Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong. It can be a good thing and give you a way to express negative feelings, for example, or motivate you to find solutions to problems.
Anger only becomes a problem when it’s excessively displayed and begins to affect your daily functioning and the way you relate with people. Anger can range in intensity, from a slight annoyance to rage. It can sometimes be excessive or irrational.
Characteristics of anger
When we are angry our body goes through certain biological and physiological changes. Including; increasing body temperature and muscle tension, raising blood pressure, spiking in hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline, and increasing energy levels.
Drawbacks of not controlling anger
Anger is a completely normal and typically healthy emotion. However, it can be detrimental to both your emotional and physical health when you lose control of it. When you are angry your body goes through some physiological and biological changes.
Putting your body through these changes often, by repeatedly getting angry, can lead to medical conditions and complications such as high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, insomnia, bowel disease, diabetes, etc.
Types of anger
There are three types of anger that help shape how we react in a situation that makes us angry.
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Passive aggression
Many don’t like to admit that they are angry, because they don’t like confrontation – this is called passive aggression. This comes out in things like becoming silent when you are angry, sulking, procrastinating, and pretending “everything is fine”. Passive aggression comes from a need to be in control.
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Open aggression
On the other hand, many people tend to lash out in anger and rage, becoming physically or verbally aggressive, and can oftentimes hurt themselves or others. This is called Open Aggression. This comes out in fighting, bullying, blackmailing, accusing, shouting, bickering, sarcasm, and criticism. Open aggression comes from a need to be in control.
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Assertive anger
The healthy way to deal with anger is by being controlled and confident, talking and listening, and being open to help in dealing with the situation. This Assertive anger can help relationships to grow. It means thinking before you speak, being confident in how you say it, yet open and flexible to the ‘other side’.
To sum up, anger is a natural emotion we all have. It’s characterized by feelings of annoyance, displeasure, and antagonism. Learning to cope with your anger is a skill you can learn. If you want to know how to control your anger, follow our later blogs.