Angry?…Understanding your Brain Chemistry

Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Mind Body Health | Comments Feed

It occurred to me that most of us lack the basic understanding of anger and the chemical process that can impact our ability to let go of situations quickly. This article will explain the need for a cool off period.

When human beings feel threatened, our tiny but powerful adrenal glands above the kidneys release a teaspoon of adrenaline. This chemical sends a message to the brain to increase blood flow to the lungs, arms and legs. It also restricts flow to what it considers the non essential areas of the body. Can you guess what areas are considered non essential? The brain, specifically the frontal lobe in the brain, the very part we rely on for problem solving. Of course, if you happen to encounter a black bear this extra blood flow can be very helpful when you need to RUN for your life!

The quandary being, this primal reflex – now a days is frequently triggered when feeling emotionally threatened. As this happens many of us forget our intention was to reach a solution or to better understand our partner, boss or friend. You’ll know when this occurs because there is a shift from communication to the urge to pull out your verbal warfare and attack. STOP! You are not thinking clearly. Breathe in deeply. Exhale and repeat until you reach a state where you are certain blood flow has resumed to your vital areas.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • email

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

What is 9 + 4 ?
Please leave these two fields as-is:
IMPORTANT! To be able to proceed, you need to solve the following simple math (so we know that you are a human) :-)