What Is Anger?
Everyone knows the feeling. It’s that rage that rises when a driver is cut off on the highway and just wants to floor it and flip the bird. Anger is a corrosive emotion that can run off with a person’s mental and physical health. Is holding it in the solution? Or letting it all out? Anger doesn’t dissipate just because it is unleashed; in fact, that just rehearses it. However raw it can be, anger is a necessary emotion, serves mankind well in certain situations, and like all emotions, we can benefits from good management of this very strong emotion. If not managed well, it can cause self-harm or erupt into hostile, aggressive, or perhaps even violent behavior toward others.
Anger is considered one of the basic emotions, along with happiness, sadness, anxiety, and disgust. Researchers posit that these emotions have served a protective purpose over the long course of human history.
In particular, anger is related to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response of the sympathetic nervous system; it prepares human faculties for the first option – to fight. But fighting doesn’t necessarily mean throwing punches; it might motivate communities to combat injustice by changing laws or intentionally shifting norms of behavior. Of course, anger too easily or frequently mobilized can undermine relationships and studies show, it is destructible to bodies in the long term. Prolonged release of the stress hormones that accompany anger can destroy neurons in areas of the brain associated with judgment and short-term memory and it can weaken the immune system.
When Anger Becomes a Disorder
Everyone experiences anger at some point in life. It becomes problematic, however, when the frequency or severity of anger interferes with relationships, work performance, legal standing, or mental health, it becomes a serious problem for the person and people he/she comes in contact with. While there is no official “anger disorder,” dysfunctional anger can be associated with manic episodes, Borderline Personality Disorder, and the impulse-control condition Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Anger doesn’t require formal diagnosis to be disruptive or to benefit from help in its management. Support groups are available in many cities. In group or individual settings, cognitive restructuring may be helpful, which coaches patients on reframing unhealthy, inflammatory thoughts.
How to deal with anger?
1. Recognise the Warning Signs
If you can recognise when you’re starting to feel angry, you’ll be in a good place to try some of our tips before you get really worked up or lash out. You can then try a few of the strategies below.
Some warning signs are:
- pounding heart
- gritting your teeth
- sweating
- tight chest
- shaking
- anxiety
- raising your voice
- being snappy or defensive
- temporarily losing your sense of humour
- pacing
- getting a ‘flash’ of a bad mood
- being overly critical of someone
- feeling argumentative
2. Work Out Why You’re Angry
There’s lots of reasons why you might be angry. It’s a normal or understandable response in some situations, such as when you or someone else is being treated unfairly. If you’re not sure why you’ve just snapped at someone, though, think back through your day and try to pinpoint what set you off.
Some other reasons why you might be feeling angry include:
- you’re under a lot of pressure
- you’re experiencing bodily or hormonal changes that cause mood swings
- you’re frustrated with how your life is going
If you work on first recognising and then dealing with your anger, it won’t have such a damaging effect on your relationships, body, mind and emotions.
3. Write it Down
Sometimes, writing stuff down can help you work out why you’re feeling angry and how you might be able to deal with it. It’ll also help you to put things in perspective.
4. Count to 100
This one seems pretty basic, but it works. Thinking about something other than what’s making you upset for 100 seconds can help you avoid blowing a fuse. It gives you a chance to gather yourself and your thoughts before you do anything else.
5. Press Pause
When you feel angry about something, it’s almost impossible to deal with the situation in a productive or helpful way. If you feel yourself losing your cool, just walk away from the situation for a while. You’ll deal with it better when everyone, yourself included, is feeling calmer.
6. Move Your Body
Exercise is an awesome way to let off steam. You could take a walk around the block, go for a run, or do something really high-energy like boxing.
7. Talk to Someone
Talking to someone you trust about how you’re feeling can take a weight off your shoulders as well as your mind. That could be a trusted adult, friend or family member. You could even give the ReachOut forums a go, and talk with other young people who get how you’re feeling.
If your anger is getting out of control, consider seeing a mental health professional or a life coach.
8. Take Time to Relax
If you know what helps you to relax, you’ll find it really useful whenever you’re feeling angry. Take some time out to do something you enjoy, whether that’s walking in the park, reading a book or listening to music.
Also, feel free to reach out and if you have anyone in the family who you feel is dealing with anger issues that are affecting your quality of life, lets talk!
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