A Warm and Caring
Community for Women
in Menopause
     
 

19 Years Of Support

 
  Meet Dearest   |   Search The Site   |   Mailing List   |   Sitemap   |   Home

Knowledge is power. Educate yourself about menopause and midlife health

N e w s w o r t h y

Search this area:
Search entire site:

Be sure to visit the Power Surge Reading Room, housing hundreds of articles on menopause and women's midlife health issues and the Transcript Library with its collection of hundreds of transcripts of guest experts in the area of women's health who've visited Power Surge.

 


Your Health
During Menopause


What Is Menopause?
What IS A Hot Flash?
34 Signs of Menopause
Meno Survival Tips
Recommendations
Bioidentical Hormones
Revival Soy Protein
About Your Hormones
The HRT Controversy
Phytoestrogens
Estrogen
Progesterone
Testosterone
Testosterone Benefits
Selecting A Doctor
Menopause Tests?
Vaginal Dryness / Sex
Progestins/Progesterone
Estrogen / Progestins
Menopause & The Mind
Fibroid Info
Fibroids: No Surgery
Uterine Fibroids
Low Libido
Sexual Individuality
Bioidenticals & WHI
Adrenal Fatigue
Anti-Aging
Depression
Vaginal Infections
Weaning Off HRT
Fibroids & UAE
DHEA or Testosterone
Dry Skin Tips
Migraine Headache
High Cholesterol
Hypertension FAQ
Breast Cancer & HRT
Estrogen & Memory
Heart Disease/Women
Meditation/Anxiety
Atrophic Vaginitis
Ovarian Cysts
Polycystic Ovaries
Autoimmune Disorders
Hair Loss / Thinning
Kegel Exercises
Healthy Bones
Thyroid & Hormones
Weight Loss Tips
Incontinence
Incontinence Surgery
Hypothyroidism
Endometriosis
Heavy Bleeding
Metabolic Syndrome X
Help for Men
Your Immune System
Sleep Naturally
HRT/Heart Disease
Osteoporosis FAQ
Xanax Info
Stopping Xanax
Diabetes
Abnormal Pap Smears
Vaginitis & Sexuality
Breast Cancer Support
Osteoporosis Risk Factors
Diabetes/Syndrome X
Vitamin E - Golden
HRT Brands/Doses
Healthier Breasts
Endometrial Ablation
Weight Gain
Adrenals & Stress
Sleep Disorders
Vaginal Health
Progesterone Info
Osteoarthritis
Arthritis Tips
Good Joint Decisions
Your Breasts
Good Fats / Bad Fats
Need Testosterone?
Colposcopy
Exercise Your Bones
Bone Health Naturally
Dysplasia/Cryosurgery
Mood Swings
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Educate Your Body
- - - - - - - - - - - - -


Your Lifestyle
At Midlife





Irritable? Frustrated? Angry? Confused? Check out the 'Am I Losing My Mind?' Board

Go ahead, scream, "I'm as MAD AS HELL, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Every week a new guest transcript in the Power Surge Library

"I feel worse than I've felt in my entire life! Isn't there something I can take to to help me through the pause?"




Join the Power Surge Mailing List
Sign Me Up!




'Power Surge recommends Revival Soy Protein for relief of many menopausal symptoms

Doctor-formulated Revival Soy Protein is the #1 doctor-recommended soy protein in the country. Soy isoflavones eliminate menopausal symptoms.

Read one of Medical Director, Dr. Aaron Tabor's transcripts

Ask the Soy Experts



Do you have Syndrome X?



'For natural, bioidentical hormones, Pete Hueseman and Bellevue Pharmacy Solutions

Why put your body through the rigors of adjusting to the "one-size-fits-all" HRT when naturally compounded, bioidentical hormones can be tailor-made to your body's needs?

Read Pete Hueseman's, most recent transcript about natural, bioidentical hormones.

Ask The Pharmacist




The top medical experts answer your questions about menopause
Ask The Experts


How are you
coping with menopause?



Search the site

Tell a friend about Power Surge




 

 



A Surprising New Nealth Tip: When You're Angry, Let It Show


 

By Sarah Henry

Before her divorce, Jane, a 52-year-old attorney, had a hard time dealing with an emotionally abusive husband who badgered their son and verbally attacked her. Sure, she was angry at her ex, but when researchers asked her about her experiences, she never once used the term "angry" to describe her feelings.   Ditto when detailing a difficult situation at work. "Frequently I will say: 'It upsets me that I can't express this without the depth of my emotion showing,' " she says. "I try to kind of temper my reactions."

Jane's reluctance to say she's riled isn't surprising. Let's face it: Angry women have a bad rap. The bitchy boss. The mad mama. No wonder so many women opt to hide their rage. Well, scientists who spend their time figuring out why fuming women suppress this form of self-expression have news for you.  It's good to get galled.

"It's more than OK to get angry," says Deborah Cox, Ph.D., a psychologist at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. "It's a part of being really alive."

Feeling ashamed about anger

Why, then, do women need to give themselves permission to get piqued? An ongoing anger study by Cox and her colleagues reveals that women are just as likely as men to become angry when they need to assert themselves, for instance, when challenging an inaccurate restaurant tab.

But, unlike men, women report feeling ashamed and apologetic when they get ticked off. In marked contrast, men feel like failures if they don't show their rage, says Cox, who presented her findings in January at the 11th International Congress on Women's Health in San Francisco. Cox is the co-author of the book "Women's Anger: Clinical and Developmental Perspectives."

Cox and her co-investigators found that women like Jane tended to view anger as a liability, preferred using less loaded words like "frustration" or "upset" to label the emotion and were more comfortable than men with suppressing anger.

"The taboos against women feeling and expressing anger are so powerful that even knowing when we are angry is not a simple matter," writes psychologist and psychotherapist Harriet Goldhor Lerner, Ph.D., in her popular self-help book, The Dance of Anger.

That's not a good thing. "When you're angry, you know your needs, rights and opinions in a way that you don't at any other time," Cox says. "When you're happy or sad, you're not necessarily as aware of your individual stake in things as you are when you're angry."

So shake off that shame, Cox advises, and try to remember that anger can help you think more clearly, act more decisively and initiate needed change. If an outburst spurs guilty feelings, Cox suggests it might be helpful to have an "anger buddy" -- a good friend you can call to give you a reality check on your reaction. "Women help each other all the time to normalize their anger," she says. "Making that relationship more overt and deliberate may help women better use this resource."


Anger and health

Other research supports Cox's conclusions. Studies -- including one
published in "Annals of Behavioral Medicine" in the fall of 1998 -- have linked suppressed anger to serious medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, gastrointestinal complaints and even certain cancers.

Researchers have even found a link between unexpressed anger and depression in women, says Dana Crowley Jack, Ed.D., a psychologist at Fairhaven College at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.

When women do get angry, they tend to get especially livid -- the ranting, raving, seething, smoking kind of anger -- at the people they love most. Why?  There's more at stake in these relationships, Jack says. But take heart: Research has shown that dealing effectively with someone who provokes anger is much more likely to strengthen rather than weaken the relationship.  Indeed, experts say that constructive anger may be the only effective way to problem-solve in a partnership.

"Anger is a wonderful, helpful, restorative emotion," says Jack. "It can be used to get rid of obstacles in a relationship. It really does work for that."

Even getting angry at your kids can bring you closer together. "Expressing your anger is an opportunity for you to speak clearly and honestly and enhance your relationship with your child," Cox says. "Unless kids see their parents or role models expressing anger, they won't know how to do it themselves." Telling your kids exactly why you're angry can help you work out a solution that's acceptable to both of you. However, make sure you're directing your anger in the right place -- if you're furious with your boss, don't take it out on your son.

So go ahead, say the experts, acknowledge that anger and let other people know what you're feeling. When women are conscious of this strong sensation, says Cox, they have a better chance of using it in a constructive way. Anger is just a bodily reaction, a signal that a wrong has taken place, something needs correcting or the demands on a woman exceed her ability to handle them. "We don't have choices about when we feel it," Cox says. "But we do have choices about what we do with it."

It may help to remember that getting cross -- even furious -- can have positive consequences. "Think of some of the social change groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving or the National Organization of Women," suggests Jack, author of two books, "Silencing the Self" and "Behind the Mask," that address women's anger. "These social movements came about because women were just outraged."


Tips on handling anger:

Even though expressing your anger can be good for you, flying into a rage at every suspected slight isn't the answer. For instance, blowing off steam by hurling hardware at your hubby or breaking plates over the boss's head aren't great solutions. But it is possible -- even desirable -- to use anger in a positive rather than negative way.

Forget the pop notion of channeling anger into more productive pursuits. "Relationship enhancement is the most productive outlet possible for anger," Cox says -- and this can happen when you let the other person see your upset. So what concrete tips might help when you're mad as hell and not going to take it any more? Read on.

Seek out a safe place to seethe. Before confronting the object of your wrath, talk with a trusted friend, co-worker or counselor who can help get to the root of what's pressing your buttons. Mulling it over with someone safe may help you figure out less hostile, more instructive ways to express your feelings with a loved one, colleague or boss.

Approach the person who sent your blood boiling in the first place. As a general guideline, the more significant the relationship, says Jack, the more important it is to articulate feelings in a constructive way. She suggests trying something like, "This is bothering me. Something has to change. How can we deal with it?"

Identify the reason behind the rage. There's always something underlying an angry reaction. The trick here is to find the trigger. If it's not obvious, keeping a log of anger experiences may help you uncover patterns. For some people, professional help may be needed to delve through deep-rooted feelings of shame and anger that started in childhood.

Find a physical release. Though jogging and other physical activities can be helpful, Cox advocates an anger workout: hitting a mattress with a tennis racket or slapping the sofa with a bat when you really start to see red. The key, says Cox, is to talk as you thwack the furniture. Engaging large muscle groups along with your voice should help you work through some of your fury. Kickboxing or Tae-Bo may give the same results. "Some women feel less likely to lose it if they have a physical release first," explains Cox. "When a client tells me: 'If I really let it out, we'd all burst into flames,' then I might suggest an anger workout."

Take several deep breaths. If you find yourself blinded by heat-of-the-moment anger, try to buy some time to cool off a bit, especially if you think you're at risk of harming someone physically or emotionally. You may even need to walk away from the situation for a while. Remember, though, that in the long run, fleeing the scene won't help you express yourself. So ask for a few moments to collect your thoughts and then say what needs to be said.


Look for like-minded souls. All fired up about a societal injustice? Sick of
suffering? Then hook up with people who share your passion or problem through
a support group or organization. Consider working with an organization for
change, like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). "Joining other people who care about what you do can transform anger into a positive expression," says
Jack.

You're not alone. You'd be amazed at how many other women experience menopause-related anger, mood swings and sometimes uncontrollable rage.


 

        

 

Copyright / Disclaimer© 1994-2013
by power-surge.net™

A Note About Privacy
treatments / educate your body / message boards / guests /
ask the experts / transcripts / schedule / bookstore / chat room /
search / contact us / sitemap / HOME