Stress Overload Leads to Anger

Living with chronic stress (financial problems, unemployment, a bad relationship), or merely encountering frequent daily hassles, takes a toll on a person's ability to cope. Add to that a major stressor, such as a divorce or a death in the family, and a person is prone to overreact aggressively.

We hear about this type of situation every day in the news. A couple's relationship problems lead to child abuse by one or both parents. Someone's spouse leaves them, or they lose a job, and they go on a shooting spree in the family home or in the workplace. While we can't condone what these individuals do, we can understand what it is that has led to their tragic acts:  Stress.

People whose personalities are predominantly Type A experience stress overload on a continual basis. As a result, they tend to be easily angered. They are ambitious and competitive, which can be positive traits, but on the flip side they can be hostile and aggressive. As in an ancient Eastern saying, "The back is as big as the front." Hostility and aggression are breeding grounds for domestic violence and other harmful behavior.

If you find that you are chronically stressed, or that every day you are faced with a myriad of annoyances, or if you tend to be a "Type A," develop a plan for releasing some of your stress on a daily basis. Make it a priority. At a minimum, take at least 20 minutes each day and make it "Me Time."