Is Your Rage Serving You or Hijacking You?

"Anger activates the sympathetic nervous system, raising heart rate and blood pressure in ways similar to the body's fight-or-flight response. Anger generates an immediate stress response and floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol that can weaken the immune system for hours after the actual event, reducing the body's ability to defend against infections."

"As a self-defense mechanism, anger is always experienced as a justified response, a protection against antagonism, injustices, and perceived wrongdoing. Anger activates our brain in a way that suppresses fear, pain, and shame, so it can override inhibitory controls on aggressive behavior."

"Anger is a basic human emotion, observable even in infancy. Anger ranges from mild irritation to extreme furor, tending to evoke defensiveness or attack. It has evolved as a means for preparing an organism for a challenge."

Anger is a fundamental human emotion ranging from mild irritation to extreme rage, evolved as preparation for challenges. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, raising heart rate and blood pressure similar to fight-or-flight responses. Anger floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol, weakening the immune system for hours and increasing inflammation and heart disease risks when chronic. Psychologically, anger functions as a self-defense mechanism, always feeling justified as protection against perceived wrongdoing. It suppresses fear, pain, and shame while lowering thresholds for reactive responses and narrowing focus. Rumination fuels constant anger, making anger management essential despite unavoidable triggering circumstances.

Read at Psychology Today