Anger is an emotion that strikes all people at one time or another. The way you react to anger, however, is more important than whether you become angry frequently. People often respond violently and uncontrollably to anger. A healthier approach to this emotion is to examine and attempt to resolve the underlying issues that led to the anger in the first place.
Identification
Therapists and psychologists define anger as a range between irritation to wild, unbridled fury; anger runs a wide gamut of intensity. Physically, anger changes your bodily processes. When you are angry, your heartbeat increases and your blood pressure rises as adrenaline burns through your body. You often, in fact, feel physically "heated" when angry. According to Dr. Tom G. Stevens, a licensed psychologist, the cause of anger is generally due to believing you have lost control over something that is important to you and related to your core values.
Significance
Anger inflates the negative characteristics of a situation or person you feel anger toward. It often causes things to seem worse than they actually are. Anger causes people to act impulsively and later regret their words or actions. Anger can bring about the end of jobs and relationships. At worst, anger can lead people to commit violent actions (such as domestic violence, gang warfare and murder).
Benefits
Though it can be a destructive force, anger can also be a constructive one if managed properly. Anger toward injustices, for example, leads many people to work toward reforming an injustice (such as joining the Women's or Civil Rights movements).
Prevention/Solution
There are things you can do to channel your anger into something constructive. You can take anger management courses to be able to recognize the signs of potential oncoming anger and learn how to redirect the energy that anger triggers in you, which will prevent you from taking actions you later regret. Specific techniques of anger management include breathing exercises to help you focus and gain control of yourself. Anger management can also involve learning how to constructively express your anger to another person whom you might feel anger toward.
Considerations
It is important to understand that anger management does not consider anger inappropriate or otherwise attempt to invalidate the emotion. Anger management simply tries to help people to prevent their anger from getting out of control (as uncontrollable anger is inappropriate). Learning how to control your anger through taking anger management courses can help you improve your relationships with other people, your work environment and your overall quality of life.
