12 - Don’t blow your top

This chapter talks about how intense a physiological reaction anger triggers - how it sets us up to want to act - most likely fight. But did you know how powerful that reaction can be? Turns out that intense anger is one of the emotions which places us most at risk of having a heart attack - and the risk can be as much as 8x normal after an episode of getting really really mad.

Very often people’s first response to anger or frustration is to try to ignore it, or push it down and suppress it. Anger is often inconvenient, and we want to try to remain calm. But responding to it by ignoring it just doesn’t work. The job of anger (just like other emotions) is to get our attention and if we keep on ignoring it it will escalate (grow) until we are finally forced to pay attention to it - by which time it may be so strong that we find it impossible to control. So, anger acts a bit like the  cat in this video when we try to ignore it …

Of course there have been well documented examples in the media in recent years of people who have let anger get the better of them. Often people suggest anger management classes. But what is anger management, and does it do any good?

Want to understand more about WHY you get so angry? Check out the CBT website www.llttf.com for general advice and a free course helping you understand your emotions better. 

Refuel: How to balance work, life, faith and church - without burning out by Kate Middleton is available in paperback, priced £9.99.