Generally, people tend to view anger as one of our strongest and most powerful emotions. Anger is a natural and “automatic” human response, and can, in fact, serve to help protect us from harm. While angry behavior can be destructive, angry feelings themselves are merely a signal that we may need to do something.
What is Anger?
Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel deliberately done was wrong. It triggers the body’s fight or flight response. It can be a good thing and gives you a way to express negative feelings, or motivate you to find solutions to problems. However, excessive anger can cause problems.
Types of Anger
There are three types of anger that help shape how we react in a situation that makes us angry.
1. Passive Aggression
2. Open Aggression
3. Assertive Aggression
Causes of Anger
There are many common triggers for anger, such as losing your patience, feeling as if your opinion or efforts aren’t appreciated, and injustice. While people often express themselves in different ways, they usually share four common triggers. Therefore, we organize them into buckets: frustrations, irritations, abuse, and unfairness. Other causes include memories of traumatic or enraging events and worrying about personal problems.
Anger and Stress Management
Anger management and stress management work in similar ways. This is because anger and stress both have a psychological form. Therefore, these both can be managed psychologically. Both emotions can affect us in very negative ways, mainly if left unmanaged. Hence, it is essential to understand their relationship.
Chemistry of Anger
There are many chemical reactions taking place in our bodies. These reactions will raise our blood pressure and this blood pressure will create a feeling of anger inside us. We will erupt. Additionally, it will then produce a chemical that quenches the anger. Furthermore, we will be cold down in the next few minutes If we learn to manage the anger. Consequently, we will avoid the ravages of anger.
Effects of Anger on the Human Body
The constant flood of stress chemicals and associated metabolic changes that go with ongoing unmanaged anger can eventually cause harm to many different systems of the body.
Some of the short and long-term health problems that have been linked to unmanaged anger include:
Headache
There are different types of recurring headaches and many causes, so it is important to seek a diagnosis from a qualified health professional. Causes of headaches can include stress, medications, diet, jaw problems, and illnesses of the eye, ear, nose, and throat.
Digestion problems
If stress closes to your digestive system, it can cause diarrhea or constipation and affect your body’s ability to take in nutrients. This also seems to create a link between stress and irritable bowel syndrome. Hence, it can cause belly pain and cramping, as well as constipation and diarrhea.
Insomnia
It is a common sleep disorder derived from stress. Insomnia is defined as persistent difficulty with sleep onset, maintenance, consolidation, or overall quality. It occurs despite adequate time allotted for sleep on a given night and a comfortable place to sleep, and people with insomnia experience excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, irritability, and other impairments when they are awake.
Eczema
Anger, frustration, embarrassment, and day-to-day stressors can cause the skin to flush and trigger eczema. This can make it itchy, which leads to scratching. Afterward, this can cascade into a perpetual cycle of atopic dermatitis. From its red, rash-like appearance to the relentless itch and sleepless nights. Living with eczema can be downright challenging to our emotional well-being. Anxiety and stress are common triggers that cause eczema to flare up. Then it creates more anxiety and stress. Finally, it leads to more eczema flare-ups. Stress can make the skin condition worse. When you are tense, your body tries to protect your skin by boosting inflammation there. If you already have it because of eczema, that boost will make your symptoms worse. The key is to try to manage your stress.
Heart Attack and Stroke
There are undeniable links between heart disease, stroke, and stress. Constant stress links to higher activity in an area of the brain linked to processing emotions. This increases the likelihood of developing heart and circulatory disease. Stress can cause the heart to work harder, increase blood pressure, and increase sugar and fat levels in the blood. These things, in turn, can increase the risk of clots forming and traveling to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.
Finding a Way to Control Anger
It is not too easy nor too difficult to control but finding a way to control the anger is the best solution. There are ten anger management ways:
When you Speak, Think About it
Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything. Also, allow others involved in the situation to do the same.
Express Your Concerns When You Have Composed Yourself
As soon as the heat of anger lessens, state your concerns, clearly and directly without hurting others.
Exercising Helps a Lot
Physical activity can help reduce stress. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run. Or spend some time with your loved ones.
Take a Break
Give yourself short breaks during times of the day that tend to be stressful. A few moments of quiet time might help you feel better prepared to handle coming events, without getting irritated or angry.
Identify Possible Solutions
Instead of focusing on what made you mad. Try to find out realistic possible solutions to the things that have made you exhausted.
Stick with “I” statements
Criticizing or placing blame might only increase tension. Instead, use “I” statements to describe the problem. Be respectful and specific in expressing concerns in a meaningful way.
Never Hold a Grudge – It Only Destroys You
Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Forgiving someone gives you peace of mind and tries to strengthen your relationship.
Being Humorsome Helps Release Tension
Lightening up can help diffuse tension. Use humor to help you face what’s making you angry and, possibly, any unrealistic expectations you have for how things should go.
Relax Yourself
When your temper flares, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase, such as “Nothing Happened”.
Seeking Help Keep You Calm
Controlling anger can be a challenge at times. Seek help for anger issues if it seems out of control.
Silence: A Potent Way to Control Anger
“Be silent. This will keep you saved.” This narrates that silence is the best way out to keep our body at rest and tame anger. The time pass, the storm subsides, and then the mind comes to rest. Many say, “if the sky falls or the earth explodes, they will not open their mouth. They remain silent and you can be sure that no matter how big the tsunami may be, it cannot cope with silence.”
Psychological Treatment: Aid to Cure Anger Disorders
Psychologists can help people recognize and avoid the triggers that make people angry. They can also provide ways to help people manage the inevitable anger. Sometimes this flares without warning. Many research studies have explored the effectiveness of therapies for treating anger. Several large analyses of the published research suggest that approximately 75% of people receive anger management therapy. They have been improved as a result.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
In CBT, patients learn to identify unhelpful or negative thought patterns. One CBT-based anger treatment is known as Stress Inoculation. This method involves exposing the person to imaginary incidents. That would provoke anger, providing opportunities to self-monitor themselves and practice coping methods
Family therapy
It helps family members resolve conflict and improve communication. It may be helpful in addressing anger problems.
Psychodynamic therapy
It is an approach in which therapists help people use self-reflection. This focus on the psychological roots of their emotional distress.