I Feel Angry and I Don’t Know Why

ONE OF MANY AMAZING PRESENTERS

25th International Families And Fathers Conference

April 22-25, 2024
25th International Families and Fathers Conference
Hilton Los Airport Hotel
5711 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90045

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Understanding Anger and Anxiety

Submitted By

Karen Tompkins, M.Ed
Speaker, Author, and Educator
Essex, Ontario, Canada

#family #educators #advocates #neuroscience #mentalhealth #positiverelationships #MoveON

I Feel Angry and I Don’t Know Why

Understanding Anger and Anxiety

#family #educators #advocates #neuroscience #mentalhealth #positiverelationships #MoveON

I have many reasons to feel angry, but when I compare my life experiences to those of others, I realize that my path hasn't been easy. However, upon reflection, I understand that the reasons I give for my irritability may not be the real root of my behavior. My oldest daughter has a rare disorder called Joubert Syndrome(www.jsrdf.org), which has prompted me to learn about the neurobiology of behavior. This has given me insight into my feelings and behavior over my lifetime. I now understand that anger doesn't always have a concrete reason to exist. Instead of blaming my behavior on life circumstances, I'm now focusing on changing my reactions to moments of chaos.

ANGER IS ONE WAY ANXIETY EXPRESSES ITSELF IN OUR DAILY LIVES

Some people have brains that do not work the same as others. My daughter is missing the piece of her brain that organizes the information coming in from the world around her. So, her world is not processed in the same way as the average person. This is very confusing for her. Confusion and stress increase the amount of cortisol. Signals come crashing into the brain in an unorganized way and the brain struggles to make sense of it all. Quite often, “normal” sensory information is perceived as a war-zone of lights, sounds, textures, and smells.

As a result of constantly being under stress, a person may feel anxious or angry without an apparent reason. When asked why they feel angry, they cannot explain it. They may even become emotional over small upsets. Although it may look like they are overreacting, the truth is that the event was the last straw for them to handle.

I have learned that even though my brain is closer to average, the chemicals that make it work, also known as neurochemistry, are not at an optimal level. This is similar to how a person with diabetes might have imperfect sugar levels. Past trauma and ongoing stress have a significant impact on my brain's functioning, which causes me to react differently to common life events.

I believe in creating an environment where differences are expected rather than the exception. I provide the necessary tools to understand better anger and anxiety, and help build a plan to move on. It's essential to remember that anger is just one way anxiety expresses itself in your life. Anxiety is your body's response to unresolved stress, and not all stress is yours to resolve. Negative relationships and global issues are examples of stress that are often beyond our control.

If you or someone you know feels angry, and you don't know why, I encourage you to join me to examine ways to MoveOn from the things that are preventing you from being the perfect and beautiful person you are.