How Anger Can Put Your Life in Danger

Today's excerpt from Intelligence For Your Life deals with the risks involved in letting our anger manage us and how to get our anger back under control.

Do you know someone who is angry all the time? Is that person you? New research now informs us that anger is a major factor in the aging process. Scientists at Harvard University found that people who can’t control their temper are more likely to suffer lung damage, making them short of breath as they get older. And the damage is permanent. People who are angry all the time actually look older than they really are. Want an instant facelift? Start smiling.

Researchers have known for a long time that hostility and anger create a constant flood of stress chemicals in the bloodstream, which can lead to high blood pressure, headaches, indigestion, and skin problems like eczema and acne. An overabundance of stress chemicals can also lead to more serious conditions like asthma, depression, heart attack, and stroke.

In a study, nearly seven hundred adults were asked about their anger levels; and for more than eight years the researchers studied how that anger affected their health. At the beginning of the study, lung power was already significantly worse among those who showed high levels of anger and hostility, compared with those who were less angry. The lung capacity of the angry people got steadily worse during the eight years—even after researchers took into account other common health risks, such as smoking.

It turns out that anger is not just anger . . . it’s a risk factor for early death.

So how do you escape from anger’s death trap? Perhaps the most important way is to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness. I know that goes against our natural inclinations, but it’s not impossible. And according to Reader’s Digest, research shows that letting go of old grudges lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Increased cortisol levels cause memory loss, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries. Increased cortisol can also compromise your immune system and throw off your blood sugar, so it’s vital to keep cortisol levels under control.

Here are some tips for getting rid of the baggage that’s hurting your health:

•Write a letter to the person who hurt you.
But, don’t mail it! List what happened and how you’d like the other person to make amends. For example, “Tom, you stole my idea at work. Please tell the boss that I deserve the credit.” When people who lost relatives to terrorist attacks tried this method, they reduced their number of headaches by a third and cut their incidence of back pain and insomnia in half! If it works for something that big, it will work for you too.

•Remember, forgiving doesn’t mean condoning what happened.
Even if you were seriously wronged, letting go helps. In a study of cardiac patients with a history of abuse, forgiveness training improved blood flow around the heart.

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

For more ways to take control of your anger, be sure to check out my new hardcover book Intelligence For Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth.  You can purchase a copy on line by visiting Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.

Comments

[Esther Rodriquez]

I wish my Friend Maria would forgive me and be my friend again. at least smile at me instead of ignoring me wave just once so I will know she doesnt hate me . Hate is so not good.

[Jim Jennings]

Excellent info. I know, I had to do this forgiveness thing with everyone that has hurt me going back all the way back to the womb. I had to do this because I am a Christian and the Bible requires it -- the Lord's prayer requires it. What freedom!!!I am not sure I could have done it without God's empowerment, but since forgiveness has to do with spiritual law, it applies to everyone just like physical law (gravity). It really changed my life and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Thanks.