Researchers divided 280 participants into groups and gave them a task that led them to remember feelings of anger, sadness, anxiety and neutrality for 8 minutes.
The researchers discovered that the tasks that motivated sadness and anxiety did not present significant changes in the blood vessels. However, anger caused considerable changes.
The results showed that as a result of ischemia (inadequate blood and oxygen flow) caused by the feeling of anger in the body, blood vessel dilation became more difficult.
Anger also affected cellular markers of injury and the ability to repair themselves.
Despite the problematic consequences of feeling angry, your question at this point should be: “What to do when faced with anger?”
First, understand that anger is a natural emotion and human beings cannot completely avoid it.
According to science, the best way to deal with it is to know how to process this feeling, through exercises, medication and behavioural psychotherapeutic treatments. However, denying anger and not feeding it, in practice, requires a deeper effort.
Our Creator knew from the beginning of the challenges when dealing with anger. With that, He left exclusive advice on what to do when faced with such feelings:
“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)
In other words, do not respond to the feeling of anger in a negative way – allowing it to “ferment” inside. Instead, you must use it as a lesson on how to prevent the problem that caused your anger from repeating itself.
However, the vast majority get carried away in the heat of the moment and practise the exact opposite. That is, they allow anger to grow into resentment and bitterness.
They feed that feeling, remembering everything that was done to them, which eats them up inside. This is to give way to the devil, preparing a place in your heart for evil to dwell.
Therefore, the best way to deal with anger and hurt is forgiveness.
Your heart may scream, want to hold on and refuse to forgive, but you can give it an order: ‘You will forgive’.
Therefore – take a moment to reflect, evaluate yourself and clean your heart. This makes you truly free.
If you need help to do this, you can contact us via our 24-Hour Helplines, there will be a Pastor available to offer you spiritual advice and a prayer.
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Sources: https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha
