Updated June 6, 2023
Anger the Demon: “How dare you disrespect me like that?” “Get away and never show your damn face to me.” “Leave me alone.” Sounds familiar? These are a few common expressions of the so-called demon known as “Anger,” which is experienced by all humans.
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When someone violates a person’s basic boundary (either intentionally or unintentionally), he tends to explode or get angry. Anger The Demon is a strong emotional response that triggers due to an incident, talk, or behavior. The fights caused between two or more people are a result of anger. Couples fight, BFFs quarrel, and arguments arise in a meeting involving considerable anger.
What do we mean by Anger the Demon?
Anger is an internal feeling, but its outburst can be external too. A human being expresses anger through facial expressions, foul language, postures, body language, gestures, aggression, rude acts, etc. Anger is considered a negative trait, and people who quickly get angry are known as short-tempered. Anger is detrimental to an individual’s social as well as personal well-being. It affects interpersonal relationships and increases the distance between two people. Anger has a measurable correlation with physical attributes like increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, hypertension, stress, headache, inability to concentrate, etc.
The intensity of anger the demon differs from one individual to another. Some people have intense anger outbursts, while others are cool and don’t get angry quickly. However, people with frequent anger outbursts are common in today’s hectic and stressful lives. These people are “Hot-Headed” as they tend to lose their temper in a matter of seconds. Few sections of the population don’t display their anger publicly but are sulky, irritable, rude, and socially isolated. They face difficulty adjusting to unfavorable situations; have a low tolerance for feelings like frustration. For example, some people get furious if someone else corrects their small mistakes.
Causes of Anger
- There can be several underlying causes for outbursts of anger in “Hotheaded” people. It can be hereditary, genetic, acquired, psychological, or other sociocultural factors.
- Some individuals possess this emotional trait of anger right from childhood, while others may encounter anger after facing traumatic life incidents, making them short-tempered.
- The family also plays a vital role. Children from emotionally unstable and chaotic families tend to have poor anger management skills.
Experts opine that when people don’t vent their anger, they suppress it until things get worse. Such people behave aggressively, remain aloof from their surroundings, speak sarcastically, hurt others around them, are not ready to help others, are not eager to converse with anyone, etc. In such cases, people damage their health and spoil relationships with their near ones and society.
Anger Management Techniques
Rightly said that every problem comes with a solution! As anger is a severe problem in today’s world, often a threat to the smooth functioning of life, there are techniques to handle the issue effectively. The set of good practices which helps control anger by developing necessary skills is known as Anger Management. The basic concept of Anger Management lies in identifying the underlying cause of feelings of anger to address it adequately.
Target audience
The target audience includes individuals who need assistance managing their anger and frustration, like:
- Students
- Working professionals
- Unemployed youths
These individuals handle excessive academic pressure, anger problems associated with high expectations at workplaces, unable to find suitable jobs, and so on.
Terms associated with Anger The Demon
Feelings of Anger arise when a person feels threatened by any external means. Any sense of discomfort or continuous irritation, or arguments with someone can lead to violent anger. Some other expressions arise from feelings of anger.
- Mood Swing– It is an emotional state which is a side effect of anger. When mood swings are maximal, they can also turn into violent outbursts of anger.The person loses any interest in work and cannot make any decisions.
- Hostility– This is an emotional situation where a person gives the least or no response to an external stimulus. He refuses to help or listen to anyone. It is also a side effect due to feelings of anger.
- Aggression– This is the outcome of the anger developing within us. In this situation, an individual tends to cause harm or destruction to people or property.
Common Myths about Anger The Demon
There are several wrong facts about anger known as Myths, commonly believed notions about anger and its expression. These myths are widespread beliefs among people.
Myth 1- Holding on to anger is not good for health, and venting out is a good way of relaxation.
Truth– Though anger should indeed be expressed and not stored inside. However, one should avoid aggressive methods of venting anger during confrontations.
Myth 2- The advantage of my aggression fetches me respect, attention, and obedience from others.
Truth– People should not be influenced by undue aggression. Instead, the other person’s point of view should be valued. By showing aggression to people, the concerned person loses respect.
Myth 3- My anger is uncontrollable
Truth– Like every other emotion, anger can also be controlled by will and determination. One needs to analyze the situation from all viewpoints to avoid misunderstandings.
Myth 4- One should always suppress anger within himself and avoid any outburst of anger.
Truth– Though anger should not be expressed abruptly, it is equally valid that it should not be suppressed inside. It should be expressed in a calm manner that is non-violent. It is the very essence of Anger Management.
Effects of Anger The Demon
Chronic anger, that is, frequent anger attacks for a prolonged period, is known to have serious ill effects on health (both short-term and long-term). Anger can adversely affect one’s physical health, personal life, interpersonal relationships, and social life. Anger leads to low self-esteem, loss of mental peace, feelings of guilt, bitterness in relationships, etc.
1. Health concerns
Having anger issues for a relatively long time results in physical exertion, which leads to health issues like heart attacks, hypertension, headache, insomnia, loss of appetite, diabetes, high blood pressure, and lack of concentration. It affects the overall well-being of an individual.
2. Psychological concerns
When a person gets angry frequently, it means that he is repeatedly analyzing the facts of the event, which in turn means that he is using a lot of mental energy in doing so. Due to prolonged loss of mental energy, the person slowly loses the power of decision-making and the ability to judge something. Various mental disorders follow, like stress, suicidal tendencies, lack of sleep, depression, frustration, jealousy, loneliness, etc.
3. Professional Concerns
Some people are unable to accept differences in opinions and constructive criticism. They usually vent their anger aggressively in front of others. As a result, it leads to a negative reputation among colleagues and friends, who may isolate them for their temper.
4. Personal Life Concerns
A person has many relationships with parents, siblings, spouses, children, friends, etc. A frequent outburst of anger in front of a child terrifies him and casts a permanent scar on his mind. Moreover, venting out of anger among near and dear ones is rude behavior, which may prevent the person from socializing in their community.
Symptoms of Anger The Demon
Many external factors, like frustration, debts, busy lifestyle, differences in opinion, etc., can trigger anger. The common symptoms are-
- Physical Symptoms- Excessive Sweating, Stiff Muscles, Rapid Breathing & Heart Beat, etc.
- Mental Symptoms- Irritation, Dizziness, Discomfort, Lack of Patience
- Aggressive Behavioral Symptoms- Throwing objects, crying, screaming, shouting, slamming doors, arguing, punching pillows, kicking walls, punching glass, pushing someone, slapping someone, etc.
- Lifestyle Symptoms- Excessive smoking, excessive intake of alcohol, consumption of drugs, suicidal activities (in extreme cases).
Scientific Discoveries
- In December 2010, scientists discovered a specific anger gene known as HTR2B. This gene causes a violent outburst of anger the demon in humans and is the underlying cause of impulsive behavior.
- Younger people are more frequently angry than adults as they experience pressures of time, economic hardships, and various conflicts.
- Less educated people vent out their anger, often aggressively, due to lack of education.
- People from financially weak backgrounds express anger more often. Women and young adults often exhibit such types of behavior.
Anger Management Tools
A robust model used worldwide for anger management strategies is the A-B-C-D model. Albert Ellis proposed to provide therapeutic care to patients suffering from excessive anger outbursts.
- ACTIVATION AGENT- The things that stimulate feelings of anger.
- BELIEVING- The interpretation of the activation agent from the victim’s viewpoint.
- CONSEQUENCES- This includes the reactions/actions after one’s belief.
- DISPUTE- This is the basis of Anger Management. It involves cross-checking with ideas already figured out whether they are real or just an outcome of overthinking.
Example of A-B-C-D Model
A (Activation Agent)
You are driving your car, and somebody overtook you by slightly colliding with your vehicle.
B (Believing)
You assume that “People these days drive recklessly. They don’t care about others’ life.”
C (Consequences)
You can feel that your muscles have become stiff, heart is thumping more, vision is blurring, you are sweating more and feeling like slapping that person.
D (Dispute)
In this situation, you can make yourself understood by statements like “Maybe he was having some medical emergency, that is the reason for his rash driving.”
Tips to reduce Anger The Demon
Anger is a natural phenomenon. Here are a few tips to effectively address the issue effectively:
- Express anger calmly– It is genuine to be angry sometimes, but particular anger should be expressed calmly without hurting the sentiments of others.
- Organize thoughts before speaking– It is always advisable to collect and organize your thoughts before speaking.
- Enjoy yourself– One should always allocate some time to oneself and engage in physical activities or hobbies, which gives mental satisfaction and enjoyment.
- Analyzing problems– Whenever a situation makes a person angry, one must deal with it in a calm manner, taking the necessary steps to cool down the anger.
- Maintaining silence– Whenever one gets angry, it should be kept in mind that one should concentrate on choosing words carefully or not speaking at all.
- Give preferences to “I” statements– Always emphasize “I” statements rather than “U” statements. For example, “I am waiting for you” rather than “You have kept me waiting.”
- Use humor– Whenever you get angry, try using humor or fun to lighten up the situation.
- Stop expecting too much– One should stop grudging always. Setting up expectations that make a person perform according to your guidelines is unrealistic. If you forget and forgive a person’s deeds, then it has already flushed out all your negative emotions from your body.
- Engage in relaxing– Everyone should practice deep breathing, exercises, patience, and self-reflection.
- Ask for help when needed– One should always consult a professional or counselor if the anger attacks are violent and frequent.
Conclusion
So, it is evident that dealing with anger is a particular human emotion, which is alright till a specific limit but becomes detrimental once it crosses the threshold. Thus, every human being affected by “anger the demon” should take an active role in controlling it and slowly curing it. This small step can go a long way in shaping your own life in a better way.
