Not all anger is the same
Understanding the stages of anger can help you control it.
We’re often told that when we’re angry, we need to take a breath and step away. This is supposed to calm us down when we’re angry. But for some of us, this hasn’t worked when we needed it. The problem is that we treat all anger the same when it isn’t.
One way of classifying anger is our response to it. We can focus on the escalation of anger and 4 general levels it presents itself. It can be observed by our emotional and mental capabilities. We can use this classification zero in on how to correctly control the anger.
There can be many levels of anger. However, we are going to focus on the general 4 levels of anger escalation: Annoyance, frustration, hostility and rage.
One of the first levels of anger is annoyance. In this stage of anger, minor irritations in life are quickly dissolved. From the moment you wake up, your daily life is filled with minor annoyances. You may have hit snooze on your alarm clock too many times. You may have dropped your keys trying to unlock a door. You may have had to deal with a customer giving you attitude at work. Maybe your family didn’t clean up their dishes. These minor annoyances on their own can be easily resolved and forgotten in the daily ordeal. However, when they stack up, it may push your anger to the next level.
The next level of anger is frustration. With frustration, it’s a struggle between with rational mind and the emotional mind. The rational mind continues to find resolutions to the confronted problem. However, the emotional mind brings frustration at any difficulty. At this point it begins to become a little difficult to control ones actions.
Some people don’t reach this next level of anger but it is hostility. In this stage of anger, the emotional mind is taking most of the control. It’s increasingly difficult to control our actions. It can reveal itself when there has been a violation of personal boundaries and beliefs. It is difficult to control one’s anger in this stage with rational thought. It requires an equal amount of action to counter the anger. In this stage, it isn’t too late to step away from the trigger.
The final stage of anger is not often reached by most of the population. This is enraged. The blinding anger in this stage means that emotions control the brain and rational thought no longer plays a role. The fight or flight instinct is in full control of the mind.
All anger triggers a fight or flight response. The flight or fight response induces anger and fear in order to motivate us to take the proper action. When we are in the advanced stages of anger, nutrients such as oxygen, glucose and hormones are channeled to the muscles and organs needed for survival. As a result, the oxygen in the body is prioritized towards survival, not rational thinking.
So when we’re told to take a breath, the oxygen is channeled towards survival mode. It isn’t until we slow down the sympathetic system responsible for our nerves that we begin to reduce the anger.
We see this in practice with the Navy Seals. Their practice of the box breathing technique is a great way of slowing down the sympathetic system in the body. The technique requires us to inhale and hold to a count of 4, then exhale.
Anger can exists in vastly different stages. Taking a breath can be helpful in the lower stages of anger but in the higher levels, it takes more intense action. The practice of taking a breath isn’t helpful when controlling rage because the body is utilizing its resources to respond to a perceived threat. It isn’t until the sympathetic system is also targeted that we begin to see changes in our anger state.
Dr. Tank PharmD. is a board certified and practicing pharmacist, specializing in medical treatment of serious infections and elderly treatment. This article does not constitute as medical advice.
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