WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF ANGER?

Anger is a very powerful emotion. If it is not handled appropriately, it can have destructive results for the individual and their family. Uncontrolled anger can lead to physical fights, arguments, physical abuse, self-harm and assault. But well-managed anger can be a useful emotion to motivate people to make positive changes.

Anger triggers the body’s fight or flight response. This is when a person experiences a stressful event. Our body prepares for us to fight or run (flight) known as the “fight or flight response”. We begin to experience fear, excitement and anxiety. The autonomic nervous system will prepare the body for emergency situations – the fight or flight response. The sympathetic division increases our level of arousal (i.e. heart rate, adrenaline etc) and motivates us to act with alertness and speed. The parasympathetic division relaxes us after the state of emergency has disappeared. The adrenal glands play a particularly…