Controlling anger

A man in his 70s set Sungnyemun Gate, the National Treasure No. 1, on fire in February 2008. He later said that he wanted to revenge to the world since he had too low land compensation. In June last year, a resident in his 40s living in a skyscraper apartment in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province cut the rope of the worker who was hanging to work on the outer walls, and caused the worker to fall and die. He said he cut the rope out of anger because he could not find a job. An Internet service engineer lost his life because of the anger of a customer in his 50s, who believed that only his Internet became slower and he suffered a loss in stock investment. All of these crimes were caused by intermittent explosive disorder.

Intermittent explosive disorder is a disorder that causes one to lost control over impulse due to the desire of anger and express sudden anger or violent behavior. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service last year, patients who received treatment for such symptoms from 2012 to 2016 has increased by 19.9 percent, from 4,937 patients to 5,920 patients. According to the research and survey by the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association in 2015, about a half or more than adults could not control their anger. Various conflicts caused by noise between floors, and sudden behaviors occurring while driving show that intermittent explosive disorder has become a daily routine.

Anger is an instinctive emotion. Some say that the birth of a human being is an incident filled with anger. As human being is being kicked out to an unpredictable world from mother’s safe and cozy womb, it does have a point. If so, the baby’s first cry must be a scream of anger. If one cannot even control such an emotion, it becomes a disorder. It is especially important not to suppress anger most of the time. Suppressed anger will cause intermittent explosive disorder someday and can end up in violence.

Japanese psychologist Tamami Katada gives an advice in her book “Why Can’t I Stop Anger?” about skills of becoming angry. First, tell the person accurately about why you are angry. Second, think of the person’s situation when talking. Third, accept the fact that expressing your complaints will not always end up in satisfactory results. These sentences seem ordinary, but practicing at least these three steps could help prevent explosive anger.