KATHMANDU, JANUARY 22
We all know what anger is. We have all felt it, more or less, on a regular basis, whether as a definitive, or fleeting, epithet of annoyance, or as fullfledged rage. Anger is, in précis, a normal phenomenon.
It is also a healthy human emotion. It becomes a dilemma, a difficult-to-handle emotion, or 'deliciously evil', when it gets out of control, or turns vicious.
Anger not only leads to problems at work, home and personal relationships, but it also affects one's quality of life. When you are besieged with anger, it becomes the skin of your thought process, too. You now represent the emotional allegory of a cat on a hot tin roof - in other words, a symbol of its erratic and dominant emotional canvas.
Anger varies in intensity - it can range from mild annoyance to rigorous vehemence as also aggression, or fury. Like other emotions, anger is not only flush with physiological and biological undertones and other changes, but also psychological upheavals.
You know them, don't you - elevated heart rate and high blood pressure, not to speak of raised levels of power hormones, or chemicals, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol? Anger speeds up your heart rate and breathing; it also gives you a whole, new burst of energy. Your blood pressure rises as your blood vessels constrict. This burst of energy also plays a prompt, protective role.
Your body's muscles tense up. Your face may 'go red' as increased blood flow enters your limbs and extremities in preparation for physical action. Your attention tapers; it also becomes locked onto the object of your anger. You now don't pay attention to anything else. As your brain's neurotransmitters trigger an enduring state of arousal, you are now ready to 'fight'.
Anger is also a result of external and internal events. What triggers anger may be a specific person, or situation, for instance, a colleague, boss, or traffic jam, or cancelled flight. It may be prompted by worrying, or brooding, spells too - this may often relate to one's personal, or career, issues. Memories of traumatic, or enraging events, likewise, can also provoke angry feelings.
Most people who are easily angered have a low tolerance for frustration- the moment they are prone to vexation, inconvenience, or annoyance, they lose the plot. They just can't take things in their stride. They think that they are at the receiving end of the stick, for no fault. They also think that everything seems unfair - for example, being chastised for a minor gaffe.
Why we get angry has intrigued mankind for aeons.
Research suggests that the cause for getting annoyed, or angry, may be genetic, or physiological. While some of us are born irritable, touchy and easily angered, others may derive their anger owing to socio-cultural factors. Typically, people who are easily angered come from families that are disruptive, chaotic or not skilled at emotional communication.
Anger is thought to be unconstructive, no less.
This is one reason why we feel we've the 'right' to express anxiety, depression, or other negative emotions, but not 'voice' our anger.
The outcome is obvious - we just don't get the grip on, or 'channelise', our anger constructively. Not all mind researchers, psychologists and behavioural therapists are in agreement with the model; most of them dismiss the doctrine as being a licence to 'rip apart' others' sentiments with impunity.
The angry among us may have a tendency to curse, swear or speak in exceedingly vivid terms - the casing of their thought process reflects their inner deliberation.
This often comes in the form of a package, encompassing exaggerated and overly dramatic quips like, "It's rubbish; it's awful; it's terrible; you messed it up all." When you are at the receiving end, it is difficult to tell yourself that "It's frustratingly understandable that I'm upset about it.
Yet, it is not the end of the world, and getting angry in response is not going to 'fix it' anyway."
A neuroimaging study published in "Clinical Psychological Science" provides a new insight into the connection that exists between anger and the functional structure of our brain's neural networks, interspersed with variations as to how we experience and deal with what is called trait anger, or dispositional characteristic, where one experiences frequent anger with varying intensity.
As the study's co-author Dr Justin Minue Kim, Assistant Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, and Director, Human Affective Neuroscience (HumAN) Lab, Seoul, South Korea, explains, "Trait anger reflects a person's dispositional tendency to more easily experience frustration and anger in a wide range of situations."
Anger is laden with emotions, not necessarilylogic, or reason. When justified, anger can swiftly become absurd. While it is agreed that our anger and/or frustrations are caused by valid and unavoidable problems in our lives, not all anger is misplaced. Anger can sometimes be a healthy, natural response to difficulties, as also apprehensions - just like stress and eustress. We are all, paradoxically, born with a strong cultural belief that every problem has a solution, albeit this isn't always the case. We are also told to focus on finding solutions, rather thanon handling and facing the problem, be it anger, or angst.
You can't purge anger - it wouldn't be a good idea even if you could. This is because, notwithstanding all our efforts, things will happen to cause you anger anyway, although some of them may be justifiable anger.
Life is replete with disappointments, pain or loss, not to speak of impulsive 'acts' of people around you.
You can't change them, or situations. What you can do best is change the way you think, or let such events not affect you. This is where managing, or better still, controlling your angry responses can help you turn the tide and enable you to be happy, healthy and wise - in the short- and the long-term, too.
Nidamboor is a wellness physician, independent researcher and author
A version of this article appears in the print on January 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
