I did an online test via Psychology Today to see just how angry I am - and here are the results...
You may have problems managing your anger
Your score indicates that you likely struggle to recognize triggers, calm down, communicate with others, and process your emotions in a healthy way; your anger may sometimes turn into aggression.
Well, I mean, I guess that's not telling me anything I didn't already know... but it's still scary to see it written down. (I thought I'd been quite moderate in my responses too.)
Still, my overall score was 71 out of 100, which means I'm just dipping a toe into You may have problems managing your anger and I've only just risen above Could do better. I'm not sure that's cause for huge celebration (especially as I took care to moderate my responses) but you know me - I'm a glass half full kind of guy...
Oh, but the boffins at Psych Today weren't finished yet. They had advice too - lots of it!
It’s important to learn how to manage anger, because continual anger, and the stress hormones that accompany it, can harm your physical health. Unmitigated anger can also lead to problems in one’s career, finances, and relationships.
This started me wondering just how my physical health might be affected, and I realised the main thing is: I'm knackered. Partly that's the long commute and the hectic business of being a parent and a home-owner... but could it be related to my anger as well?
Yes, according to a report I found by some more boffins, this time from Kent State University...
Too much adrenaline can exhaust the capacity of the brain to manage stress. Fatigue, illness, and chronic pain can follow.
It makes me tired, just thinking about that.
What else did the Psych Today computer have to tell me?
Anger or aggression plays a role in several mental health disorders, such as intermittent explosive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and borderline personality disorder. It may also be involved in manic episodes, ADHD, and narcissism.
Well, I've ruled out the last three, but the rest are distinct possibilities. I like the sound of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Isn't that just refusing to be part of the crowd?
Certain personality traits are linked to the tendency to become angry, research suggests. These include high neuroticism and low agreeableness.
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Anger tends to result from a combination of three factors: the trigger event, the personality of the individual, and the individual's appraisal of the situation.
This is the kind of sentence that makes me just go: No shit, Sherlock.
Anger can be directed outward or inward. Anger expressed outwardly may take the form of yelling, meanness, or physical aggression. Anger expressed inwardly may take the form of suppression, withdrawal, and self-criticism.
So I'm mostly an inwardly angry person, unless I'm confronted by an Audi driver.
There are many avenues to improve anger management, including therapy, support groups, and individual coping skills.
Which is this series in a nutshell! Welcome to my individual coping skills blog. More next week...
I scored 62 but the test made me angry.
ReplyDelete62 seems like a very respectable score in this day and age. I wonder if, having been wound up by the test, you would have scored higher a second time.
DeleteOr if I took it this morning...... grrr
DeleteI have just experienced severe problems managing my anger - some selfish moron parked in front of our garage. I hope my choice of words upset them.
ReplyDeleteDon't do the test right now, George.
Delete56 although that seems low compared to even-tempered folk like the rest of you. Maybe I should have gone higher on the "are you angrier than you admit?" question, but there wasn't an option above "strongly agree"
ReplyDeleteYou're a miracle of the modern ace, especially with all that travelling you do. That would send my score skyrocketing. Driving to Leeds every day is bad enough.
Delete54 but maybe I am still chilling after an excellent couple of days in Newcastle
ReplyDeleteYou're so Zen.
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