We’re told that venting anger in a healthy way is GOOD for us, but is that true? Is there a healthier way to deal with anger that doesn’t involve venting? Is “righteous” anger better? What happens to us when we repeatedly give in to angry episodes?

I have been making my own observations inside my body, starting from when I was told it was healthy to vent anger, how I felt, and what changed inside of me when I changed how I processed anger.

I had observed that when I let my anger out on the people who I felt had angered me, it may have felt like a release in the moment, but my anger levels didn’t end up diminishing. I still simmered and stewed in my juices, my mind replayed the event over and over, while I felt more and more justified in my anger, and I kept a loop going in my mind where my sense of injustice stayed high.

I found that releasing my anger only allowed it to flow more and more easily each time I felt triggered. What was going on in my brain, I wondered. Why wasn’t I feeling better? Why was I feeling worse and worse physically when I experienced an anger episode?

When I started questioning how I was feeling and how my anger didn’t seem to be going away, I read that once we start giving into anger, our Amygdala gets engaged, and as with any thought that is repeated, we create neural pathways with each thought and occurrence, so it becomes our brain’s go-to method of dealing with any perceived threat.

When I decided to experiment and see what would happen if I DIDN’T give in to anger, but instead practiced other methods of working through my feelings, I was astounded to see how my levels of anger and overall levels of stress dropped significantly.

Since I journaled and kept track of how I felt, I created the guided Anger Journal and the Guided Anxiety Journal so my readers would have a space to respond to questions to learn their patterns and triggers. I was surprised to see in myself how seemingly small present time triggers actually had their roots in unhealed damage from my past. These revelations helped me to take the time to work on healing from those particular past events that still caused triggers.

I have been practicing the alternate methods for a few years now and even when something potentially VERY upsetting happens, my mind no longer goes into a panic, nor does it get angry as a defense mechanism. Instead, I find I automatically start to look into seeking out all the information, and then weighing my options before I decide on an avenue to proceed.

Recently it came to my attention that we (collectively) have been feeling a long-term level of simmering anger, and we struggle with handling anger in a way that is beneficial not only to us, but to others. It seemed timely to offer some guidance when there seems to be so many triggers online and in the media.

I did some digging to be able to share some helpful articles with you. Here they are, the underlined headings are links to the articles so you can read more, and see where you fit in.

Venting to others doesn’t reduce anger, study shows.

“Folks who vent about a source of anger might feel better in the moment, but that won’t diminish their ire, researchers found.

Instead, stress-reducing techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation and yoga are much more effective alternatives, results show.

They discovered that turning down the heat through stress-relieving activities is better at reducing anger because it lowers a person’s fight-or-flight response.

On the other hand, venting about anger actually increased a person’s agitation.”

Anger – how it affects people

Physical effects of anger

Anger triggers the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. Other emotions that trigger this response include fear, excitement and anxiety. The adrenal glands flood the body with stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. The brain shunts blood away from the gut and towards the muscles, in preparation for physical exertion. Heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increase, the body temperature rises and the skin perspires. The mind is sharpened and focused.

Health problems with anger

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
• digestion problems, such as abdominal pain
• insomnia
• increased anxiety
• depression
• high blood pressure
• skin problems, such as eczema
• heart attack
• stroke.

Where Do You Store Stress in Your Body?

If you sit in frustration, the lower back is a common place for storing repressed anger. For relief, learn to articulate frustration constructively and address conflicts with others. Sounds simple? It’s not. Learning to harness the power of anger and turn it into a creative force is vital to living an active and rewarding life. Strive to convert anger into assertion; express it constructively, not destructively. You’ll be rewarded with a surge in confidence, energy, and healthier relationships.

Read more to see Top 10 Secret Areas.

Why Anger Is Nothing More Than Repressed Anxiety

• Anger arises when we feel compelled to intensify our efforts to reinstate the physical and emotional balance we’ve lost.
• Anger, by drowning out anxiety, prevents you from healing it, because once it’s repressed, it is hard to access.

Plus, whether we’re in the throes of anxiety or anger, the underlying psychological pain we’re enduring can correlate with physical pain. David Hanscom, M.D., points out that it’s our troubling beliefs about reality that generate “the same physiological response as physical threats.”

In fact, chronic pain and other physical conditions and diseases may be understood as resulting from, or being contributed to, by unresolved (and thus perseverating) stressful emotions. Habitually “attacked” from within by such steroidal hormones as cortisol, eventually, the body must succumb to their harmful influence.

The reason anger is linked to abusiveness is that when you’ve assessed someone as unfair, ascribing abusive behavior to them, you feel totally justified in punishing them.

In most instances, however, they really haven’t done anything to deserve your hostility. It’s simply that blaming them allows you to transition from anxiety and self-doubt to the more comfortable, ego-flattering position of righteous indignation.

• Learn ways to self-soothe and relax amidst inner agitation. And start by slowing down your breathing. Developing calming skills is essential if you’re to think more rationally.
• Become more mindful. Refocus your attention on what, moment-to-moment, is going on in and around you. And that includes attending to sights, sounds, smells, tactile sensations—anything that will stop counter-productive rumination.
• Exercise or engage in physical activity. Besides being a distraction, focusing on bodily movement can help moderate, or expend, the nervous energy fueling your anger.
• Don’t permit yourself to act before you consider the repercussions. Ask yourself whether your so-tempting retaliative action is likely to make things better—or much worse. If you’re not ready to peaceably address another about your frustrations, diplomatically explain that, and (temporarily) leave the scene.
• Replace your entrenched negative habits of denial, blaming, and rejection with the redeeming qualities of awareness, compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, acceptance, and love (tied to the rewarding, socially-bonding chemical oxytocin). Regrettably, this is much easier said than done. But again, it’s a matter of motivation, as well as cultivating greater self-discipline. And there are numerous Internet-accessible articles that can guide you here.
• Reevaluate your self-protective pessimism or cynical attitude. You need to explore, then correct, the negatively distorted, exaggerated, or overgeneralized beliefs that may have derived from early trauma. Such examination must include a willingness to take into account other, more reasonable, or charitable interpretations of what happened to you.
• Become more solution-oriented. Anger keeps you defensively focused on how others created your problems. Instead, refocus on what you can do to solve them.

What Are the Dangers of Suppressed Anger?

Suppressed anger can be an underlying cause of anxiety and depression. Anger that is not appropriately expressed can disrupt relationships, affect thinking and behavior patterns, and create a variety of physical problems. Chronic (long-term) anger has been linked to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches, skin disorders, and digestive problems. In addition, anger can be linked to problems such as crime, emotional and physical abuse, and other violent behavior.

What Steps Can I Take to Help Manage Anger?

• When you start feeling angry, try deep breathing, positive self-talk, or stopping your angry thoughts. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm. Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as “relax” or “take it easy.” Repeat it to yourself while breathing deeply until the anger subsides.
• Although expressing anger is better than keeping it in, anger should be expressed in an appropriate way. Frequent outbursts of anger are often counter-productive and cause problems in relationships with others. Anger outbursts are also stressful to your nervous and cardiovascular systems and can make health problems worse. Learning how to use assertiveness is the healthy way to express your feelings, needs, and preferences. Being assertive can be used in place of using anger in these situations.
• Seek out the support of others. Talk through your feelings and try to work on changing your behaviors.
• If you have trouble realizing when you are having angry thoughts, keep a log of when you feel angry.
• Try to gain a different perspective by putting yourself in another’s place.
• Learn how to laugh at yourself and see humor in situations.
• Practice good listening skills. Listening can help improve communication and can facilitate trusting feelings between people. This trust can help you deal with potentially hostile emotions.
• Learn to assert yourself, expressing your feelings calmly and directly without becoming defensive, hostile, or emotionally charged. Consult self-help books on assertiveness or seek help from a professional therapist to learn how to use assertiveness and anger management skills.

When anger is out of control: Anger addiction

Signs of Anger Addiction  

Neurobiology & Anger

In the moment anger feels good. It’s so powerful that it overrides our rational and moral frameworks we’ve established because it comes from our primordial, original limbic system: the center of the brain – where our most automatic emotions like fight or flight originate. This response system controls adrenaline, heart rate, alertness, and other instincts that prepare you for battle or a quick escape. Similar to other addictions like gambling, extreme sports, or even drugs like cocaine the brain releases a dopamine reward when you’re angry which clouds your judgment and can lead to terrifying consequences.

• Quick to Anger: Little things set you off, that don’t set off the people around you. Extreme frustration over small tasks that don’t go as planned to the point of turning into something you become fixated on for hours or the rest of the day.
• Violent Behavior: Physical violence and aggressively screaming or yelling is a sign of anger addiction. The trigger again is often times something small, seemingly meaningless to the people around you, which makes it even more maddening for you.
• Repeated Cycles of Remorse: After anger episodes you find yourself apologizing and even saying things like “I overacted” or “I shouldn’t have yelled.” If this is a regular occurrence you likely have anger addiction issues.

What Causes Rage Addiction?

Rage controls an area of the brain that changes your body’s central nervous system. Some people can experience a “high” feeling from these changes, similar to what one might feel with drugs or alcohol. As the person begins to use rage as a source of control, the addiction grows and the aggression gets more intense. The rage soon becomes the central emotion in the individual’s life, masking all other feelings of joy, hope, depression, passion, and everything in between.

Signs Of Rage Addiction

Rageaholics can learn to conquer their aggressive tendencies with counseling and rehabilitation.

If you or someone you know may be addicted to rage, watch for these signs:

• Verbal, Physical, Or Emotional Abuse Towards Others
• Excessive Cursing
• Name Calling
• Threatening Behavior
• Pointing And Yelling
• Sarcasm, Even When It Is Uncalled For
• Throwing Objects At Others
• Experiencing Temper Tantrums
• Bragging About Power And Control
• Criticizing And Degrading Others With Blunt, Aggressive Comments
• Road Rage
• Mixing Anger With Substance Abuse
• Unpredictable Behavior
• Denying Anger Outbursts
• Fantasies Of Revenge

Well, I hadn’t heard of rage addiction before I started research for this post, but it has underscored the need for each of us to do the inner work to heal from our past traumas and damages. Please also click on the links in the sidebar to go to supportive posts that will help you take those first steps. You will find even more supportive posts on my Archived Posts pages.

Having anger issues (whether you express it outwardly towards others or direct it towards yourself through hateful self-talk), is a sign of damage done, but know this, you can heal from your past. It isn’t easy, but isn’t the pain and suffering worse? Take your first steps towards healing!

I believe in you!

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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Tamara

I hope you’ll poke around my Archived Posts Main page divided up into 3 sub-pages: Mental Health and Rewiring the Brain || Healing and Developing Ourselves || Positive thoughts and Affirmations to find a wonderful trove of supportive and encouraging posts!
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