Review article
Always allthe Rage: Anger and its Management
Ida Zdilar
Abstract
Anger is one of the basic human emotions and every person, almost certainly, has
experienced it at least once in their lifetime. Anger arises as a result of a perceived
threat, frustration or offense. Neuropsychological research has detected several brain
areas responsible for excessive anger expression (e.g., anterior cingulate cortex, insula
and amygdala), and poor anger management (e.g., orbital and prefrontal cortexes).
Some studies show that neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine also play a
significant role in this emotion. Despite its classification as a negative emotion, anger, if
properly expressed, can be beneficial to the individual and thus considered as beneficial
from an evolutionary standpoint - primarily enabling the angered to resolve conflicts in
their favor. If one’s anger, however, interferes with everyday functioning, many people
decide to seek professional help to prevent further consequences. Since anger cannot
be separated from its social environment, anger management approaches range from
pharmacological to cognitive-behavioral agents, relaxation therapy, psychodynamic
and other approaches. The importance of adequate anger management is supported
by the negative consequences of maladaptive anger coping strategies, most notably
hypertension and coronary heart disease, as well as deterioration of social relationships.
Keywords
anger; anger management; neuropsychology of anger
Hrčak ID:
310916
URI
Publication date:
1.8.2023.
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