Definition, Function, Price, Benefits

Student will be able to describe the function of anger and identify physical and interpersonal costs and rewardsfor expressing anger.

Anger - An emotion which blocks a person’s awareness of painful emotional and physical arousal. It is not a reaction to a specific experience, rather a result of a stressful reaction to a specific experience. Anger is very much dependent on stress.

Stress - A state of being where a person experiences a painful or uncomfortable emotional or physical arousal, i.e., headache, increased blood pressure or breathing, crying, mood swings, muscle tension.

The main function of Anger is to relieve stress

But also can:

1. Block off a painful emotion by pushing it out of awareness

2. Release a painful physical sensation, i.e., muscle tension

3. Discharge stress developed from the frustration of not having personal needs met

4. Mobilize an individual in a threatening situation, i.e., an attack

Step One:

• Stress is at the root of anger - person moves to block or reduce stress

• Stress reduction activities - relax, talk about feelings exercising (people often move right to blocking the feeling and expressing anger)

• Awareness of the presence of stress is first step - conscious or unconscious

Two-Step Model ofANGER

Step Two:

• Stress alone does not cause the expression of anger• The formula is stress + triggering thoughts = anger• Triggering thoughts include:

1. Blamers - Someone else’s fault 2. Shoulds - other person “broke the rule” They should have known better….they deserve it 3. Both triggers relieves the person experiencing the stress from having any responsibility over managing the stress

Two-Step Model ofANGER

• PhysiologicalIncreased testosterone in men, cortisol, leading to coronary disease, depressed the immune system, heart muscle is larger and less efficient, gastritis, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, liver lesseffective; does not clear cholesterol from body, fatty depositsare left in arteries…..and more.

• InterpersonalAnger - raises person’s defenses, scar tissue built so person canno longer feel, becomes addictive and once stimulatedby the anger, individuals want more, defense includes numbness, attach, irritability, withdrawal, revenge. Anger controls andmanipulates, rejects chance for warmth, separates relationships.

Costsof Anger

• Physical Threat - mobilize a person to safety when threatened or attacked

• Boundaries are violated - Setting Limits

• Sexual or Physical Abuse - Getting in touch with childhood anger over abuse (appropriate for healing)

• Fear of Asserting Needs - Feeling immobilized, not feeling they have the right to ask for what they want

BENEFITSOf Anger