We have all experienced anger at one time or another, and contrary to popular belief it can be healthy to get angry. It only becomes problematic or unhealthy when the feeling is continual or lasts for periods of time where it impacts relationships, work performance, legal standing, or mental health.
What is anger: a mood or emotion?
Depending on your experience of anger it can be any one of them!
A mood can last for hours or days. So, if you said, “I’m feeling angry”, that’s referring to a mood. We also tend to use the word ‘feeling’ interchangeably with emotion; however feelings include both emotional experiences and physical sensations. For example, you might say you’re feeling hungry, feeling tired, or feeling itchy even though these are not emotions.
Emotions differ from moods in that they typically last minutes to seconds, So, if you said, “I’m angry at Mark because he didn’t complete the report on time,” you would be referring to an emotion. You can also feel emotions—for example, you may feel upset, angry, or sad.
Of course, emotions can contribute to moods and moods can contribute to emotions, so they generally overlap.
What happens when you get angry?
Emotions arise out of your amygdala or reptilian brain. The role of your reptilian brain is to identify threats to your survival and in the case it perceives your survival is at risk, it will warn you about the impending risk so you can react and survive. It is very efficient at protecting you and getting you to react before your cortex (third brain, which is responsible for thought and judgement) can discern whether it is a real threat or not and how to respond, appropriately.
When your amygdala identifies your survival is at risk, your brain releases neurotransmitter chemicals and you experience a burst of energy, which can last for up to several minutes. This burst of energy enables the anger desire to take immediate protective action. At the same time, your heart rate accelerates, your blood pressure rises, and your rate of breathing increases. Your muscles also start to tense.
Your face may become flushed due to the increased blood flow which is sent around your body in anticipation for physical action. Your attention narrows and becomes locked onto the object of your anger. Quickly you are unable to focus on anything else. With the flush of additional brain neurotransmitters and hormones (including adrenaline and noradrenaline) you are in a state of high arousal and ready to react. Your reaction could be fight, flight or flee.
Just as your body is mobilised into action, it also needs time to wind down and release the cortisol from your system when the threat has passed. Depending on the amount of time you were angry or aroused for, it will influence how long your body needs to return to its relaxed state. It takes a minimum of 20 minutes. While your body is becoming more relaxed, your anger threshold is lowered making it easier to become angry at things that ordinarily wouldn’t bother you.
This lingering arousal can also make it harder to think clearly and remember details of your angry outburst as your arousal is higher than what is optimal for new memories to form. That is why it is also difficult to remember explosive arguments or outbursts.
How can anger impact my health?
A 2010 study found that uncontrolled anger is bad for your physical and mental health. The study found that uncontrolled anger can lead to bulimic behaviour, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and an increased risk of car accidents. It can also compromise your immune system.
Is anger a symptom of mental illness?
In short, not necessarily however anger is a symptom of a number of mental health illnesses. The most common one is depression, which is an ongoing feeling of sadness and loss of interest for two consecutive weeks or more.
A 2011 study found that anger is a common symptom of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and it affects approximately half of people with OCD. It is though that anger arises from the frustration of not being able to prevent the obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and or impulsivity. A short temper and anger can present as a part of ADHD, across all ages.
Bipolar disorder causes dramatic shifts in mood. The intense mood shifts can range from mania to depression although not everyone with bipolar disorder will experience depression. Many people with bipolar disorder experience anger, irritability and rage.
While anger is a stage in the grieving process, it is not considered a mental illness as grief is considered a natural processing of loss.
Can anger be tamed?
In short, yes. Anger can be tamed. Angry people can and do learn to process their residual anger and control their angry emotion with some practice. It means getting to know your triggers, learning healthy ways to deal with anger and also how to express yourself so that you can be heard and get your needs met.
5 Signs your anger controls you
Anger provides you with important data that you can use in a healthy way to get out of danger. Here are 5 signs your anger is controlling you.
Signs that show your anger is controlling your life include:
- Feeling out of control
- Difficulty understanding why you feel angry
- Afraid to express your anger in a constructive way
- Feeling angry and not knowing why
- Misusing drugs or alcohol to hide or “numb” your anger
If anger is getting in the way of you connecting with others and impacting your reputation at work, then now could be a good time for you to explore your emotions and get better at managing them. You are not alone in experiencing intense anger and there are proven techniques to help you manage them that don’t involve mindfulness.
If you are interested in getting a handle on your anger, book in a confidential call where we can explore how what I do could help you to better manage your emotions.
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