If you feel that anger is having a negative impact on your life, then don’t be afraid to speak to someone about it.  There are numerous charities that can help with information on the topic and https://www.mind.org.uk/ is one such organisation that has helpful information on the topic.

The feeling of anger is as individual as the person experiencing it.  We have all heard the word “anger” and have felt the “anger” but to try and describe it to another person would be like trying to tell someone how you feel inside your body and mind and they can’t relate to that.  They can only relate to their own frame of reference of what anger feels like to them. 

So why do we get angry? There are a myriad of reasons: social injustice, poverty, inequality in all of life’s spheres, illness, grief, physical health issues, mental health issues, disabilities, learning difficulties, lack of education, pressure to perform academically, lack of familial and/or self-love, being bullied, abuse and so on.

Anger causes a number of changes in the body that can be detrimental to good physical health such as:  Increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, cortisol release as well as adrenaline and noradrenaline (fight or flight hormone), increased anxiety and headaches to name a few.

Anger is a problem when it escalates a situation for the individual into one that doesn’t improve their life.  Anger can be expressed outwardly through shouting, swearing, slamming doors or even being physically or verbally abusive towards other people. It can also be expressed inwardly by a feeling of self-loathing, low self-esteem, withdrawal from social interaction and even self-harming. Passive aggression is another way that anger can manifest itself and this can be seen in ways by refusing to talk to someone, being sarcastic or sulky without saying why, being late or refusing to do tasks.

Remember, it’s easy to dismiss anger and to see it as unproductive, unhealthy or unlikeable in a person. But there are some positive aspects to being angry; we just need to work out what those reasons are and how we can channel our responses appropriately.  Some of these anger aspects might be that we need to change a harmful situation in our lives, or to get away from hurtful people in our lives. It can also be a way to motivate us to change our habits, lifestyle, our community, environment or even the government.