When Anger Turns Into Bitterness: The Psychology behind Uncontrollable Wrath

Anger is a basic human emotion response to anything that causes the slightest of irritation, provocation, hurt or threat.  According to many modern psychologists, pent up anger is like a pressure cooker. When it reaches its maximum limit, it explodes. Anger is in fact the body’s way of showing that it requires change or is not susceptible to the changes occurring around it.

But prolonged exposure to a situation that causes hurt or provocation can result in bitterness. The origin of this usually can be traced to a situation where someone or something caused you discomfort through its malicious intent. Even though the anger may have been petty and small, as pointed out earlier, prolonged acquaintance with it can cause it turn to a corrosive and dangerous ulcer. So let us dwell more into the topic and understand the cause of rage that leads to resentment and unpleasantness.

Anger and the three steps towards it

There are basically three steps to anger as recognised by psychologists. The first step is to feel hasty and sudden rage running through the body. It happens when a small issue causes adrenaline rush in the body that for a moment, makes you lose your temper. This step is episodic and can be controlled with ease. The second step is to feel deliberate anger that usually is triggered when another person causes some kind of irritation. The harm caused by the other person is thoughtful and intentional, which actually causes the bitterness to increase. The third step which leads to uncontrollable wrath is dispositional anger. It is the losing of all cognitive senses during the episode, immobilising any and all thought process. Social justice, communication and even reasoning become blurred by the bout of anger you feel inside.

However, there is a sharp distinction between agitation and aggression. They do influence each other, but anger does not always cause the feelings of revenge. Aggression, on the other hand, if uncontrolled, can increase its intensity and become dangerous. It can cause physical harm or some serious mental and emotional damage to the both parties. Thus controlling anger in the first two stages is of utmost importance. Taking anger management course online can help you regulate it and put in under control.

The theory of 2Rs (Response & Revenge) and the V (Violence)

If anger does not gets proper response from the person causing it, it usually turns into revenge which eventually takes the form of violence. This in psychology is recognised as a theory. When violence is not controlled, it leads to acts of terrorism or suicide. This affinity of harming oneself or others for it is a dysfunctional self-sabotage aspect that a person with uncontrollable anger bouts faces. Whether it is an open social sabotage or a silent self-pain, the consequences of wrath is never great and leads top suffering. Feeling vulnerable and guilty when facing an episode of anger can be common, but fighting it and not letting it take control of your life is the key to happiness.

Wrath is something that we all face, and we face it quite often. Regulated anger is a great source of motivation and to quote Martin Luther King, “Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.” So take charge and apply for anger management program available online with experts. Life is too short to waste on feeling loathe. Take a breath and enjoy things as they come.