How Uncontrolled Anger can be Detrimental to Your Health
August 22, 2009
Anger like any other emotion is quite powerful. Excess of negative emotions like sadness can lead to depression or jealousy or sometimes even murder. In the same way excess of anger is dangerous and harmful to our bodies. Anger is not bad and there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting angry. It can be useful as long as it is in limited amounts and can be controlled. It is helpful in stating how we feel or that sometimes we want our way.
Uncontrollable anger will not only hurt you but also your near and dear ones. This kind of anger can lead to fights, physical and verbal abuse, assault and self-harm. When you control your anger it will motivate you to make positive changes.
Anger triggers your body’s ‘flight or fight response.’ Your body’s adrenal glands flood your body with adrenalin and cortisol. When you are angry your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature increase. You start to perspire. Your mind becomes more focused and sharp because of increased blood flow to your brain. I’m sure all of us at some point in your lives have been fearful of someone because of their anger. Keeping your anger in control lets people approach you easily.
People who have uncontrolled anger tend to become very hostile and they completely deny this hostility. They tend to lie to cover up their anger outbursts and people view them as untrustworthy and liars. Uncontrolled anger increases blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which I’m quite sure all of us are trying to avoid. Other effects of anger on your health are headaches, depression, insomnia, and skin problems like eczema, increased anxiety, digestion problems like stomach pain, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
Unhealthy ways of dealing with anger should be avoided. Keeping anger bottled up inside of you is not helpful as it leads to anxiety and depression and we vent it on wrong things like pets or even children. Anger explosions like rage are also harmful as it usually ends up in violence to oneself or others. Expressing anger in healthy ways is quite helpful in controlling it. Walking away from a situation which angers you until you cool down is the best solution. Accepting your anger as part of life and admitting you have anger issues is the first step to recovery. Remember, anger is a good emotion until it gets out of control.
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