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Mar 26, 2008 11:26 pm US/Central
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Good Question: What Makes People Angry?
(WCCO)
Tempers are a little like car keys because they are easy to lose. So why do people lose their cool?
Humans are hard wired to feel anger, it's our fight or flight response. But problem anger, according to psychologist David Decker, is often from a loss of control.
"And that's important, anger does not come out of a sense of confidence and power, it always comes out of a sense of insecurity and uncertainty within us," said Decker.
A recent study by the Mental Health Association found one-third of people polled know someone who struggles to contain anger.
However, psychologists say there's a fine line between normal anger and irrational outburst.
"It's a fact of life for us as human beings. But what we do with it determines if it becomes a productive and constructive force in our life or whether it becomes a destructive and hurtful force," said Decker.
Chronic anger has been linked to serious problems ranging from heart disease and cancer to depression and domestic abuse.
"Is there one simple bit of advice you can give people who when they recognize they're getting angry they can maybe take a breath and deal with it immediately?" asked WCCO-TV Bill Hudson.
"Stepping away from a situation I think can be a first and very effective step in terms of doing something different if anger has been unproductive for you in the past," said Decker.
People with a history of chronic and destructive anger can often be successfully treated through anger management therapy.
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