LEARN TO LET GO OF ALL THE RAGE
ANGER HAS A TIME AND PLACE, BUT IF YOU LET THE EMOTION CONTROL YOU IT COULD AFFECT YOUR HEALTH
How often do you come across angry people? We all experience anger at times but some people seem to be angry most of time at everything and everyone.
Like other emotions, it’s not right or wrong per se and it can be useful on occasions if used appropriately.
It’s there as information, something to pay attention to and reflect on what is happening or has happened to cause it.
What triggers anger for you? Is it a person, event, situation?
How does it manifest itself – volcanic or a slow rumble with an occasional flare?
What appears to be anger may be caused by underlying frustration, disappointment, judgment, rejection, hurt, poor health or fear and, at times, it may even be passion for something you care deeply about but which comes out all wrong.
It can also be a source of protection to have the angry person feel safe. Let’s face it – most people won’t approach or engage with an angry person as they seem threatening, so the person is left alone and it keeps them safe.
But anger is a health risk in the long term and therefore, if you or someone you know carries a lot of anger, then it’s important to consider the impact on you, them and others. Here’s what happens.
Anger triggers the amygdala, the brain’s threat detector, which sends a message to the hypothalamus and on to the pituitary gland and the adrenals which then release stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline).
You may recognise that it is similar to our fight or flight response and the body’s response to perceived threat.
It’s helpful at those times when it is really needed but not a good physiological state to be in for any length of time.
High levels of cortisol affect two parts of the brain in particular, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, and compromises their ability to do their job (which is logical, rational, reasoning, executive decisionmaking plus short-term memory recall and new memory creation).
In the rest of the body, long-term high levels of the stress hormones affect the cardiovascular system and can lead to stroke and heart attack.
They also weaken the immune system, making us more prone to disease.
They slow blood flow and metabolism, impair eyesight, increase headaches and migraines and reduce bone density.
All of these are a result of being in a constant “threat’’ state.
The path to resolving or at least managing or regulating anger lies in recognising your personal triggers and working through them. Is it really anger or is it something else? It can be easy to default to anger when we are unable to express what we are truly feeling or don’t know what is troubling us.
And remember to breathe. Taking a series of deep breaths in and longer breaths out (minimum three but for a few minutes ideally) will allow your fight/flight reaction to settle, your brain to calm and bring more clarity to the situation, all of which will help.