Emotions are a normal part of our lives such as when we experience joy, grief, anger for example; It is when these emotions are not resolved they can begin to affect our health and vital organs.
Anger affects the Liver. This also includes frustration, irritability, rage, hatred and bitterness. When we hang onto these emotions associated with anger it can begin to cause disharmony in our bodies. Anger makes Qi (energy) rise and can manifest as headaches, dizziness, neck stiffness to name a few.
If the anger is kept inside it can cause a stagnation or a stuck feeling; which is seen in TCM as Liver Qi stagnation especially seen in women with signs of outburst of anger, breast tenderness especially when it is near to her cycle.
Some people carry their anger inside and never expose this anger that can cause a long standing depression due to repressed anger or resentment that could be harbored toward a family member.
Anger can also affect the Stomach especially if getting angry during meal times and over time if not resolved can start to affect the Intestines with symptoms of abdominal pain, distention/bloating and alternation of constipation with diarrhea
There are herbs/ formulas and acupuncture that help target the liver depending on the diagnosis.
When we feel overly stressed, we can become more prone to anger; both anger and stress can be more difficult to manage.
What are some ideas to help manage anger:
1) Calm your mind and body: step away from the situation, meditate, take deep breaths.
2) Identify the cause of anger: write down your feelings in a journal, sit down and talk with a trusted friend, sometimes a listening ear can be helpful or they can help pull you out of the moment and get you back on track.
3) Last but not least seek professional help so they can work with you to find the culprit of the root to the anger you are experiencing and help you resolve this emotion and allow you to experience this emotion when needed in a healthy state.
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