Sometime back in history before the advancement of civilization's sophistication man reacted and responded to his full emotional self by punching, screaming or using a strong "no" during discussions (Eckhart, 1995). As man became more intelligent with the advancement of the written and oral language, he learned how to play more word games between self and others. However, man can only control his emotions so much before they become dangerous or until he breaks out in a fit of fury or insanity. If we learn how to use our emotions effectively as they arise, then others can begin to see our real self and meaningful communication between others and us can develop. Emotions are a valuable part of our makeup and make us real, authentic, healthy human beings. As sophisticated and intelligent as we have become with our technological advancements, we have lagged behind in our emotional intelligence. Over the years, human beings have learned how to suppress their emotions. Twerski (1997) found that anger is the most difficult emotion that people are facing in the 90s. Nichols (1996) found that repressed anger is the hidden killer of everything that we desire - loving relationships, family harmony, success and prosperity. People who engage in repressed anger are unaware how they are letting this kill them. According to Nichols, studies on heart disease have found that cardiac patients exhibit damaging effects on their heart when asked to recall a past event that made them angry. When thinking about these situations, their angry responses caused damage on their hearts. Only their thoughts about the situation triggered the anger, not the actual situation. When we tend to repress our anger we fail to recognize the anger for what it is. We do not admit to negative feelings, therefore, we can never really free ourselves from them until they are acknowledged. Each and every time we choose to brush off or ignore our anger and tend to repress it instead, we are triggering off a physiological reaction that may lead to bodily damage such as a heart attack. Unresolved anger is an unconscious deep-rooted feeling of resentment, or rage due to early-traumatized experiences in life. But what exactly is this emotion called anger? How do we define it and why is it the most difficult emotion?

Anger has been described as the emotion that is the fight for life (Barrett, 1997). It is an important aspect that humans need to survive and live healthy. Humphrey (1997) described it as "primal emotions" or an emotion that is innately rooted as a means of survival. It has also been defined as a strong emotion that expresses displeasure or dislike and can be either constructive or destructive (Chicago Bible Students, 1996). Finally, it has also been described as "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage" (Spielberger, cited in A.P.A., 1997). But the best and simplest definition in the literature is the one described by Evans & Yazdpour (1997) - it is a temporary emotional state that is caused by frustration.

When we are angry we tend to blame everyone or everything except ourselves (Chicago Bible Students, 1996). However, it has been found that external things are not the source of our anger. Our own selfishness and desire to boost our own ego or position in life has been the cause of this anger. Sometimes anger comes from internal sources such as when we don't get what we want at that particular moment when we want it. A flash of anger overwhelms us and this might occur because we did not get the recognition or acceptance that we think we should have received. At other times it might stem from low self-esteem. Very early in life we learn that when we cry and raise a big enough fuss we will be fed and our needs will be met. However, when these needs are not met we experience anger that leads to bitter disappointment. We become discouraged when they are not provided in a timely manner. We believe that these disappointments will continue for an indefinite period of time and they will never be fulfilled. We tend to get angry towards anyone who gets in our way or who does not agree with our personal agenda. Before long, we make demands on others to fill this personal agenda and this might only bring on additional anger. In addition, we have a tendency to hang onto our anger because the anger hurts less than the fear of rejection that we feel. This becomes a repetitive vicious cycle that might eventually lead to psychological and physiological symptoms.

Emotional therapists have argued over cultural emotional phenomena but they have all agreed that certain basic emotions are expressed the same and provoked the same in every culture (Harris, 1994). However, individuals differ in the way that they express these emotions according to their culture, family, individual differences and strategies that they use to meet these emotional needs. Attachment theorists believe that children are born with a need to seek out and build expectations around specific types of critical emotional situations especially those that involve a need for comfort by the child and a positive reaction from the caregiver. It is also assumed that children have an inner working model that reflects these needs and specific regularities. According to Reber (1996) children express four basic emotions - anger, fear, shame and sadness. These feelings mirror their impressions of the environment. When the child's needs are not satisfied, she becomes sad making herself vulnerable and afraid of being hurt again. Fear of rejection/abandonment also makes her vulnerable so she tends to cover all of these emotions with anger or rage.

Attachment theorists have found that early attachment relationships are correlated to anger, aggressive behavior and severe adolescent psychopathology. For example, Allen, Hauser and Borman-Spurrell (1996) found that insecure attachments that were quite severe were related to psychopathological disorders. Much supporting evidence on insecure attachment and anger/aggression has found that physically-abused infants were more likely to be insecure avoidant at 12 months (Magid & McKelvey, 1989). Infants in the first few months of life require touch, sound and visual stimulation that usually occurs between infant and caregiver. Bodily contact between Mom/infant contributes to the bonding process as has been found by research on premature infants. During the first six months, the infant will go through a cycle that begins at the moment of birth and occurs approximately every four hours as the infant is fed. This cycle consists of four stages: (1) need, (2) rage reaction, (3) gratification and (4) trust. By the time the infant is six months old this cycle will have been repeated hundreds of times. It is a very crucial aspect to the infant's development and if anything occurs to change it at any point, the results can be severe and long-lasting, causing an insecure attachment. It has been found that psychopathology results from attachment deprivation, neglect and abuse during the first year of life. Magid and McKelvey (1989) found that children who had experienced insecure attachment were found at 18 months to more likely express anger and frustration.

Marshall, Seidman and Check (1991, cited in Levy & Orlans, 1995) found that aggressive acting-out was more predominant in those children who could not achieve intimacy due to poor attachment. These children were more impulsive and physically aggressive towards other children. Harris (1994) found that children who are separated from their caregiver for a prolonged period of time will begin to exhibit negative and avoidant behavior. If the caregiver continues to show negative behavior towards the child, anger and frustration will result. McKelvey (1995) found that children with insecure attachment disorders develop a variety of aggressive acting-out behaviors. Temper tantrums and rage responses are very common. Due to the several years of avoidance and denial that these children experience, they cannot express their emotions clearly. Marshall, Seidman and Check (1991, cited in Levy & Orlans, 1995) found that aggressive acting-out was more predominant in those children who could not achieve intimacy due to poor attachment. These children were more impulsive and physically aggressive towards other children. Fairbairn (cited in Scharff, 1992) did extensive research on object relations/attachment and found that aggression was the consequence of frustration for the need to attach or affiliate.

Yarrow's (1961) review of the literature on maternal deprivation found that children living in an institution exhibit two types of disturbances, social apathy and affect hunger. The former represents a child who expresses feelings of indifference, whereas the latter represents an incessant need for seeking affection. Aggression, impulsiveness and low frustration tolerance are the effects of this affect hunger. Children who have these types of disturbances develop behavior deviations over a period of time. They lack normal inhibitory controls and develop aggressive and antisocial behavior. These disturbances have been found when maternal deprivation started very early in the infant's life and lasted over an extensive period of time. It has been found that the critical period for deprivation in an institution is at its peak between the 3-12 month period.

Hughes (1997) found that children's early attachment patterns are related to all areas of their development. If they have an insecure attachment and exhibit dysfunctional behavior this will also affect other parts of their development. In more severe forms of attachment disorder several problem areas of the child's developmental stages will be affected such as: relationships (aggression, ambivalence, clingy, withdrawal), emotional development (limited expressions, poor frustration, depression, anxiety), behavioral control (impulsive, passive, unpredictable) and cognitive development (inability to learn from new experiences, anticipation of rejection/aggression).

Lyons-Ruth (1996) found that several factors contribute towards aggressive behavior: family stressors, discipline, childhood temperament or neurobiological problems, and attachment patterns. Attachment theory argues that the family environment is an early predictor of aggressive behavior during the child's preschool period. Research is replete with studies that have found evidence that babies who do not receive the proper attachment during the critical stages of development will grow up markedly different in behavior than those who become attached to loving mothers or fathers. Unattached babies show none of the babbling, cooing and crying when in need that attached babies do (Magid & McKelvey, 1989).

The long-term effects of unattachment are devastating. These children carry inside an enormous amount of unconscious resentment and anger that persists into adult life. They develop an impairment in their capacity to attach to any person and develop disorders of impulse control, especially in the area of aggression. Although other factors can also affect the capacity to love and regulate these impulsive drives, the implications of maternal deprivation studies are far-reaching. Craft, Stephenson and Granger (cited in Magid & McKelvey, 1989) found that if the mother or father was absent from their child's life for six months or more before the age of ten the rate of diagnosing sociopath was greatly increased. Of the 67 male inmates who were inpatients in special hospitals for aggressive psychopaths, 65% admitted to having experienced such a loss. Several other studies have supported this work showing that the degree of antisocial behavior rises with this type of childhood loss. Zaslow and Menta (1975) found that unattached infants tend to build a shell around themselves to protect them from emotional pain. These shells form early and harden to become impermeable as the child blocks out the world.

As children we have been taught that being angry or exhibiting anger is "bad" and we have been made to feel guilty when expressing our angry feelings (Evans & Yazdpour, 1997; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1992). It is important, however, to realize that anger is really a way of masking our other feelings. Much research has been devoted to the etiology and effects of anger. This gives us a better understanding as to why this emotion is the most difficult one that people are facing in the 90s. It seems to be the most unresolved, repressed emotion that has its beginnings in early infancy and if neglected, can manifest into psychological and physiological symptoms.

It has been found that the inability to experience and acknowledge anger can have an impact on both psychological and somatic effects. Research has found that women, more than men, who suppress their anger have a higher mortality rate even when taking into consideration some negative life-style factors such as smoking or high blood pressure (Meyers, 1992). Since research is replete with the many, many symptoms that are evident when we suppress our emotions, there is no need to repeat the list of numerous bodily symptoms except to say that the suppression of anger takes it's toll on our bodies, therefore, it is much more important to recognize the symptoms and take the next step ..... Medical Overview of Mood Disorders

References

Allen, J.P., Hauser, S.T. & Borman-Spurrell, E. (1996). Attachment theory as a framework for understanding sequelae of severe adolescent psychopathology: An 11-year follow-up study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 254-263.

American Psychological Assoc. (1997). Controlling anger -- before it controls you. On-line: www.apa.org/pubinfo/anger.html

Barrett, B. (1997). Staff writings: Anger-the fight for life. PCEC: Anger-The fight for life

Chicago Bible Students test pages (May 20, 1996). Anger and love. On-line: webmaster@chicagobible.org

Eckhart, M. (1995). In Cleary, D.J. (ed.). Emotion log. Joys of Journaling, chap. 4.
p> Evans, A. & Yazdpour, J.E. (1997). Helping our children cope with angry feelings. On-line: angry.htm@www.childplace.com

George, C. & Main, M. (1979). Social interactions of young abused children: Approach, avoidance, and aggression. Child Development, 50, 306-318.

Harris, P.L. (1994). The child's understanding of emotion: Developmental change and the family environment. Journal-of-Child-Psychology-and-Psychiatry-and-Allied-Disciplines,35, 3-28.

Hughes, D.A. (1997). Facilitating Developmental Attachment: The Road to Emotional Recovery and Behavioral Change in Foster and Adopted Children. N.J.: Jason Aronson Inc.

Humphrey, C. (Fall 1997). Anger management: An interview with mark toogood. Father Times, 6. On-line: F.R.C. Home Page/Father Times/F.R.C.Programs

Levy, T.M. & Orlans, M. (1995). Attachment theory and assessment. In McKelvey (ed.). Give Them Roots, Then Let Them Fly, p. 36-53.

Lyons-Ruth, Karlen (1996). Attachment relationships among children with aggressive behavior problems: The role of disorganized early attachment patterns. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 64-73.

Magid, K. & McKelvey, C.A. (1989). High risk: Children without a conscience. New York: Bantam Books.

McKelvey, C.A. (1995). Give Them Roots, Then Let Them Fly: Understanding Attachment Theory. Co: The Attachment Center at Evergreen, Inc.

Meyers, S. (1992). Anger and Health. How Anger Affects your Health, 8. Online: www.cyfernet.mes.umn.edu.2400/stress/stress9.html

Nichols, D. (1996). Anger! The hidden killer!! On-line: e-mail - Dwightnk@aol.com

Reber, K. (1996). Children at risk for reactive attachment disorder: Assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Progress: Family Systems Research and Therapy,5, 83-98.

Scharff, D.E. (1992). Refinding the Object and Reclaiming the Self. N.J.: Jason Aronson Inc.

Sotkin, J. (1996). Emotional comfort. Prosperity is an Inside Job. On-line: e-mail - joan@prosperityplace.com

Twerski, A.J. (1997). From rage to resentment. Professional Counselor, 58.

Yarrow, L. (1961). Maternal deprivation: Towards an empirical and conceptual reevaluation. Psychological Bulletin,58, 459-490.

Zaslow, R. & Menta, M. (1975). The Psychology of the Z-process. San Jose, CA: San Jose State University

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