High blood pressure increases a person s risk for heart disease. Judith Peacock in her book, Anger Management, discusses one study done with medical students in N. Carolina that showed those who reported getting angry often, or held onto their feelings of anger were four to five times more likely to develop heart disease. These students were followed for some time, and were also found to die young seven times more often then their less angry counterparts. There is even evidence that anger can increase an individual s risk of getting cancer. It is apparent that anger can negatively impact our physical health.
Anger can interfere with relationships.
It is true that if you become angry with someone and are not able to let the anger go, your relationship will suffer. It is also true that this anger can affect the relationships you have with other people. Phillip McGraw in his book, Life Strategies, discusses how a person is not able to turn emotions off like a faucet. So if you feel an intense anger toward someone, when you go home to the people you love, the anger will still be lurking in your psyche. This anger will become a part of all your relationships, and the people you encounter each day.