Holding back anger can really cause internal damage! Psychologists analyze the whole process of harming your body

How harmful can anger be to your health?

A study from Harvard University in the United States found that simply recalling an experience of being angry can suppress the immune system function for up to 6 hours.

What may be more harmful to your health than getting angry is that when you are furious, you choose to hold back your anger.

In fact, anger is a normal emotion and also a signal, hiding the need to "be understood, be seen", "don't cross the line" and "don't suppress".

Netizens joked: If you endure it for a while, you will get ovarian cysts, and if you take a step back, you will get breast hyperplasia. Long-term repression is a chronic torture to both the body and mind.

Holding back anger can really cause internal damage

When you are angry, the brain's emotional switch, the amygdala, is triggered, transmitting signals to the hypothalamus and brainstem, which in turn triggers excitement of the sympathetic nervous system.

During this process, the secretion of cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine increases, sending a signal to the body: please be ready for "battle". If you force yourself to hold back your anger at this time, what kind of damage will your body suffer?

Rage value doubled

A study by Oregon State University in the United States shows that people who forcibly avoid arguing after getting angry will still be angry and resentful, which leads to twice as much negative emotions the next day.

Immunity damaged

The suppressed anger does not disappear, but instead turns into negative energy that "devours" the body.

As a Harvard University research institute pointed out, if you are angry all the time, your immune system's resistance to bacteria and viruses will continue to decline, which will easily increase your risk of disease.

Affects digestive function

Emotional stress can affect gastric acid secretion and increase the incidence of gastrointestinal ulcers; the loss of appetite caused by always holding your breath and repeated anger may also change regular eating habits.

If you often feel "too full to eat" it may lead to digestive tract diseases such as chronic gastritis.

Endocrine disorders

Anger can cause a wide range of neuroendocrine changes, including changes in estrogen, progesterone, insulin, glucagon, etc.

Women who are angry or stressed for a long time are more likely to develop problems such as irregular menstruation, breast nodules, and ovarian cysts.

Causes a series of negative emotions

Suppressing anger will cause us to think about the matter over and over again. This kind of "thinking too much" not only fails to resolve the anger, but also causes the emotions of grievance, disappointment, and even depression and anxiety to accumulate and turn into emotional problems.

Not venting anger based on the idea of ​​"harmony is the most important thing" may bring peace in the short term, but when the pent-up resentment explodes, it will cause greater damage to the relationship.

How to deal with anger effectively

Learning to control your emotions is a sign of maturity, but control does not mean suppressing them blindly. How should you deal with anger?

Temporarily leave the current environment

Once you feel your anger rising, it is best to take the opportunity to leave, such as going to the bathroom, pretending to answer a phone call, or getting more tea.

After coming out, take a few deep breaths, wash your hands with cold water, and relax and calm yourself down.

Record why you are angry

After calming down, you can analyze why you are angry, what behaviors of the other party stimulated you, and what are the real psychological needs behind it.

If necessary, you can record your thoughts. The benefit of doing so is that you don't dwell on thoughts like "I'm very angry" or "I hate him", but instead think about how to express and solve the problem.

Express anger in a timely and tactful manner

When you are angry, you should clearly express your inner thoughts and needs to the other person, and try to avoid using a critical or accusatory tone.

It is recommended to use "I" more often, such as "I feel a little angry, I hope we can share the housework, but you left." This not only allows you to vent your anger, but also allows the other person to understand your needs.

If you can still control your anger at this time, you can also express it in a slightly humorous way, such as "I wash the dishes after dinner every day, and I feel like I'm almost becoming a dishwasher."

In addition, venting emotions is not the ultimate goal. It is best for both parties to think about solutions together during communication.

Clear out your emotional garbage regularly

Some anger is difficult to express and vent on the spot. The anger and pressure accumulated in daily life should be cleared out regularly.

1. Find the love of your life, it can be a hobby or a certain space. No matter what bad things happen, you can get healing power from it.

2. Do relaxation training regularly, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, etc., to increase the threshold of anger.

3. Try to think from other people’s perspectives. If you have difficulties, so do others. Treat people and things around you with more tolerance.

If you have tried the above methods and still cannot control your anger, or are prone to doing things that hurt yourself or others in a rage, it is recommended that you seek help from a psychologist in a timely manner.

Psychological experts summarize the "emotional first aid kit"

Life cannot always be full of positive energy. In addition to feeling angry, when you find yourself trapped in an emotional trap, you can try the "emotional first aid kit" summarized by psychologists.

Fighting Anxiety

Give your life a sense of control

Regular work and rest

Anxiety stems from the loss of a sense of control. If life is always in disorder, emotions are likely to recur.

People with anxiety tendencies should develop regular work and life habits, minimize the uncertainty in life, and create a sense of security for themselves.

Manage time effectively

Many times, anxiety is caused by the fact that there is little time left but the task has not been completed, which leads to a sense of urgency and powerlessness. Reasonable time management can make people organized and calm.

Proactively reduce mistakes

Reducing impulsive behavior, mistakes, and errors may help avoid anxiety in the first place. Of course, you should also face mistakes correctly, stay rational, and don’t get too crazy about them.

Fighting sadness

Cry in time

Similar to anger, when you feel sad and painful, don't hold it in, cry it out.

Although it cannot solve specific problems, a good cry can help release sad emotions. Tears will take away stress hormones in the body and reduce stress-related neurotransmitters. It is also a good medicine for mental health.

Fighting jealousy

Find your purpose

Jealousy often means the existence of inferiority complex and self-esteem, and to a certain extent reflects the goals you are pursuing.

Transform jealousy into envy, and envy into motivation. After objectively analyzing your own strengths, weaknesses and abilities, setting goals and moving towards them step by step, you will naturally understand your own value and there is no need to focus on meaningless comparisons.

Fighting loneliness

Take the initiative to get out of isolation

For those who are afraid of interacting with others, the key is to have the courage to come out of their closed state.

Call or meet with relatives and friends more often to discuss life or emotions; actively participate in industry exchanges or charity activities to enhance social interaction and find a sense of fulfillment.

For those who are addicted to social networks and have “many people in their address book but few to chat with”, it is important to realize that “weak relationships” on the Internet cannot replace real friendships, and casual acquaintances may even make people more lonely.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone that if you encounter severe emotional problems and you are unable to adjust yourself, and it seriously affects your normal work and life, you should seek help from a professional psychologist in a timely manner.