ANGER AND YOUR
HEALTH
BY
OJIEMEN EHIDIAMEN
COUNSELLOR
UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA
INTRODUCTION
We all know what anger is, and
we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage. Anger
is completely normal, usually healthy human emotion. But when it gets out of
control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—ill health, problems at
work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life.
And it can make you feel as though you're at the mercy of an unpredictable and
powerful emotion.
WHAT
IS ANGER
Anger is an emotional state that
varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. However, to
psychologists and other health professionals anger like other emotions, it is
accompanied by physiological and biological changes; when you get angry, your
heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones,
adrenaline, and noradrenalin.
Anger can be caused by both external and internal
events. You could be angry at a specific person (such as a fellow student, a
coworker or supervisor ) or event (a traffic jam, a canceled flight), or your
anger could be caused by worrying or brooding about your personal problems.
Memories of traumatic or enraging events can also trigger angry feelings.
STRATEGIES FOR CONTROLLING ANGER
Everybody gets angry, but
out-of-control rage isn't good for you or those around you. When you can't
control your anger, you may get into fist-fights or drive recklessly, for example,
endangering yourself and others. But anger also plays havoc with our body;
anger can increase people's especially men’s chances of developing coronary
heart disease and having worse outcomes if they already have heart disease.
Anger can also lead to stress-related problems, such as insomnia, digestive
problems, and headaches, the following are strategies for controlling anger;
- Relaxation
- Cognitive Restructuring
- Problem-Solving
- Better Communication
- Humor
- Environmental Change
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