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Sep 8, 2006

"I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power which can move the world." --Gandhi

The Dangers of Venting Anger

The centuries-old idea that vigorously expressing or 'venting' anger is both helpful and healthy is now being disproved. Recent studies reveal that anger can be more destructive when expressed than when it's suppressed. "Talking out an emotion doesn't reduce it, it rehearses it," says Dr Travis, a social psychologist. Researchers in alignment with her theory say that by venting' rage, you're often encouraging it and putting a greater distance between the real problem and your ability to deal with it. While not supporting a 'bottling up' of emotions, they claim that sometimes anger can be a signal to act -- the trick then is to make sure you act appropriately. This article has tips on coming to grips with taming anger.