system to kick in, which in turn has the opposite effect of putting you into a ‘rest and digest’ state, producing relaxing hormones that calm you back down. 

 

After a few times of holding back for a beat, it becomes easier to bite your tongue. Like any other addiction, this is a habit that can be and needs to be broken. It requires discipline and dedication to overcome, but it’s worth it in the end!

Stroke/Heart Attack

You read that correctly. Getting angry can affect the most vital organ in the human body. Have you ever heard of the saying “my blood is boiling”? Well, the person who came up with that just may have been onto something. 

When someone gets angry and fails to deal with the issue at hand, things tend to heat up. Before you know it, you are reacting in a way that is not constructive to solving the real problem. When someone gets to the point of lashing out, their ability to listen or reason pretty much goes out the window.

Blood pressure goes up, and so does the chance of a heart attack. Remember this the next time you feel like giving someone an ear full; you may be doing more damage, not only to the situation but to your heart as well. 

Strokes are also a significant health concern for someone who quickly reacts out of anger, especially people who make it a habit. 

People who work stressful jobs or participate in conversations that may get heated run a greater risk of a stroke. The chances of having a stroke rise as much as three times during and shortly after an angry outburst. 

There are some things you can do to avoid either of these two episodes from happening to you. It does not mean you can’t get angry; few of us would choose to be irate if this was a real option. 

It is how we deal with the anger that can be the ticket to not falling gravely ill during or after an argument. Taking deep breaths, talking in a lower tone, or just walking away from a situation for a beat are a few options. 

The main thing is don’t lose control, but don’t hold onto whatever is bothering you either. 

Anxiety and Depression

If someone keeps their anger inside and never allows themselves to deal with what is angering them, it can cause anxiety levels to rise. When someone gets angry about something but fails to address the issue, it can, in many cases, cause the person to feel resentment and a lack of resolution. 

It is almost a snowball effect, where something small you are angry about turns into a vast ordeal you are now worried about. If we had just taken the route of solving the problem while it was manageable, things would have never got to the point of worrying about all the different outcomes. 

In many cases, depression is linked to feelings of unresolved anger. People can become distant from others and activities they once enjoyed. Being alone seems to keep them from having to deal with issues and seems helpful at first. 

In reality, it negatively affects their health and draws them away from many of the things they once found satisfying. Avoidance isn’t the answer.

Taking Care of the Issue Equals a Healthier You

Generally speaking, nobody likes to talk about their feelings, and few people honestly enjoy conflict. However, there will always be those who seem to walk around perpetually mad at the world. 

Unfortunately, if you’re one of the easily angered or constantly angry people, this could be causing severe damage to your health and, in some cases, even cause early death.

If you had to choose between talking a problem out or your family planning your memorial, which would be your preference?

 

Remember to talk things out, take deep breaths and never keep things bottled up inside. 

By doing so, you may seem like you have things together on the outside, but doing unknown damage to the inside. Take care of yourself and release the pressure constructively. 

 

Do You Lash Out in Anger or Cry with Frustration?

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of feeling like things are simply out of control, fasten your seatbelt belt. This is one of those things in life where it’s not a matter of “if” it will happen, but more of “when” it will happen. We are only human. 

 

We can only take so much before an emotional response is invoked when life, and all its intricacies, reaches a tipping point. There are two primary ways we deal with a highly chaotic situation or circumstance - lash out in anger or cry with frustration. 

A good many of us have superior control over angry outbursts and disallow this type of behaviour. Instead, we might be so highly frustrated the only way we can deal is to break down and cry it out.

Then there are those of us who allow anger to rear its ugly head and take control of our mind and body, come what may. 

Anger Management Information.

Anger Management Information

There is plenty of relevant anger management information. First and foremost it is imperative to understand anger and the consequences of anger. Anger management will not work without knowing what it is an individual is attempting to change or manage.

Anger is an emotion and totally normal. 

It is a reaction to various situations. It is okay to be angry but when this anger becomes intense, frequently, there can be major problems; problems within the family, relationships, work and it can cause health problems.

People who unable to manage their anger in a positive way are likely to transfer their anger to other situations such as child and spousal abuse, violent crimes and other types of recklessness. 

This anger management information is something an individual should consider when recognising they have a problem. There are all sorts of anger-provoking situations, more anger management information that might be useful in working through anger-related issues.

Some people become mad or angry when they are frustrated, when something doesn't work out the way they planned or they failed to succeed after giving their all, circumstances like these may cause a person to become frustrated. This frustration may lead to anger which can then spin off into a whole list of negative consequences. 

Irritations provoke anger. Daily incidents such as constant reminders or regular interruptions can cause a person to become irritated. This irritation continues to grow and the result is a sudden fit of rage.

Depending on the individual this rage can cause a person to resort to different ways of releasing their anger, some of which may be painful to themselves and others. When an individual is being verbally abused, perhaps sexually abused, these situations provoke anger. 

People deal with these disturbing experiences differently but for those who become angry because of the abuse, the outcome could be very serious, even violent.

Anger management information such as this is imperative, especially in a situation where a person feels threatened. Being treated unfairly often provokes feelings of anger. Often people are blamed for things, whether warranted or not, it can cause them to feel angry and act out because of these feelings.  

There is so much information important to understanding anger management. The more details a person can gather, the better equipped they are when faced with circumstances involving an angry individual or if needing to tap into the information themselves.

Anger management information is available through many sources; books, movies, as well as the Internet. For a person who requires anger management information, the Internet is an excellent source. 

With many websites dedicated to anger management, it is very proficient in supplying the necessary information required concerning anger, consequences of anger, people affected by anger and anger management information.  

Without the appropriate anger management information, it would be difficult to begin a course of treatment that would be beneficial. It doesn't matter where the anger management information comes from.

It does matter however, what an individual does with the information they are given. Reading and studying the information is essential but deciding what to do with this information will make the difference in resolving anger-related issues or not.

Conclusion

There is a range of types of anger we resort to when we become threatened to the point of loss of emotional control. Many people assume that valid, absolute outrage is accompanied by shouting, screaming, threatening another person, throwing things and anything which can be described as fit-throwing. 


This isn’t necessarily so, and the majority of the time, the level of anger displayed is directly affected by our mood at the time.  

We are all mortal, and we react differently to circumstances and situations. Covering up your anger and pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t any healthier than blacking out and having an explosive outburst.  

The fact is, anger can be expressed in a controlled and productive manner, and for some of us, that takes a lot of practice.  


The bottom line is that we have learned the anger responses we display. We have developed them simply through forming habits to deal with situations we have been exposed to.

For many people, their methods of responding to frustrating circumstances are learned from others and rooted deeply in their early upbringing.


As with all things that we respond to habitually or subconsciously, we can change if we truly want. Now you know what to do. You have to practice diligently and consistently. 


Learning to accept that not everything is or should be as you expect it to be, and choosing not to be angry when it isn’t, is life-changing.

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