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Boiling point
continued from page 1
'Many women feel they are caught in a catch-22. If they express anger they are often seen as irrational or hysterical; if they bottle it up, they are seen as calculating,' says Dr Cahill, adding that one of the biggest causes of female anger is the endless expectations that are placed on women. One of the research participants said, 'I don't have time to get angry. I have my husband's meals to prepare, the children to get off to school, the tea to make.' Another problem faced when venting negative feelings was the fact that women are often seen in a nurturing role. 'How can you be angry with someone when you are also supposed to be taking care of them?' asked another participant.
Women also face difficulties in the workplace. 'If you get angry in a work situation, it is often perceived that you are not coping, whereas men's anger at work is seen as much more legitimate and positive,' Dr Cahill says.
Like many women, reflexologist Jane Harvey, 35 from Ealing, London, has problems expressing her anger. 'I can feel it welling up inside, but I swallow it down. I don't know where it goes'. She says. 'When I was little my older brother and I used to argue a lot, but whenever I started to lose my temper, my dad said it wasn't ladylike. It made me look ugly. He never said the same to my brother who was allowed to scream and shout as much as he wanted. Consequently his anger problem is that he can't control it.'
According to a study by the University of Aberdeen and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, women like Jane who suppress their emotions can be left with even more angry feelings. The investigation's results showed that women in the study, who suppressed their anger, reported feeling angrier, more outraged and upset than their male counterparts.
Psychologist Sandi Mann of the University of Central Lancashire and author of Hiding What We Feel, Faking What We Don't (Element) says concealing angry emotions - in both males and females - can have a negative affect on a person's well-being.
'Most would argue suppressing anger is bad for you and can lead to raised blood pressure and other associated problems, but actually expressing anger can also be bad for you,' she says. 'The best solution is to express the anger, but in a healthy way. Having a shouting match is not a good idea but it might be that writing something down is just as effective.'
'Many women feel they are caught in a catch-22. If they express anger they are often seen as irrational or hysterical; if they bottle it up, they are seen as calculating,' says Dr Cahill, adding that one of the biggest causes of female anger is the endless expectations that are placed on women. One of the research participants said, 'I don't have time to get angry. I have my husband's meals to prepare, the children to get off to school, the tea to make.' Another problem faced when venting negative feelings was the fact that women are often seen in a nurturing role. 'How can you be angry with someone when you are also supposed to be taking care of them?' asked another participant.
Women also face difficulties in the workplace. 'If you get angry in a work situation, it is often perceived that you are not coping, whereas men's anger at work is seen as much more legitimate and positive,' Dr Cahill says.
Like many women, reflexologist Jane Harvey, 35 from Ealing, London, has problems expressing her anger. 'I can feel it welling up inside, but I swallow it down. I don't know where it goes'. She says. 'When I was little my older brother and I used to argue a lot, but whenever I started to lose my temper, my dad said it wasn't ladylike. It made me look ugly. He never said the same to my brother who was allowed to scream and shout as much as he wanted. Consequently his anger problem is that he can't control it.'
According to a study by the University of Aberdeen and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, women like Jane who suppress their emotions can be left with even more angry feelings. The investigation's results showed that women in the study, who suppressed their anger, reported feeling angrier, more outraged and upset than their male counterparts.
Psychologist Sandi Mann of the University of Central Lancashire and author of Hiding What We Feel, Faking What We Don't (Element) says concealing angry emotions - in both males and females - can have a negative affect on a person's well-being.
'Most would argue suppressing anger is bad for you and can lead to raised blood pressure and other associated problems, but actually expressing anger can also be bad for you,' she says. 'The best solution is to express the anger, but in a healthy way. Having a shouting match is not a good idea but it might be that writing something down is just as effective.'
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