In our last QA we discussed anger: where it comes from, how it functions, what’s beneath the surface of anger, and how it affects our lives. We talked about how people notice our anger whether our anger is outright or not. Dry often, when our anger isn’t in full expression, it is the most noticeable. People around us can tell there is a world of hurt, pain, fear, and sadness behind our eyes. Many moments throughout the day, we feel like we are going to burst- as if one more ounce of emotional pressure could cause all the anger we’ve held in for so long to come pouring out like an unstoppable tsunami. We swallow our anger because we are afraid of the consequences letting our anger out might have. Anger feels all consuming, destructive, damaging, and hurtful. Mistakenly, we believe that holding our anger in saves others from its inevitable wraith. What we don’t realize is that by swallowing our anger and not honoring the important process of feeling our feelings, we turn that wraith on ourselves. Denying our anger is denying a very real part of who we are, what we’ve been through, and how we are affected. Swallowing our anger is shaming ourselves for being angry. Consequently, we feel more than anger. We feel guilt, shame, and toxic turmoil which eventually takes a toll on our lives.
Anger can affect our physical health by causing stress and inflammation. Anger is a sign of stress, that our emotional health is feeling stressed. When we hold anger in, that stress multiplies until it becomes physical stress. Stress in the body causes inflammation on a cellular level, affecting our bones, our tendons, our tissue, our muscles, and our organs. Too much stress and inflammation leads to diseases and disorders. Studies have found that people who can let go of anger and forgive after a traumatic injury or accident heal faster than those who hold onto their anger and refuse to let it go.
Swallowing our anger is normal when we don’t have the tools or support needed to manage and regulate our anger in a healthy way or understand it at all.
Trauma is most often the root cause of many emotional, behavioral, and mood disorders. Until you can heal your trauma, you will find great difficulty finding the healing you need to live a life of recovery, health, and wellness. At Khiron House, we provide effective residential treatment and cutting edge therapies which seek to transform mind, body, and spirit from the effects of trauma. Call us today for information. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours) USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).
