Almost everyone knows someone who seems to have a perpetual crisis going on, erupting in anger and causing meaningless drama everywhere they go. It’s as if they have enjoy getting angry. One begs the question: can anger be addictive?
Anger addiction is a rather new notion but not a far-fetched one. Research shows it can start developing early on, when the frontal lobe of the brain (emotional CEO) has not fully matured yet. Actually, this area of the brain is not fully formed till the late 20s. At this age, impulsive thoughts effortlessly dominate rational thinking and can cause one to go on down the path of whimsy and reckless behavior. “Look pa! I can smoke, talk on the phone and drive, all at the same time!” Sometime this behavior is called the “head-in-underwear” syndrome.
How Anger Addiction Starts
Anger addiction forms in the brain’s limbic system, which is the chair of all emotions. This system is responsible for the secretion of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. Dopamine (source of the word “dope”) is the anatomical stepping stone to addiction. It is unleashed by the brain in response to stimulants like a alcohol, sex, certain drugs, even a shopping spree. Since you like the way you feel, you learn to repeat the behavior, which in turn [Read more…]
