Don’t be mad at me, but…

Anger is a common experience that is a normal part of the human condition.

People may feel angry in response to a real or imagined threat or as a response to provocation.

Anger is typically an unpleasant experience that leads to increased arousal (not that kind of arousal). The biological arousal seen with anger
includes increased heart rate, sweating, increased respiration

and muscle tension.

This arousal comes from our nervous system which has been hard-wired to protect us. Anger causes activation of the sympathetic nervous system, commonly called “fight or flight,” more appropriately “fight, flight or freeze.”

This type of bodily activation can be overwhelming. People that feel overwhelmed with anger also demonstrate less empathy toward others. Students are particularly at risk for feelings of anger due to the increased amount of stress from their responsibilities.

If anger is considered a common experience, why does it have such a negative reputation? Increased frequency and intensity of anger can have negative social results.

For example, anger may result in violence, aggression, mistreatment of others, maltreatment, intimate partner violence and even homicide. Anger cannot be eliminated. We have a biological use for anger. Anger helps you to stand up for yourself. It helps you to recognize threats and navigate social situations.

It is important to recognize anger and acknowledge it. Anger avoidance can lead to rumination. Rumination occurs when we repeatedly think about negative emotions.

It can also lead to aggression, which is a form of behavioral avoidance of anger.

There is a limit to anger’s efficacy as a coping skill. Inability to regulate anger can result in antisocial behaviors. For example, we may not need our full sympathetic nervous system activated for traffic jams or long lines at Dunkin.

Snapping out at the cashier or crashing out over the munchkins being sold-out can have profound consequences. These types of responses indicate impulsiveness and irrationality, which may negatively impact your relationships with others.

It is important to remember that anger is temporary. Working on skills to understand and manage your anger can be helpful.

Anger management helps you recognize your triggers and control your onent of managing your anger is to decrease the arousal that you are experiencing. Arousal can be reduced through counting, deep breathing, meditation and muscle relaxation.

If you cannot immediately decrease your arousal, remove yourself from the trigger and take some time for yourself. A common misconception about managing anger is to “get it out” by jogging, punching a heavy bag, or even punching a wall. Research has shown that these methods are not effective in decreasing your state of arousal and may result in personal harm and even increased feelings of anger.

Learning to manage feelings of anger can be beneficial for your mental and physical health. Practicing coping skills like deep breathing and meditation not only help you to manage feelings like anger but also stress, burnout, and irritation.

Remember, these are skills you must practice often for them to be most effective.