Anger Busters

Here are some other things you can do when you start to feel angry:

• talk to a friend you can trust
• count to 10
• get or give a hug
• do jumping jacks or another exercise
• draw a picture of your anger
• play a video game
• run around the outside of the house five times as fast as you can
• sing along with the stereo
• pull weeds in the garden
• think good thoughts (maybe about a fun vacation or your favorite sport)
• take a bike ride or go in-line skating

Never getting angry is impossible. Instead, remember that how you act when you're angry can make the situation better or worse. Don't let anger control you. Take charge of it!

Why Are Some People More Angry Than Others?

According to Jerry Deffenbacher, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in anger management, some people really are more "hotheaded" than others are; they get angry more easily and more intensely than the average person does. There are also those who don't show their anger in loud spectacular ways but are chronically irritable and grumpy. Easily angered people don't always curse and throw things; sometimes they withdraw socially, sulk, or get physically ill.

People who are easily angered generally have what some psychologists call a low tolerance for frustration, meaning simply that they feel that they should not have to be subjected to frustration, inconvenience, or annoyance. They can't take things in stride, and they're particularly infuriated if the situation seems somehow unjust: for example, being corrected for a minor mistake.

What makes these people this way? A number of things. One cause may be genetic or physiological: There is evidence that some children are born irritable, touchy, and easily angered, and that these signs are present from a very early age. Another may be sociocultural. Anger is often regarded as negative; we're taught that it's all right to express anxiety, depression, or other emotions but not to express anger. As a result, we don't learn how to handle it or channel it constructively.

Research has also found that family background plays a role. Typically, people who are easily angered come from families that are disruptive, chaotic, and not skilled at emotional communications.

Physiological effects of anger

Emotions more or less begin inside two almond-shaped structures in the brain which are called the amygdala[1]. The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for identifying threats, and for sending out an alarm when threats are identified. The amygdala is so efficient at warning us about threats, that it gets us reacting before the cortex (the part of the brain responsible for thought and judgment) is able to check on the reasonableness of the reaction. In other words, the brain is networked in such a way as to influence the action before its consequences are logically considered.

As one becomes angry the body's muscles tense up. Inside the brain, neurotransmitter chemicals known as catecholamines are released causing an experience of a burst of energy lasting up to several minutes. At the same time the heart beat increases, the blood pressure rises, and so does the rate of breathing. The face may flush as increased blood flow enters the limbs and extremities in preparation for physical action. In quick succession, additional brain neurotransmitters and hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline are released which trigger a lasting state of arousal.

But, most often the emotions to rage are stopped before getting out of control. The prefrontal cortex of the brain keeps the emotions in proportion. If the amygdala handles emotion, the prefrontal cortex handles judgment. The left prefrontal cortex can switch off the emotions. It serves in an executive role to keep things under control. Getting control of the emotion of anger means learning ways to help the prefrontal cortex get the upper hand over the amygdala so that the angry person has control over the reactions to anger feelings.

If anger has a physiological preparation phase during which the body resources are mobilized for a fight, it also has a wind-down phase as well. The body starts to relax back towards its resting state when the target of the anger is no longer accessible or an immediate threat. It is difficult to relax from an angry state very quickly. The adrenaline-caused arousal that occurs during anger lasts a very long time (many hours, sometimes days), and lowers the anger threshold, making it easier for the person to get angry again later on. It takes a rather long time for the body to return to the resting state. During this slow cool-down period the angered person is more susceptible to anger in response to even minor irritations.

Intesity of Anger

Many words in the English vocabulary describe various forms of anger that differ primarily by their intensity of passion and arousal. Here is a partial list, arranged in approximate order from the least to the most intense: annoyance, miffed, irritation, frustration, sulking, exasperation, offended, indignation, incensed, pissed-off, outrage, ire, livid, rage, fury, ferocity, wrath, and acrimony.

Anger

Anger is an emotional response to encroachment upon one's dignity, which leads to disagreement, dispute, or conflict. The dispute may appear to be real or imagined, it may have its roots in a past or present experience. It may be in anticipation of a future event. Anger is invariably based on the perception of threat or a perceived threat due to a conflict, injustice, negligence, humiliation or betrayal among other contentions.

Anger can be an active or a passive emotion. In case of "active" emotion the angry person "lashes out" verbally or physically at an intended target whether justified or not. When anger is a "passive" emotion it charactererized by silent sulking, passive-aggressive behavior (hostility) and tension.

Emotions..!

According to Book Two of Aristotle's Rhetoric

The emotions are:

* Anger vs. Calmness
* Love vs. Enmity
* Fear vs. Confidence
* Shame vs. Shamelessness
* Kindness vs. Unkindness
* Pity
* Indignation
* Envy