The effects of repressed anger

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Sometimes, behind an anxious or sad mood, there is repressed anger. In the end, this ends up manifesting itself in some way, usually very negative.

Repressed anger is a self-destructive condition. However, and so as not to give rise to any misunderstandings, explosions of mood are not healthy either. Letting anger take control is as harmful as not releasing the energy that produces the emotion in a controlled manner. Neither exploiting nor containing that energy, like someone who climbs on a suitcase that doesn’t close to exert force, are usually successful strategies.

Due to the above, You have to learn to distinguish between repressed anger and managed anger. The best place to start is to identify your trigger; This could be an external event, such as an attack, but also internal, such as the memory of an attack. This is often frustration or fear. It is not then about stopping feeling anger just for the sake of it, but about handling it appropriately when it occurs and getting to the bottom of the matter.

Ignoring anger, or any other feeling, is not a healthy option.. Avoidance not only does not solve the problem, but often increases it. An important part of personal development is precisely facing what you feel and knowing what to do with it.

“So what does it all mean? Well, it suggests that holding in anger doesn’t cause much harm, that an occasional outburst is probably fine, and that it doesn’t matter so much whether you get angry or not, but how you do it and how often.”.

-Claudia Hammond-

repressed anger

Repressed anger occurs when a person experiences anger for some reason and deliberately stops expressing it. This person considers it inconvenient to do so, whether due to prevailing social patterns, fear, beliefs that lead them to do so, or for other reasons.

Read Also: 7 keys to stop feeling guilty after a mistake

Then, The energy of anger does not dissipate, it is contained under such pressure that it can be very dangerous if it explodes.. Furthermore, this may not only happen once, but repeatedly.

For example, in relationships based on intimidation, whether as a couple, work, family or other type. In cases where the source of anger is someone with whom you have a continuous bond, the usual thing is that a chain of anger occurs, which gives rise to a great deal of repressed anger.

These types of feelings can be repressed, but that doesn’t mean they go away. What does happen very frequently is that the hostility tends to turn on oneself and ends up causing psychological or physical symptoms. A person can get sick from this cause.

The consequences of repressed anger

Anger is not something that only exists in the mind. When anger is experienced, a series of physiological effects also occur that change the way the body functions. Among the most visible modifications are the following:

Blood pressure increases. The heart rate accelerates. Adrenaline production increases, which alters the body’s balance. There is an imbalance in the immune system. The muscular system grows and becomes more rigid. Breathing accelerates.

All of this, especially if experienced very frequently, can make a person more prone to developing some diseases. On the other hand, when exploding, the person usually completely loses their self-control.

In the case of repressed anger, what happens is that the feeling of anger takes longer to dissipate. It tends to last and, at the same time, keep the body in that state of imbalance that was already described.

Process anger

It’s not wrong to feel anger. It is a normal response to a threat and is part of the survival instinct. However, anger can also become a pattern when a person lives on the defensive; that is, when he feels afraid too often. Also when he has made intolerance a flag to overcome his insecurities.

Repressed anger can lead to severe depression. The anger that was not managed to be expressed is returned, due to a rebound effect, and ends up directed towards oneself. In these conditions, a person begins to beat themselves up and ends up becoming disinterested in everything. Many times this is because the person who generates the anger is someone very loved and it is considered unacceptable to have expressions of aggression towards them.

It is important to learn to accept your own feelings. Telling yourself “I’m angry” is the start. Feeling anger is positive, in principle. It is a warning mechanism and it is important to listen to it. What follows is to process this signal so that it does not become a factor that harms others or ourselves.. No one knows this at birth, but it can be learned when each person decides.