September 20, 2005 at 11:40:32 p.m.
One can hardly pick up a newspaper or magazine without coming across an article on rage…airline rage, road rage, mall rage, whatever. It is an emotion that has grown to disease proportions and like any disease it is killing some of us.
Rage is not anger. Anger is an emotion that belongs in our bag of reactions that help us identify danger and, in some instances, prepares us to protect ourselves. In most cases, anger tells us what our belief factors are and defines differences from others that we are not willing to incorporate into our own makeup. Although anger can be destructive it usually does no more damage than increase our internal stress levels and debilitates us by using our vital energy resources. But when anger becomes rage we have a more serious problem.
Rage is anger out of control. When we are angry we are never far from the point where we can subdue it and bring it under control. But when anger crosses over the line and enters the realm of rage we have no way of keeping it within the parameters of self discipline. At that point we are subject to any number of dangers both to ourselves and to those around us. Physiologically rage interferes with the normal communication between body cells. Most worrisome is its effect on brain cells and consequently in the commands that the brain issues to the rest of the body. This lack of controlled communication produces a chaotic effect within the physical system. Muscles begin to reflex in uncharacteristic ways and the whole body takes on a dangerously aggressive stance. Often the individual will look for some kind of weapon to use against another person or he will attempt to harm the other person with his hands in an uncontrollable assault. The thought processes cease to function and the ability to understand right from wrong is vaporized. It is not until rage has receded back to the level of anger can an individual regain rationality.
By then the damage has been done. If there is no one there as a target then we have caused immeasurable harm to our own body which may even find its manifestation in a heart attack or stroke. If, on the other hand, there was another person involved, the result can run the gamut from the destruction of a relationship to physical injury or even death. In any case the result brings a flood of regret and confusion as to why we allowed our self to reach such an uncontrollable state.
The solution lies in anger management. We all become angry at one time or another but by learning what your limits are when you become angry you can learn how to manage the situation before it reaches the rage line. No matter how righteous you may feel about an issue it isn’t worth the risk to allow your anger to go beyond your self control. This is a self discipline that is not that difficult to achieve and one that might well keep you from the self destructive path of lifelong regret. – GT