Essay: Why Anger Is Bad For Your

Health

As it is said that:
For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Expressed anger is not only damaging your relationship, but also to your health. There are specific conditions that
anger creates within the human body that negatively affects our well-being. These effects are usually said to be
risks to your heart, higher risks of stroke, a weaker immune system, an increase anxiety, being more prone to
depression, weaker lungs & a shorter life span.
Sometimes when we are angry, we can feel our heart pump harder. This is not coincidence. According to Everyday
Health, “Most physically damaging is anger’s effect on your cardiac health. “In the two hours after an anger
outburst, the chance of having a heart attack doubles,” says Chris Aiken, MD, an instructor in clinical psychiatry at
the Wake Forest University School of Medicine & director of the Mood Treatment Center in Winston-Salem, North
Carolina” (Strong, Debbie). It is amazing that just by getting angry, it can mean that a heart attack is imminent.
Besides heart risks, prompting a stroke has also been linked to the expression of anger. Stated by the American
Academy of Neurology, “Anger & other negative emotions may be triggers for ischemic stroke, according to a
study published in the December 14 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of
Neurology. The study found that people who had strokes were more likely to have experienced anger or negative
emotions in the two hours prior to the stroke than at the same time the day before the stroke” (AAN). Both stokes &
heart attacks are serious physical ailments that can lead to death. So, in a sense, anger can be linked to someone’s
passing,
Now onto a more a psychological condition: anger is connected to increase anxiety. In fact, according to
PsychGuides.com, “Unresolved anger issues lead to anxiety, which can have long-term effects on your life.
Immediate effects of anxiety might include dizziness. rapid breathing, nausea, muscle pain, muscle tension,
headaches & problems with concentration & memory. Such symptoms can make it difficult to perform routine
tasks & can add to generalized anger about life” (“signs & Symptoms of Anger-Related Issues – Causes &
Effects”). Not only does anger make us feel bad, it can also produce higher levels of anxiety that is accompanied to
many different symptoms.
And finally, anger affects how long we live. It has been shown that if we have repressed anger, or passive anger, we
can effectively shorten our lifespan. Studies have shown that those who hold in their anger through many years
have shorten lives (Strong, Debbie).
Anger not only demonstrates its damage outwardly through the destruction of property & people, but also inwardly.
This menace causes us to have heart issues, a greater risk of stroke, a poor immune system, a jump in anxiety being
more susceptible to depression, inflamed lings & even a shorter life. Next time you get angry, keep these details in
your mind.

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.
(Buddha)
Works Cited
 Strong, Debbie. “7 Ways Anger Is Ruining Your Health.” Everyday Health. Everyday Health, 29 May
20, www.everydayhealth.com/news/ways-anger-ruining-your-health/.
 AAN, www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/239.
 “Signs & Symptoms of Anger-Related Issues – Causes & Effects.”
PsychGuides.com, www.pyschguides.com/guides/anger-symptoms-causes-and-effects/.