Bangalore: Some have the proverbial "short fuse" and others are patience personified. At some time or the other, both may be prone to an outburst. It can happen to the best people, and what triggers a temper tantrum differs from person to person.

"Anger may be an emotion, but it is a negative emotion, and the human body reacts negatively to outbursts," says psychotherapist Sunanda Murthy. Along with physicians, including cardiac specialists, she has studied how the physical system reacts to anger.

Tension may be the first stage in the anger process. Your muscles tighten and you get a headache or just a tight chest: both warning signals. Tension is often a residue left over when you realise your anger has not sorted out a problem and has, perhaps, made it worse.

"Studies conducted on people frequently prone to anger have shown physical effects such as high blood-glucose levels, increased heart beat and higher blood pressure. Some experience difficulty in breathing, some may hyperventilate, have pain in the head or back and most break out into a sweat," says Dr. Murthy. These are symptoms that indicate the body may be heading towards chronic ailments.

Frequent outbursts of anger also have mental effects. Such persons may go through difficulty in concentrating, poor performance in the long run, difficult in getting to sleep and lack of focus. These, in turn, can lead other psychological problems such as depression, chronic fatigue, irritability, nervousness and anxiety/worry.

Behavioural effects

The behavioural effects of anger can lead to use of narcotics, overeating or other eating disorders, alcoholism, smoking, restless or impulsive/compulsive behaviour withdrawal and isolation. People may shun such a person, further aggravating these problems.

Management consultant S. Krupa says: "Managers have to watch out for such symptoms caused by bad temper, among their staff. Work place atmosphere may deteriorate, the person may go through a burnout, the morale of others is affected and general productivity will suffer. We suggest such people go for psychological counselling and learn relaxation techniques that are not just counting to ten."

If any of your colleagues is prone to angry outbursts, don't react or shun them; ask your supervisor to refer them to a therapist. You may be doing that person, yourself and the organisation some good.

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