Site Meter Mental & Emotional Health » Blog Archive » Anger, Part 2

Anger, Part 2

by

anger2.jpg

Today I’d like to continue my series on anger & it’s effect on our lives.

The American Psychological Association & psychologist Charles Speilberger (PhD) describes anger as “an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury & rage.” Your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure increases, your energy hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline also increase - just like with stress! Internal and external events can cause anger. You can be cut off in a traffic jam and become angry just as easily as you can forget to go to an advising appointment and become angry at yourself. (Yes, I’ve been there, done that.) Even remembering previous situations can make a person angry!

As I wrote yesterday, anger is normally expressed through aggressive actions. However, if you punch everyone you get mad at, you won’t last long in our society. There are laws, social norms, and most importantly common sense that hold our anger to a certain “public” level.

Three Ways
Expressing your anger is the healthiest way to deal with these angry feelings. You must remember, though, that you need to express them in an assertive, but non-aggressive manner. You make your needs clear, you learn how to meet those needs and you do it without hurting. You can be assertive without being pushy & demanding.

Suppressing your anger happens when you hold your anger in, stop thinking about the anger and then transfer those thoughts to something positive. (Conversion & redirection with your anger.) This is making your anger more construction (rather than destructive) and can be dangerous. Why? If you’re not letting your anger out, you’re sitting on it and there is a possibility of turning it on yourself! “Anger turned inward may cause hypertension, high blood pressure and depression.” (There you are Crys!)

Non-expressed anger can also create problems. This non-expression can lead to passive-aggressive behavior (”getting even” with people without telling them that you’re angry and why you’re acting the way you are) or a continual cynical and hostile personality. People who put others down, criticize those around them, and make cynical comments all the time have not constructively learned to express their anger.

, ,


3 Responses to “Anger, Part 2”

  1. Ewokmama Says:

    Bravo! Love the info!

  2. Terra Says:

    welcome to the fall of my marriage. my fave quote: anger is one letter short of danger.

  3. Mental & Emotional Health » Blog Archive » Anger, Part 3 Says:

    [...] it a bad thing that I’m enjoying the process of writing my series on anger? I don’t know what it is, but there is something about writing on a subject I don’t [...]

Leave a Reply


About Mental & Emotional Health

Explore mental and emotional health issues including mood disorders, depression, anxiety and anger problems. We’ll also keep up with the latest scientific research on developments related to mental health. Stress, physical illnesses and pain can trigger negative feelings and despair but we’ll focus on how to cope through those difficult times.

Mental & Emotional Health Author(s)

Blogging Flair

al.com - Alabama Blogs

Science & Health Channel Posts

  • What The Heck Is Treatment Resistant Depression?
    This is a dreadfully named type of chronic depression. Please, someone in the medical community rename this thing. When you're depressed, you're always convinced that you cannot be cured or helped. [...]
  • Victoria's Secret? She's a Vegan!
    Victoria's Secret is no longer hiding in closet. The lingerie and beauty product brand is getting loud and proud about veganism. Pink Body is a new line of Victoria's Secret cosmetics - including [...]
  • I binged
    Yes. I am not all perfect and cured. I totally had a binge last night. It was my own fault. I had junk food lying around the house for the "future" and needless to say, I pounced on the food last [...]
  • Is Volumetrics for you?
    [caption id="attachment_756" align="alignnone" width="339" caption="Volumetrics "][/caption]"Free foods" are those that help you get more bang for your buck because they contain a lot of water, [...]
  • Psoriasis and Earache
    I'm going to be honest and beg the blogosphere for information of psoriasis and earache. I have psoriasis and now it seems to have spread to my right ear. It causes a dull ache, but not bad enough [...]
  • Dear Non-Vegans, Love Eccentric Vegan
    Eccentric Vegan compiled a great resource post, called "Dear Non-Vegans," all about why meat, eggs, all other animal products are not healthy, humane, or environmentally friendly on Vegan Soapbox. I [...]
  • Top Ten signs of Alzheimers Disease
    [caption id="attachment_1800" align="alignnone" width="67" caption="Alzheimers"][/caption]Memory loss that disrupts everyday life is not a normal part of aging. It may be a sign of Alzheimer's [...]
  • The best way to measure body fat
    [caption id="attachment_796" align="alignnone" width="104" caption="Tape Measure"][/caption]When does "putting on a few pounds" cross the line into needing to lose weight? Neither scale, BMI, pinch [...]
  • Exacts on how you too can run up expensive therapy bills for your children.
    Ok, so see, as I said, I’ve never been away from my children much.  And, I have missed not one, not two but on Saturday, I will have missed three of my son’s basketball games.  Never in [...]
  • Published Letter to the Editor
    My first letter to the editor was published this week in the Middle Tennessee State University student newspaper, Sidelines. Here's the published version of what I wrote in response to their article [...]

Hot Off The Press