WHY IS ANGER SUCH A DIRTY WORK?

Why anger deserves our attention

Anger is not just an emotion: it’s embodied and it affects health. Heart disease remains the number one killer for men and women in the West, and patterns of anger play a strong role in physical health. Loud, aggressive Type A behavior in men raises risks of heart attack and stroke. For many women, however, it’s the opposite pattern—suppressing anger—that is associated with heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and cancer.

Anger usually isn’t the primary feeling. It often shields fear, shame, humiliation, or grief. If we want to resolve anger without harming ourselves or others, we must learn to feel and move the energy behind it, then express it in ways that are honest and safe.

“Anger is called a secondary emotion because it always comes with another emotion.”

Types of anger I often see in clinical work

Anger isn’t one-size-fits-all. In Core Energetics and clinical observation, several patterns recur. You may recognize more than one in yourself:

• Aggressive-expressive anger — “my way or the highway;” loud, dominating, direct.
• Suppressing/masochistic anger — held tightly inside until an eventual explosion or illness.
• Passive-aggressive anger — covert sabotage or revenge while denying responsibility.
• Fiery/schizoid flips — sudden, intense outbursts with quick dissipation.
• Rigid-controlled anger — restrained, whispered criticism, tightly managed affect.

An important background fact

The nervous system and emotional patterns are heavily shaped in early childhood. As I often remind clients, “the brain is formed between zero and six years of age.” Early family dynamics, losses, or repeated parental patterns of anger or suppression set templates we replay as adults. Exploring those earliest memories is a crucial step in changing present-day reactions.

When we love, we see with fresh eyes, we feel with an open heart.