Lesson 1 of 0
In Progress
Anger is Multi-faceted
- Degrees of anger– we will use a scale of 1 to 10 to label the increasing degrees of intensity of anger feelings
- Complexity of brain and mind/body– the human brain and mind/body is extremely complex as we will discuss further in module 2 primitive and evolved brain
- 3 Parts – (stimulus, pre-state, appraisal) We first want to consider the stimulus to anger. This can be called the anger situation or trigger to the emotional arousal. We also want to consider the pre-state or the temporary mind-state you are in at the moment of the anger situation whether it is calm, anxious, or chaotic. For example, if you have just had an argument with your boss before leaving work and someone cuts you off on the drive home, you would likely have a different reaction than if you were in a calm state of well-being. Finally there is the appraisal of your interpretation or thinking about the situation.
- Creative or Destructive– anger can be creative or destructive. It can be a life-giving force or energy that can Propel us to fix unfair aspects of life, or it can be used to punish, hurt or get revenge in some destructive way.
- Beliefs about anger are significant– we all have some basic beliefs about anger, for example- “anger is bad” or “it is unhealthy to be angry”. Beliefs about anger impact trigger thoughts, which influence feelings, which in turn influence behaviors.