30 Days of Self Healing – Day 28
How releasing your anger heals you
“Suppressing your anger keeps you from healing.”
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini
Often, we’re advised to “let it out” or vent our anger. Other times, we’re told to “keep a lid on it,” or hold it in. Which advice is right? Really, both situations can interfere with self-healing. Researchers in Michigan looked into the long-term health effects of suppressing or venting anger. They assembled a group of women who were yelled at without cause by authority figures, and then studied the women’s physiological reactions. The women who held their anger in, habitually, were more apt to die from heart disease, stroke, or cancer. Other research has observed that venting anger, even for a few minutes, can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke by up to five times in those over 50.
You don’t have to be over 50, though, to harm your heart. In a 1998 study published in the journalPsychosomatic Medicine, University of Pittsburgh researchers found that women who are hostile, hold in their anger, or feel anxious in public have thicker carotid arteries (two large arteries in the neck that supply the brain with blood). Thickened carotid arteries are an early sign atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in artery walls.
Everyone is going to get angry once in a while; it’s a natural reaction to a situation, and it doesn’t always harm your body. It is destructive, however, when you get angry habitually or don’t deal with it constructively. If someone slashed the tires on my car, it’s natural that I’d get mad. But if I held on to that anger for weeks, constantly thinking about the incident and feeling hostile toward the slasher, I’d ultimately be harming myhealth.
If you harbor unresolved anger, learn to recognize that behavior and try to change it through techniques such as relaxation, meditation, or even anger-management classes. Be extra attentive if you have risk factors for heart disease, such as physical inactivity and high cholesterol.
Read more on Chapter 7, Emotions that Heal, Emotions that Harm, on The Power of Self-Healing (Hay House).
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini is a Wellness Expert; an internationally acclaimed educator, philanthropist, bilingual speaker; and President Emeritus of Parker University in Dallas, Texas. He is the best-selling author of The Power of Self-Healing and Feeling Fab: Four Steps to Living a Fabulous Life, and the co-author of Chicken Soup for the Chiropractic Soul and The Well-Adjusted Soul.?A frequent guest of radio and television programs, Dr. Mancini has been featured on Dr. Phil, The Doctors, Fox News, and numerous syndicated morning shows. He also has his own popular weekly radio show, Self-Healing with Dr. Fab, on HayHouseRadio.com. Dr. Mancini has given testimony to the White House Commission for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and served on the Texas Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness. His commitment to keeping the Hispanic community informed of healthy habits has led to numerous appearances on CNN Español, Univision, Telemundo, and MundoFox.? After nine years in private practice, Dr. Mancini became one of the youngest presidents of a college or university when he was chosen to lead Parker University in 1999. During his 13 years as president, he guided the university to historic educational and professional achievements. He now practices in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Mancini’s tireless efforts to improve lives have been recognized with numerous honors, including Heroes for Humanity, Humanitarian of the Year, CEO of the Year, and induction into the Wellness Revolutionaries Hall of Fame. He was recently chosen as the namesake for the library at UNEVE, one of Mexico’s leading universities. Dr. Mancini is also a graduate of the prestigious Institute for Educational Management in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
Website: http://drfabmancini.com
