Anger can be the reason for many mental health problems. So, it is necessary to be enlightened about them and the associated dangers of suppressed anger along with the various ways to deal with it.

What is anger?

Anger is a normal and a natural reaction that comes from a feeling of disgust, dissatisfaction, irritation or hurt. Its intensity may vary from simple peeving to flaring rage.

Dangers of suppressed anger?

Anger, however normal or it may just seem to be, if suppressed can be the reason behind anxiety and depression over time. Any anger, when not vented properly, can wreak havoc in the mental as well as physical bearing of people.

Chronic anger is known to cause many health related problems like headaches, digestive disorder, skin problems, high blood pressure, depression and cardiac ailments. Moreover, it can also set in emotional disturbances that might result in violent behavior and crime.

How can you deal with your anger?

When you are overwhelmed with anger, try to rationalize the cause of your anger in a positive way. Take deep breaths slowly. Say to yourself words like ‘calm down’ or ‘take it easy’ in order to soothe your soul. Go on doing this till you are able to take control of your anger.

• It is a fact that venting your anger is better than suppressing it. Venting it properly is important; otherwise it may cause both emotional as well as social problems. Bouts of anger put pressure on the cardio-vascular system of the body, apart from creating stress and anxiety. It is important to channelize your anger in a positive way. Instead of being driven by rage, it is better to deal with things in an assertive manner.
• Talk to your family and friends about it. Proper counseling goes a long way in keeping your anger in check.
• Maintain a record of the situations and times that drives you to bursts of anger. This would give you an inkling of the impending bouts of anger.
• Try to rationalize the reasons of anger by putting yourself in other shoes.
• Look at the funny sides of life and develop a sense of humor.
• Be a good listener. It not only helps you to develop effective communications skills but also inculcates a good inter-personal relationship. This also helps to impose trust on others, thereby enabling you resolve issues of anger.
• Be assertive instead of being defensive or charged up with suppressed anger.
• Expressing yourself in a calm but sure way helps to deal with emotions. For this, you can learn the techniques of assertiveness from self-help books or even seek counseling from an expert.

Other ways to deal with your anger

In cases where it is not possible on your part to keep your anger under leash, then it is better to consult a psychologist or even a psychiatrist. At times, uncontrolled anger can become morbid. In such case, the psychiatrist would prescribe drugs to keep it under control.

But before that, other behavior change techniques should be tried. Hence, it is important to choose a mental health expert carefully. An able mental health will be able to thoroughly evaluate your behavior patterns and mental conditions and recommend methods of anger management.

This original article is presented to you by MyHealthToday.com © 2010

However, if you learn to recognize the symptoms of stress and how to deal with them, you will realize that you can live a healthier and happier life. Stress is not always bad for you because it will help you perform better and give you the motivation that you need.

In recognizing the symptoms of stress, you should realize that this is the body\’s normal reaction to what it perceives as dangerous situations. When you do have this response, you know that your body is working the way it should to keep you alert. In some cases, the body\’s response to stress can save your life in an emergency situation.

Since the body cannot tell the difference between a real and a perceived threat, it prepares the body for fight or flight in all situations where stress is involved. This causes a rise in your blood pressure and decreases the strength of your immune system. The symptoms of stress that you experience can be mental or physical depending on the situation.



Mental symptoms of stress include:

• memory problems
• inability to concentrate
• making poor decisions
• focusing on the negative rather than the positive
• having a constant feeling of worry
• being irritable or short-tempered
• moodiness
• inability to relax
• feeling lonely or depressed

Some of the physical symptoms of stress are:

• muscle aches and pains
• bowel problems
• stomach upset
• chest pain
• rapid heartbeat
• frequent colds
• loss of appetite
• sleeping too much or not getting enough sleep
• neglecting responsibilities
• resorting to alcohol or drug abuse
• nervous habits

It is quite common to experience some of these symptoms of stress on occasion, but when you have a large amount of stress in your life, this can lead to many different kinds of illness. You need to keep a check on how often you feel stressed and consider whether you may be suffering from an overload of stress.

There are signs and symptoms of stress overload of which you should also be aware. If you are quick to anger in common situations where anger is not warranted this could be a sign that you are really stressed out and that you should remove yourself from the situation. The opposite reaction could also be a symptom if you withdraw from a harmless situation for fear of it developing into something that you are unable to handle.

There are both internal and external causes of stress and once you recognize what these triggers are, you will be in a better position to cope with the symptoms of stress when they arise. Major life changes are one of the leading causes and they do take some time for you to adjust.

Work related stress is the leading cause of employee illness and sick days. Financial difficulties and problems in a relationship are also common causes of stress. When you feel that you are overwhelmed and can no longer deal with ordinary issues, you should consider asking for professional help.
In recognizing the symptoms of stress, you should realize that this is the body’s normal reaction to what it perceives as dangerous situations. When you do have this response, you know that your body is working the way it should to keep you alert.

This article is brought to you by our contributor.