Never Underestimate the Cost and Consequence of Anger

"Anger is never without a reason, but seldom a good one."

- Benjamin Franklin?

Many times, I have written posts about my wonderful Dad, who died when he was 54. He was generous with his time, had a wonderful sense of humor, and was devoted to my mom, sister, and brothers. Somehow, he made each of us feel like we were his favorite.

Unfortunately, he had high blood pressure, and almost anything could set him off. When he was angry, everyone around him suffered.

We understood that his high blood pressure issues were a significant contributor to his outbursts, and later, he would be ashamed of his behavior and apologize profusely. When I say everyone suffers, it’s because anger, whether coming from you or directed at you, affects your mind and body.

According to Stephanie Cornwell from Everyday Health, there are 5 ways anger affects health . Experiencing anger triggers the body to release stress hormones, which, over time, take a toll on heart health.

“Research shows that anger (even momentary anger measured by changes in facial expression) results in changes that worsen the muscle’s ability to pump blood, which can lead to high blood pressure and subsequent complications (like heart disease , heart attack , stroke , and metabolic syndrome).”

While this stress response system in our body has evolved to protect us, in most cases, we don’t need that extra energy boost to deal with whatever is causing our anger (unexpected traffic, a child acting up, or a terse email from a coworker).

Chronic activation of stress hormones can lead to severe physical and mental illnesses. If you’ve ever really blown your top with someone, you’ll know how it can leave you feeling drained afterward. When we are angry, or anger is directed at us:

• Our heart rate increases
• Our blood pressure increases
• Our adrenal glands release the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine
• The muscles in our head, neck, shoulders, and jaw tense
• We might suffer damage to our vocal cords
• Digestion may be impacted
• Sleep may be impacted
• It may lead to short term memory loss, or other mental health afflictions.

At its best, anger alerts us to danger and inspires action. When anger experiences are too frequent, too intense, last too long, or are out of proportion to the triggering event, the emotion can have problematic effects on our well-being and our health, according to Raymond Chip Tafrate, PhD , a clinical psychologist and professor at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.

Some Danish researchers have even suggested that frequent arguing can increase your risk of death from any cause. By following almost 10,000 people for 11 years, they discovered those who said they argued frequently with their partners or children were 50-100% more likely to have died within the study period, compared to those who seldom argued.

Whether you find yourself the perpetrator or the recipient of anger, it is not healthy. To this day, the physiological feeling and impact on my mind and body from the occasional outrage directed at me takes me out of my game and sabotages my creativity. Confucius said, “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”?

The consequences of anger impact our relationships and our mental and physical health.

“The best remedy for anger is delay.”?

- Brigham Young

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