Top 3 Anger Triggers and Ways to Deal With Them

We've all felt it before. Your blood begins to boil; your fists clench; and your brow furrows. Anger is a powerful and natural reaction that can range from being irritated to feeling enraged.

Anger is often associated with men. A study conducted by researchers at Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU) suggest that, while anger is part of both male and female experiences, men will express their anger "outwardly and directly."

Although the act of men expressing their anger is typically accepted as normal, the truth is that venting one's anger in an unhealthy manner can be a burden on your relationships—both personally and professionally. To help you better cope with anger, we've compiled a list of the top three triggers that commonly anger men as well as healthy and constructive methods for you to manage them.

1. Being publicly disrespected is a surefire way to get your adrenaline pumping. No one likes to be ridiculed or embarrassed in front of one's coworkers, friends, or loved ones. Still, many people feel the need to belittle others publicly to demonstrate dominance or power.

The anger fix: If someone is disrespecting you in front of others, pause and count to ten. Chances are that if you react, you'll end up looking like the jerk. Instead, when you've cooled down, address him face to face. Firmly tell the person that this is the kind of behavior that makes you angry, and it is not okay for them to disrespect you in that way.

2. Being cut off, or any other form of road discourtesy, elicits road rage in many men. Road rage is typically characterized by aggressive driving, excessive honking, swerving, or retaliating in some hostile manner. Statistically, young men are the most prone to road rage.

In a 2002 Rage-Depression Survey, men reported feeling a sense of rage more frequently than women. 56 percent of the men surveyed said they experienced rage on a daily basis versus 44 percent of the women. More men also admitted to retaliating against others when they felt angry or provoked.

The anger fix: Remember that, while on the road, safety is your chief concern. Do not let a stranger dictate your mood or your response. Instead, take a deep breath and reassess your situation. If need be, pull over and count to 30. By the time you finish, the moment and the driver will be long gone.

3. Financial troubles are the root cause of many aggressive behaviors. Money is so much more than just currency. It's tied to relationships, power, security, and personal freedom. Many men still have a deep rooted belief that they must provide for their family. If not, they've somehow failed to fulfill their primary role as caretaker. This feeling of letting down one's family can result in stress, frustration, and anger when it otherwise wouldn't exist.

The anger fix: Money problems always seem permanent, but rarely are. Take a step back and reassess your situation. More times than not, you'll find that getting angry about your situation will only set you back when trying to achieve your goals. Instead, consider what's truly important to you. Look to friends and family for guidance. Move forward in a way that is healthy and productive for you and your loved ones.

Health experts will tell you that holding in your emotions can have an adverse effect on your physical health. Our emotions have a profound effect on us because they are physically linked to our bodies through our immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems. Often the seeds for an individual's physical problems were planted by his earlier emotional traumas.

The following are some of the common physical illnesses that have been linked to the inability to cope with one's anger:

HeadachesStomachaches/ulcersLower back painFatigueDepressionInsomniaHigh blood pressureAnxietyErectile dysfunctionGeneral aches and painsFibromyalgiaAsthmaVarious cancers

Sources:

Olivia Mellan, Karina Piskaldo
Men, Women, and Money
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199901/men-women-and-money

Comparison of Anger Expression In Men And Women Reveals Surprising Differences
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/01/000131075609.htm

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Asthma and Depression: It�s Not Just in Your Head

It's normal to feel sad every once in a while, but if you have asthma and you find yourself struggling with depression on a regular basis, you could be one of the many people who find that these two conditions are difficult to separate.

Until recently it was thought to be a coincidence when asthma and depression co-existed, but researchers from the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research in Israel have now determined that a strong link exists between asthma and depression. In fact, the scientists confirmed that the rates of depression are higher among asthmatics than among the general public. What they don't know for sure, though, is which condition comes first or how one drives the other.

Regardless of the order for cause and effect, the researchers identified that people who are depressed are at increased likelihood to make poor health and lifestyle choices, which then puts them at an increased risk for experiencing poor asthma control. This means that regardless of how the depression and asthma relationship occurs, it causes a vicious cycle that can be difficult to break.

To come to these conclusions, the Israeli scientists looked at close to 10,000 adults and identified that those who had any form of depression were less likely to get enough sleep or to engage in regular exercise. In addition, people with signs of depression were also more likely to smoke. All of these factors can be related to a worsening of asthma symptoms and a lower quality of health overall, according to the findings, which appeared in the General Hospital Psychiatry journal in October 2011. Yet despite the apparent overlap between the two conditions, the medical community says the relationship isn't conclusive and more research needs to be done to better understand the asthma and depression link and determine how to address it more effectively.

If you think that your asthma could be bringing you down, or that a depressed state of mind could be threatening your asthma control and health status, it's important to see your doctor and strategize how to address your mood issues as part of your overall asthma action plan. You'll also need to make it a priority to incorporate healthy lifestyle practices including getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis, exercising often, and also kicking the habit of smoking.

Keep in mind that you don't have to have a severe form of depression to experience negative asthma effects. Even mild mood symptoms can worsen asthma and should be addressed to help you feel better, both for your physical and mental health.

Sources:

"Depressive Symptoms May Make Asthma Control More Difficult." Health Behavior News Service. Center for Advancing Health, 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

Goral, A., et al. "Depressive Symptoms, Risk Factors and Sleep in Asthma: Results from a National Israeli Health Survey." General Hospital Psychiatry (20 Oct. 2011). Web. 11 Nov. 2011.

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Alzheimer�s Disease: Genetic or Environmental?

Can you control whether you get Alzheimer's disease? The answer is...maybe. In some cases, there is nothing a person can do to stop the illness. In other instances, lifestyle and environment may play a part. Here's what you need to know about the factors that increase your Alzheimer's risk.

Genetics plays a large role. After advancing age, the greatest risk factor for developing Alzheimer's is having a family history of it. If you have a parent, sibling, or even child with the disease, you're more likely to get it. This risk rises with each family member who has it. Genes do play a role in Alzheimer's disease. The gene with the strongest influence on the development of Alzheimer's is called APOE-e4 (short for apolipoprotein E-e4). Scientists believe up to one-quarter of all Alzheimer's cases are due to this gene.

Environment and lifestyle also contribute. Scientists now believe that genes combined with other risk factors cause most Alzheimer's. Your environment, habits and general lifestyle all play a part in whether or not you develop Alzheimer's. What are some of the non-genetic factors involved in this disease?

Head trauma. Serious head injury may be linked to future Alzheimer's, especially if there has been loss of consciousness or if there are repeated head injuries. Wear your seat belt, put on a helmet if you're playing a sport, and try to fall-proof your house.Heart health. Your brain health and your heart health are connected. Every time your heart beats, almost a quarter of your body's blood is pumped to your head. Brain cells feed off of the oxygen in this blood. Keeping your heart free of disease is key. Avoiding high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and stroke go a long way toward keeping your cognitive function intact. Lead exposure. Animal studies suggest that childhood exposure dramatically increase your future risk of brain disease.Air pollution. Studies of brains of people who live in smoggy cities show earlier evidence of inflammation and cellular damage that's characteristic of Alzheimer's. Healthy diet. A nutritious diet can lower your risk of many diseases, including Alzheimer's. Many studies demonstrate that eating plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in salmon, markedly lowers your Alzheimer's risk. A Mediterranean diet, relying heavily on nuts, whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fish, has been shown to reduce Alzheimer's risk. Exercise. One study showed that people who were active at least twice a week during middle age reduced their risk of Alzheimer's and dementia by 50 percent.

Sources:

Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org
Healthy Child Healthy World, http://healthychild.org.

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