By 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 enhance the hormonal system, the body depresses other systems, such as body’s defense mechanisms. The problem is, your body is not fashioned to function in a chronic state of imbalance. When anger too frequently dominates your emotions, the entire body experiences a chronic pressure cooker. Eventually, the immune system is weakened due to a long-term burden. You may feel fatigued (remember that morning after a great verbal fight with your spouse?) and become prone to a number of physical and even mental disorders.
The anxiety that is sparked by anger disorders also places stress in the cardiovascular system. Under worry, your heart pace raises, restricting arteries and raising blood pressure. Huge quantities of sugar are freed inside the bloodstream, producing more fat globules in the system. Family and friends are not far from the truth when they say, “Calm down you idiot, you’ll have cardiac arrest!”
You’ll it not surprising that lots of scientific studies have shown a direct relationship between chronic anger and heart disease. Most of the research is also proving appreciable link between mind and body, brain and feelings. Researchers have conducted experiments which show how a positive mindset can help manage several emotional and physiological issues – everything from bladder control to greater stamina in bed, from worry to depression, including anger disorders.
Bottom line is that noxious emotions result in toxicity in the body and can make you very sick. Knowledge of how the brain, emotions and body are connected, and never separate systems, is often the first step to freeing yourself from the toxic effects and implications that anger may have on your life.
On another positive note, you can certainly cope with an anger disorder better if you adopt a more positive attitude. While it’s not exactly a walk in the park, it is possible to nonetheless transform your reactions to complex and annoying situations by way of time tested anger management techniques.
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