Are You Angry?

Are You Angry?

There is much to be said about anger. Everyone has had experience with it and many people have a statement to make about their relationship with anger, i.e., "I’m hard to get angry, but when I do look out!" Anger is defined as a negative, subjective feeling response that includes a negative evaluation (thoughts) and a related physiological arousal, regarding some external event and/or memory or image that is created internally. Anger is an emotive feeling response, not an opinion. Angry thoughts lead to angry feelings. Anger is always valid; however, the thoughts and images that create anger might be very invalid and irrational.

To prevent, alter, or eliminate angry feelings, it is recommended that we challenge the validity of our thoughts and beliefs. A simple, effective first step is to write down the incident and the thoughts that are associated with our anger experience. Then examine and challenge the thoughts and images that have led to the angry feeling. Just writing the thoughts often serves to objectify the incident and serves to adjust our perspective. (Further elaboration of self-analysis techniques will be forthcoming in future web articles).

Some points about anger that might be interesting or useful:

The physiological components of anger are associated with many physical illnesses, as well as sudden cardiac arrest (in some patients).
Anger reduces attention and concentration abilities.
Anger negatively impacts judgment and abilities for effective problem solving.
Individuals who learn to rely upon expressions of anger to make their points or to motivate others, tend to rely more frequently on anger and less on other interpersonal skills or methods of articulation and persuasion.
Anger creates a deceptive and erroneous sense of power and potency in many individuals who learn to enjoy certain aspects of the anger experience.
Relative to most other emotive feeling states, anger is very "cost" ineffective.
It creates deficits in physical health, emotional health, and in interpersonal relationships.
Many individuals hold erroneous and invalid concepts about anger, its effects, and methods to control anger. For example, "Others make me angry"; "If I hold my anger in, it will hurt me or come out later"; "It is better to express my anger at all costs because that’s how I truly feel"; "If I do some sort of physical exercise or an aggressive act, I will deal with my anger effectively".

Understanding anger, how it works, and how to manage it can reduce many of life’s stresses and increase the quality of life. It is not as mysterious as we often make it.

D. Jerome Meers, Ph.D.

Consulting Psychologist

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