It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The smell of freshly bloomed Jasmine filled the room. Suddenly, a sound of a thud and silence was murdered. Arya jumped from bed and ran towards the kitchen, only to find her daughter in the corner watching the broken glass jar. Arya shouted at her and asked her to go back to her room. Later She felt guilty for shouting when she found her daughter sulking. Everyone has reacted impulsively in their lives at least once. But why do we do so? Is it healthy? If anger is a common human emotion, why is it draining?
The Neuroscience behind anger
Anger as an emotion often triggers various physiological changes in the body. In the short term, releasing catecholamines, neurotransmitters involved in the fight-or-flight response, leads to increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, flushed skin, muscle tension and clenched fists(Dr Xiaolei Chen).
Read More: The Role of Exercise in Regulating Neurotransmitters and Mental Well-being
The Amygdala Hijack
The thalamus acts as the relay centre for the brain, processing and directing sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex, coordinating communication between brain regions, while the prefrontal cortex analyses the information and performs functions accordingly. However, in the condition of threat, the thalamus directly sends this info to the amygdala, taking the low road.
The amygdala primarily functions as an emotional processing centre, mainly for joy, fear, anxiety, and aggression. It links the fight-or-flight response to memories that influence cognition, processing, and decision-making. This also influences the release of cortisol and adrenaline, causing increased heart rate and breathing. (AbuHasan, Reddy & Siddiqui, 2023). When an individual gets angry, their amygdala (the emotional alarm system) often reacts before their prefrontal cortex (the logic centre) can read the situation, much like in a stressful situation.
A study conducted at Yale University stated that Stress rapidly reduces the “top-down” cognitive control of the prefrontal cortex and strengthens the “bottom-up” emotional influence of the amygdala. (Arnsten, 2009). The research reveals that firing of neurons in the prefrontal cortex is interrupted by high levels of catecholamines released during an emergency situation(Arnsten, 2009), affecting the decision-making and problem-solving skills of an individual.
Read More: How the Amygdala Shapes Our Emotions and Behaviour
Effect of the difference in processing speed
LeDoux conducted a study using rats to show that the amygdala receives signals from the thalamus in about 12 to 15 milliseconds. To process the same information via the prefrontal cortex, it takes about 25 to 30 milliseconds, which is twice that of the thalamus route. In the situation of survival, those milliseconds can make a difference. However, in conditions that trigger anger, those milliseconds saved from processing information can lead to an emotional outburst, causing more damage than to gain.
Hence, in such conditions, a few minutes of breathing often provides the prefrontal cortex with time to process the facts and their own behaviour, preventing emotional outbursts. This research showed that the amygdala doesn’t just react, it stores “emotional memories” that are distinct from the “conscious memories” stored in the hippocampus(LeDoux, 1998). Research shows that early life adversity or childhood maltreatment lowers the threshold for emotional reactivity, making hijacks more likely (Yan, 2012; Adamec & Shallow, 2000).
Read More: How Your Brain Builds Memories, One Synapse at a Time
How does constant aggressive behaviour affect our lives?
1. Biological effects
Experts explain that continuously reacting to situations we can’t control leads to suffering and can also reduce our lifespan. Being constantly reactive causes a stressful cycle in the body that harms the immune system and raises the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Chronic stress changes the brain’s circuitry, affecting areas such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which usually help regulate the amygdala. (Roozendaal et al., 2009)
Read More: When Memory Meets Motivation: The Hippocampus at Work
2. Social effects
Individuals with constant outbursts often find it hard to make friends, affecting their social life. Living with a person who shows sudden aggression also affects the mental health of the person living with them; over a long time, it can become draining and exhausting. Such people also tend to be disliked in families or are avoided.
How does self regulation works?
Self-regulation is a set of internal systems that work to manage an individual’s emotions and feelings. The three basic pillars behind it are Affects, Cognition and behaviour.
- Cognitive link: Cognitive regulation mainly occurs in the prefrontal area of the brain. This mainly focuses on how individuals interpret, process, and reframe the information and thereby form their reactions. The goal here is to change the thought process about the event so that the emotional responses are formed vice versa.
- Emotional link: the focus here is to identify and understand the feeling and thereby handle it in a better way. Research shows that simply naming an emotion (e.g., “I am feeling unheard”) reduces the activity in the amygdala. This also promotes better communication, hence preventing emotional outbursts and strengthening relationships in future. Understanding the feeling also reduces its intensity, making it easier to control.
- Behaviour link: The main focus behind it is to control one’s behaviour rather than acting impulsively. Using self-soothing techniques can help prevent impulsive behaviour, ensuring that the response aligns with the long-term value of the individual.
Read More: Self-regulation Tips for People with Anxious Attachment
Strategies for better regulation of emotions
1. Short-term management techniques
The 90 Second Rule: Dr Jill Bolte Taylor states in his book that the chemical surge of anger lasts about 90 seconds. If an individual wants to control the emotional outburst, they can do so by practising exercises like breathing techniques, etc., especially for 90 seconds with an aim to delay physical response to the extent that the chemical surge for anger is diluted. This technique, however, is helpful in short-term control of anger and might require other strategies like communication, journaling, in long for better management of emotions.
2. Long-term management techniques
- Changing the cognitive appraisal: Cognitive appraisal is a personal, subjective interpretation of a situation. It determines an individual’s emotional and behavioural response. Anger usually stems from though pattern like “This is wrong” or “This should not be happening”, which should shift towards “This is happening, how do I handle it?”
- Communication: The most constructive approach towards handling anger towards someone is expressing it through clear and respectful communication. This process involves identifying the situation and role of others in the anger, recognising personal needs, communicating directly if needed, and setting boundaries.
- Mindfulness: Regular practice of mindfulness meditation helps develop awareness of the present moment and enhances the ability to manage emotions. As time passes, mindfulness can improve the connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, which makes it less likely for emotional reactions to take over. It is important to recognise personal triggers and effectively handle ongoing stress.
- Stress management: Engaging in daily activities like light exercise (such as walking or yoga), taking regular breaks, ensuring enough sleep, and following relaxation techniques can lower overall stress levels, reducing the risk of feeling overwhelmed.
Read More: Mastering Emotional Regulation: Techniques to Manage Stress and Improve Mental Health
FAQs
Why does self regulation fails?
Sometimes even after long practice ofself-regulationn, individuals might lose control. This is because self-regulation is exhausting – any individual after a long day, or long working hours, excessive mental effort might lose control, and their ability to regulate their emotions, hence might have a meltdown.
References +
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Arnsten, A. Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nat Rev Neurosci 10, 410–422 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648
LeDoux J. Fear and the brain: where have we been, and where are we going? Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Dec 15;44(12):1229-38. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00282-0. PMID: 9861466.
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Inzlicht M, Berkman E. Six Questions for the Resource Model of Control (and Some Answers). Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2015 Oct;9(10):511-524. doi: 10.1111/spc3.12200. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PMID: 28966660; PMCID: PMC5621751.
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