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The Amazing Mechanics of Anger Addiction

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Almost everyone knows someone who seems to have a perpetual crisis going on, erupting in anger and causing meaningless drama everywhere they go. It’s as if they have enjoy getting angry.  One begs the question: can anger be addictive?

Anger addiction is a rather new notion but not a far-fetched one. Research shows it can start developing early on, when the frontal lobe of the brain (emotional CEO) has not fully matured yet. Actually, this area of the brain is not fully formed till the late 20s. At this age, impulsive thoughts effortlessly dominate rational thinking and can cause one to go on down the path of whimsy and reckless behavior. “Look pa! I can smoke, talk on the phone and drive, all at the same time!” Sometime this behavior is called the “head-in-underwear” syndrome.

How Anger Addiction Starts

Anger addiction forms in the brain’s limbic system, which is the chair of all emotions. This system is responsible for the secretion of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. Dopamine (source of the word “dope”) is the anatomical stepping stone to addiction. It is unleashed by the brain in response to stimulants like a alcohol, sex, certain drugs, even a shopping spree. Since you like the way you feel, you learn to repeat the behavior, which in turn [Read more…]

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Coping with Bipolar Disorder and Anger

February 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you are living with bipolar disorder, you know how greatly the symptoms can affect your life. As a result of it, you must have experienced a dramatic change in your personal relationships or have even been unable to hold a job due to sudden and uncontrollable emotions.

Possibly the most damaging symptom of bipolar disorder is anger. It usually is the root cause for many of the negative changes that you have encountered since you’ve been diagnosed, or since you began to notice the signs that you may have the dreaded disorder.

A good majority of us experience anger in some form, in varying degrees, but those suffering from bipolar disorder tend to experience these episodes of anger in a more extreme fashion. There may be sudden anger outbursts, or an exaggerated reaction to something that is typically very small in the “grand scheme of things”. This is due to the fact that the disorder is believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance within the brain but nobody knows for sure. This claimed “imbalance” not only results in an inability to focus, drastic mood shifts, an overabundance of energy, diminished decision making capability, but also moderate to severe anger.

If you do have bipolar disorder, you will find that there is  a variety of triggers which can [Read more…]

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How Unmanaged Anger Can Leave You Sick and Exhausted

January 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

anger disorders and heart deseaseBy now you know that a “fight or flight” reaction is hardwired into us to address perceived perils to our survival. Under pressure, our system secretes hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, that accelerate the heart tempo and the respiratory system. At the same time, the process endows us with a burst of super power to increase our chances of survival.

This anxious state was useful in Stone Age eras – and is still valuable in a few modern situations as well. The fight-or-flight reaction gifts us with ability in making split-second judgments to whether we ought to jet off or fight in hazardous situations. One example is, you’re cruising on the motorway with your radio beat on and unexpectedly you see some disco lights right behind you that terribly look like a cop car. You look at the speedometer and are stunned to learn you’re oozing at a pleasant 90 MPH… Your heart rate is up, adrenaline is pumping…, “Damn, now what?” Do you stop the car and face the man in a uniform or maybe… run!? Joking obviously. Of course you stop but your tongue is tied, hands shaking and you understand – fear and anger is a physiological event in your body that is clouding your mind.

Besides losing peace, there’s another, more sinister trade-off for this state of ultra-preparedness. In order to [Read more…]

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