Anger
Key Points
Although anger is often seen as a harmful emotion, it can be a healthy emotional response when expressed assertively and respectfully. Sometimes anger can be helpful; it can motivate a person to take positive action to change a situation for the better or to achieve his or her goals.
Frequent experiences of anger, however, should not be ignored. Angry outbursts can cause fear, regret and/or work, relationship, and health problems, not only to oneself but also to others. When anger prompts someone to use violence, physical injury and even loss of life can occur. Angry people often report regretting their outbursts and wishing they could have expressed themselves another way.
ASPECTS OF ANGER
Problem anger is frequent, intense, and enduring. Problem anger is associated with a range of negative behaviours, particularly aggression and violence, which cause further difficulties for the person and their relationships, including family violence, workplace violence, bullying and harassment. Also, road rage, assault and substance abuse have all been associated with problem anger.
The experience of anger involves thoughts, emotions, physical responses and behaviours.
Thoughts
Thoughts can be irrational or exaggerated. When angry, people are more likely to blame others, and not see themselves as playing a role in the situation. Thoughts might also focus on putting the other person down, or wanting to get revenge.
Emotions
Anger also involves an emotional response, related to the person’s thoughts and beliefs about a situation. It can range from mild annoyance or irritation to more extreme feelings of rage or fury.
Physical Responses
The sympathetic nervous system is activated during anger, raising the heart rate, increasing muscle tension, and sometimes creating the sensation of feeling hot. Chemicals in the brain which help control mood, sleep, appetite, learning, and memory, are also thought to be involved in our expressions and experience of anger and, as a result, these aspects of our behaviour can be negatively affected.