Sometimes anger can be good for you, if it\u2019s addressed quickly and expressed in a healthy way. In fact, anger may help some people think more rationally.<\/p>\n
However, unhealthy episodes of anger \u2014 when you hold it in for long periods of time, turn it inward, or explode in rage \u2014 can wreak havoc on your body.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re prone to losing your temper, here are seven important reasons to stay calm.<\/p>\n
1. An angry outburst puts your heart at great risk.<\/b>Most physically damaging is anger\u2019s effect on your cardiac health. \u201cIn the two hours after an angry outburst, the chance of having a heart attack doubles,\u201d says Chris Aiken, MD, an instructor in clinical psychiatry at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and director of the Mood Treatment Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u201cRepressed anger \u2014 where you express it indirectly or go to great lengths to control it, is associated with heart disease,\u201d says Dr. Aiken. In fact, one study found that people with anger proneness as a personality trait were at twice the risk of coronary disease than their less angry peers.<\/p>\n
To protect your ticker, identify and address your feelings before you lose control. \u201cConstructive anger \u2014 the kind where you speak up directly to the person you are angry with and deal with the frustration in a problem-solving manner \u2014 is not associated with heart disease,\u201d and is actually a very normal, healthy emotion, says Aiken.<\/p>\n
2. Anger ups your stroke risk<\/b>. If you\u2019re prone to lashing out, beware. One study found there was a three times higher risk of having a stroke from a blood clot to the brain or bleeding within the brain during the two hours after an angry outburst. For people with an aneurysm in one of the brain\u2019s arteries, there was a six times higher risk of rupturing this aneurysm following an angry outburst.<\/p>\n
Some good news: You can learn to control those angry explosions. \u201cTo move into positive coping, you need to first identify what your triggers, and then figure out how to change your response,\u201d says Mary Fristad, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the Ohio State University. Instead of losing your temper, \u201cDo some deep breathing. Use assertive communication skills. You might even need to change your environment by getting up and walking away,\u201d says Dr. Fristad.<\/p>\n
3. It weakens your immune system.<\/b> If you\u2019re mad all the time, you just might find yourself feeling sick more often. In one study, Harvard University scientists found that in healthy people, simply recalling an angry experience from their past caused a six-hour dip in levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, the cells\u2019 first line of defense against infection.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re someone who\u2019s habitually angry, protect your immune system by turning to a few effective coping strategies. \u201cAssertive communication, effective problem solving, using humor, or restructuring your thoughts to get away from that black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking \u2014 those are all good ways to cope,\u201d says Fristad. \u201cBut you\u2019ve got to start by calming down.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Anger problems can make your anxiety worse<\/b>. If you\u2019re a worrier, it\u2019s important to note that anxiety and anger can go hand-in-hand. In a 2012 study published in the journal Cognitive Behavior Therapy, researchers found that anger can exacerbate symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition characterized by an excessive and uncontrollable worry that interferes with a person\u2019s daily life. Not only were higher levels of anger found in people with GAD, but hostility \u2014 along with internalized, unexpressed anger in particular \u2014 contributed greatly to the severity of GAD symptoms.<\/p>\n
5. Anger is also linked to depression.<\/b> Numerous studies have linked depression with aggression and angry outbursts, especially in men. \u201cIn depression, passive anger \u2014 where you ruminate about it but never take action \u2014 is common,\u201d says Aiken. His No. 1 piece of advice for someone struggling with depression mixed with anger is to get busy and stop thinking so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny activity which fully absorbs you is a good cure for anger, such as golf, needlepoint, biking,\u201d he says. \u201cThese tend to fill our minds completely and pull our focus toward the present moment, and there\u2019s just no room left for anger to stir when you\u2019ve got that going.\u201d<\/p>\n
6. Hostility can hurt your lungs.<\/b> Not a smoker? You still could be hurting your lungs if you\u2019re a perpetually angry, hostile person. A group of Harvard University scientists studied 670 men over eight years using a hostility scale scoring method to measure anger levels and assessed any changes in the men\u2019s lung function. The men with the highest hostility ratings had significantly worse lung capacity, which increased their risk of respiratory problems. The researchers theorized that an uptick in stress hormones, which are associated with feelings of anger, creates inflammation in the airways.<\/p>\n
7. Anger can shorten your life.<\/b> Is it really true that happy people live longer? \u201cStress is very tightly linked to general health. If you\u2019re stressed and angry, you\u2019ll shorten your lifespan,\u201d says Fristad. A University of Michigan study done over a 17-year period found that couples who hold in their anger have a shorter life span than those who readily say when they\u2019re mad.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not someone who\u2019s comfortable showing negative emotions, then work with a therapist or practice on your own to be more expressive. \u201cLearning to express anger in an appropriate way is actually a healthy use of anger,\u201d says Fristad. \u201cIf someone infringes on your rights, you need to tell them. Directly tell people what you\u2019re mad about, and what you need,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
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Source: Yahoo Health<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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