Emotions are a source to express oneself. While there is an array of emotions ranging from good to bad, the most destructive amongst all is the emotion of Anger. Anger Management is very important in today’s world.
Anger is an emotion that can destroy you, your surroundings, and everything linked to your existence.
Importance of Anger Management
When anger is suppressed and not let out, it can be an underlying factor for many negative practices. More emphasis needs to be placed on managing anger and educating society on how to manage anger in stressful environments.
When talking about the men of the world, the stereotypes associated with masculinity aren’t hidden anymore. One such stereotype is about not letting out anger in any form. Such toxic mindsets can lead to disastrous consequences and loss of self-control.
Anger is one of the most prevalent behavioral problems among the youth and those around them. Some theorists believe that anger is a maladaptive attempt at coping with a stressful environment, resulting in greater conflict and personal discomfort. An important part of growing up is learning to deal with anger so that it doesn’t snowball into hurting yourself or others.
People who manage their anger get sick less often and feel better emotionally. Even though anger is a natural emotion, sometimes it can lead to uncomfortable behavior or out of control. It may even feel like the anger is controlling you.
Scientific Panorama
While the Internet defines anger as ‘an intense emotional state induced by displeasure’ rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from the violence of emotion. Flares and flashes, outbursts, eruptions, wrath, infuriate, the words used to describe anger tend to be volcanic. Science may explain the reason why.
When an angry feeling coincides with aggressive or hostile behavior, it also activates the amygdala, an almond-shaped part of the brain associated with emotions, particularly fear, anxiety, and anger.
People yell, throw things, behave inappropriately, run away, let the frustration out on their younger ones, etc. There are many adverse effects of this dangerous emotion and it is essential to investigate the mechanisms behind these reactions.
Scientists believe that the capacity for anger has been hardwired into the brain over millions of years of evolution. It forms part of our instinct to fight off threats, compete for resources, and to enforce social norms. Anger is rooted in the brain’s reward circuit.
Anger can trigger the body’s fight or flight response, causing the adrenal glands to flood the body with stress hormones, such as adrenaline, and testosterone, preparing us for physical aggression. Feeling anger can alter the way we view risks. Studies have shown that it can make us more impulsive and make us underestimate the chances of bad outcomes. Anger also influences group dynamics.
When we feel angry, we tend to think more negatively and in a more prejudiced way about outsiders, becoming more likely to blame negative traits on a person’s nature rather than their circumstances. Angry people tend to seek someone to blame, research shows.
Animals are equipped with the same basic neural circuitry. It operates on a spectrum from mild frustration to absolute fury, and the intensity with which we feel anger and how we act on it is very personal.
Science is beginning to provide new explanations about the ways that personality, age, gender, and life experiences shape the way we feel this emotion.
Psychological Panorama
Anger is of the most difficult emotions to change. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is based on the human underlying belief system that generating malfunctioning behaviors and emotions, is capable of helping people to transfer from hostile and destructive anger to a more constructive type of anger and keep this state in long term.
Rational Anger Management comes into play when looking at anger through glasses of psychology. Rational anger management includes 6 to 7 stages for the examination which consists of the person’s motivation to change, primary estimation, cognitive coping skills, facilitation of practice by exposure, muscular relaxation, anxiety management, relapse management skills, and so on.
Anger Psychology is a vast topic to research upon. It is only essential to understand that therapists are always available to seek help, some cheap therapies like sharing your problems with loved ones, laughing more, self-introspection, etc. may also help you recover positively.
Why is Anger Management Necessary?
Perhaps you have been taught that it is “not nice” or “inappropriate” to express anger. Maybe you’ve witnessed extreme anger and/or violence at home, in your neighborhood, or at school, distorting how you view or experience anger. It could also be hard for you to control your anger because you haven’t yet learned how to deal with the emotions you feel inside.
Whatever the reason, the next step is to work on ways of understanding what triggers your anger and how to manage your behavior even when the angry feeling is justified.
Even at a young age, having difficulty understanding and managing anger makes you more likely to have physical problems that can occur now or in the future.
This happens because your mind and your body are connected. Not dealing with angry feelings can actually put stress on your body which can lead to medical problems such as stomach problems, heart disease, chronic lower back pain, high blood pressure.
Having problems managing your anger can also increase your risk for developing mental health concerns such as drug, alcohol, or other addictions, relationship problems, depression, eating problems, substance abuse, etc.
Nevertheless, anger is an absolutely natural phenomenon and like other human emotions, is a sign of health, well-being, and human feelings. Anger is the main expressive way of showing problems in relation.
Anger might be a result of intrinsic factors like irrational and illogical thoughts and beliefs, untimely expectations, and feelings of frustration, as well as extrinsic factors such as being neglected, being invaded, breach of confidence, and being insulted.
There is a narrow line between aggression and anger. While some sportspersons believe that aggression can be helpful to enhance their game, anger may ruin it all.
Gender Analysis
Are men angrier than women? Men are, on average, more outwardly aggressive than women and so it might be assumed that they are also angrier. But this doesn’t appear to be the case.
Research has consistently found that women experience anger as frequently and as intensely as men. Men who feel angry are more likely to display aggression, although this does not mean that women are not motivated by rage as frequently.
As discussed previously, society has shaped men’s emotions, especially anger in a negative way. Bottling up anger creates a volcano in men which may erupt ferociously anytime, spreading its harmful lava of displeasing everywhere.
The jury is still out on the extent to which brain biology explains gender differences in terms of anger, but also other behaviors, and there is also compelling evidence that societal expectations play a part. It cannot be denied that men are women are different anatomically and physiologically. Hence, their anger issues differ accordingly.
It’s Never Too Late
What are some ways I can learn to control my temper? The best way to control your temper depends on you. There is no quick fix. Every person needs to take time to think about what works for him or her. You may feel anxious when you first try to take control of your temper. This is normal.
Take time beforehand to plan ways to handle these feelings. The earlier you notice yourself becoming angry the more chance you have to stop your anger from getting out of control. Here are some ways which may prove to be helpful:
- Tighten your muscles then relax them. Notice the difference.
- Take slow deep breaths. Breathe in and slowly breathe out—this works especially well when you feel like your breathing is speeding up.
- Take a second before reacting. The simple trick of “counting to 10” before reacting can be very helpful in keeping your cool.
- Think about the consequences of your behavior. Realize that how you behave affects not only you but also those you love and others around you.
- Take responsibility for your actions. You actually have the power to decide how you will behave in certain situations ahead of time if you find a way to “keep a cool head.”
- Pay attention to how your body feels when you are angry. Sometimes people are first aware of experiencing anger through their bodies rather than their thoughts or feelings.
- Pay attention to what upsets you. When you’re able to figure out what triggers angry feelings, you can make decisions about how to manage these triggers.
- Create a “toolbox” of relaxation techniques that work for you. Find tools and skills that help you calm down when you find yourself getting angry. Some people step away from a situation, others listen to music or exercise. Figure out what works for you and use it.
- Improve your problem-solving skills. Are you angry? Disappointed? Embarrassed? Scared? When faced with a difficult situation or conflict, learn as much as you can about it and think about what happened and identify and name all the feelings you’re experiencing.
Bonus Tip
Have you ever realized the power of sorry? One word can change scenarios, from hatred to liking sorry maybe the only word the person against you needs to hear. ‘I am sorry’ is a dynamic sentence to restore bonds. Ego, anger, anxiety, depression often go hand in hand. Try using the three magic words more often and you will notice a change not only in your surroundings but also within you.
Do not let the ego clash with your anger because it may cause unrecoverable disasters which may harm you mentally, physically, financially, and socially. Remember to rest. Anger often takes our energy away and makes us feel exhausted. It’s fine to take a break, nap, or go to bed early. Sleep helps us focus so we can deal with our feelings better.
What Do the Surveys Say?
There have been a number of surveys with regard to anger management among the citizens of India. Given below is a collection of data and statistics to support this article:
Conclusion
Anger is considered one of the most important and impressive emotions throughout human ontogenic and phylogenic history. Anger management is one of the main domains of psychology that does not work on triggers, but on reaction to them, so that any given individual which is frequently excited with internal and external activating provocations, can restraint and control her/his anger.
All individuals have been confronted with angry situations in their lives. The shortcoming of anger is that, although being ad part of natural life, prevents individuals from reaching their own goals, and this is the underlying reason for conflict and contradiction about anger.
A set of few words is not enough to cover such a vast topic which includes a range of sub-topics. But a peep into this topic is enough to understand its complexities. Do you ever wonder what are the advantages of being angry or something positive about being angry? Let’s keep this for some other day, till then let’s not forget to manage anger effectively for a better future.
Do you know someone who needs help? Discover 5 Things You Can Do If Your Loved One Is Going Through Depression. Ever wondered about bi-curiosity, this article may be helpful for you, 7 Tips For Men To Sail Through The Ocean Of Bi-Curiosity.