Suppressing Anger May be Harmful to Your Health

Suppressing Anger May be Harmful to Your Health

Don’t burst a pipe (or an artery) — blow off some steam instead!

In this day and age, expressing anger is frowned upon in most circles. Being a hothead just isn’t cool. Especially if you’re an American man, you’ve got to keep your temper in check or run the risk of being considered “verbally abusive.”

There’s always an exception, of course: If you’re the coach of a pro sports team, you can blow your stack whenever you want. The fans are paying good money to see you do it.

But the main reason I mention anger is because of a recent study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. It seems that the moderate expression of anger reduced the risk of stroke and non-fatal heart attack in men by up to 50%!

That’s right: As I’ve long suspected, for men, blowing off a little steam now and then — in controlled and productive ways, of course — carries with it some real, tangible health benefits. Put another way, the suppression of emotion (especially anger) can be a risky proposition for a man’s health
You men out there: This isn’t to say you should lash out at anyone and everyone, but expressing your anger verbally (AND MODERATELY) can protect your health

Taking it all with a grain of (good) salt,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD