Many people live their lives immersed in anger. They feel they are justified, and have the right to respond to all situations with anger and resentment. There is no denying that an individual has the right to feel anyway they choose. Anger can negatively affect our health, how we deal with others, and how we feel about ourselves. But there are strategies to help a person deal effectively with anger and get on with a positive and productive life.
Anger can create a strong physiological reaction.
When a person gets angry their pulse rate shoots up, their blood pressure rises, and their ability to think rationally decreases. The blood pressure will remain elevated for some time, and if an individual does not deal with the anger the blood pressure will stay elevated. 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.