Healing the Angry Brain

Bestselling author Ronald Potter-Efron

What happens to a person's brain when they become angry? Anger is an instinctive yet complex emotional reaction that affects everyone differently. People whose brains are wired for anger may become angry at a moment's notice, act impulsively on their anger, regret their behavior afterwards, and fly into dangerous rages that leave them feeling out of control. Calming the Angry Brain examines how the limbic system affects the way people process anger and why some people are predisposed to anger, while others are able to remain calm in aggravating situations. Readers learn how to change their patterns of thinking so that they become less likely to experience extreme levels of anger and more in control of their behavior when they do become angry. By understanding the six natural stages of emotionality: system activation, modulation, planning, taking emotion-influenced action, evaluation, and system deactivation, readers can come to terms with possible problems at each stage of processing. The book then offers guidance for taking charge of anger and learning new ways to rewire the brain so that anger is measured and manageable, not destructive.