Are you one of those people who always advocate for peace? You always sacrifice your own emotions, suppressing them to maintain harmony with people. As much as your motives might be good and sincere, not expressing how you feel can harm your mental and physical health.
It is expected of people to get angry sometimes, it is part of who we are and expressing our anger, in whatever way we choose, is crucial for the development of our well-being and the relationships with our loved ones.
Several health publications explain why it is dangerous for you to suppress your anger.
Induces stress:
The Very Well Mind publication explains that suppressing emotions, including rage, can cause the body to experience physical stress. It is stated that your body shifts into a hypervigilant state intended to help you survive when you experience anger, which is a biological reaction to perceived dangers.
According to the mentioned source, when you’re in this condition, your heart rate and blood pressure go up and your body produces particular chemicals that offer you a quick energy boost. “Ignoring or suppressing emotions can create issues whereby people don’t adequately learn how to express themselves in critical moments or when emotions are experienced with greater intensity than usual,” says the publication.
Increases chances of mental health issues:
The above publication also mentions that anger might result from experiencing a loss of control or authority, or from feeling belittled, humiliated, embarrassed, or insulted and therefore ignoring it and its underlying causes can result in controlling behaviours relating to habits, food, drugs, and other mental health difficulties, as well as other mental health disorders including sadness and anxiety.
Muscle tension and pain:
According to the Health Shots publication, muscle tension is one way that bottled-up anger manifests physically, and it can result in headaches, migraines, and other physical aches and pains.
Affects the heart:
Long-term anger suppression also raises the risk of hypertension and heart problems because it keeps the body in a state of increased alertness, claims the above-mentioned source.
Reduces empathy:
Health publication, Psychology Today believes that suppressing anger can lead to reduced empathy and avoidance of conflict in relationships. The publication further states that a study was conducted to observe the impact of suppressed anger on facial expressions. “Those assessed as being high in suppression of anger were slower to perceive facial expressions of anger, rated such expressions as more pleasurable and less exciting than individuals who were low in suppressed anger. Further, they rated fear as less pleasurable than those who were low in suppressed anger.”
The publication further explains that this suppression can hinder effective communication and lead to more serious discord in intimate relationships. Therefore, it is crucial to address suppressed anger to improve communication and understanding.
Also see: Tips to help manage your anger
