Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "The First Harm of Anger is to the Person Themselves"

Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan was a guest on ÜLKE TV's live broadcast. Making evaluations regarding recent news about anger, which has received widespread coverage in the media, Tarhan said, "The war strategy of an angry person is the law of the jungle. The strong one dictates. In such a situation, you will draw them into your own war strategy. The right way is a healthy environment where reason and judgment prevail."

The Five Horsemen of Darkness: Resentment, anger, hatred, jealousy, and enmity!

Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who was a live broadcast guest on ÜLKE TV's program "Current Issues with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Karataş," stated that angry people act with their emotional brain, not their thinking brain. Tarhan, emphasizing that anger is a human emotion, said, "Being angry is a useful emotion for protecting oneself, but when we cannot use it appropriately and at the right time, anger, conversely, becomes a problem for us. It has biological, psychological, and social dimensions. The biological dimension is as follows: during anger, five types of chemicals, which we call the five horsemen of darkness, are secreted in our brain. Resentment, anger, hatred, jealousy, and enmity. Acidic chemicals are secreted in the human brain in connection with this. If it is within a certain limit, the parasympathetic system in the body signals that the danger has passed, and the acids are cleared from the body. If this continues for days, protective damage begins. For example, it causes stomach irritation, leading to digestive diseases. Shoulder and neck muscles contract, and rheumatism increases. Vascular resistance decreases, and blood pressure rises. Heart rhythm accelerates, palpitations occur, and growth hormone ceases. Therefore, the primary harm of anger is to the person themselves. This can currently be measured with biological evidence. The brain has such a function. It enters a fight-or-flight state. If it fights, there is conflict and anger. If it flees, blood pressure drops, and the person faints. Depending on their personality structure, they either give a fight response or a flight response. This is a defense mechanism of the body, but if it is continuous, illness emerges and harms relationships." he said.

"Trust should be the rule, fear the exception"

Tarhan, stating that if trust weakens in a family, conflicts will increase, said, "If there is group stress in an environment, a family, or a company, anxiety rises. If everyone's anxiety is high, the feeling of trust decreases. People confuse friends with enemies. They reason more with their emotions than with their intellect. We, Eastern societies, are emotion-based societies. The first reaction is emotion-based, and only then comes the thinking brain. Due to this, feelings come to the forefront, disproportionate reactions occur, and conflicts arise. That's why we should put aside events and problems in the family; we want a warm atmosphere within the family. There should be no polarization. There should be conversation and sharing at home. If that is the case, people don't bottle things up; they can talk. When we can talk, one says, 'I tell my spouse my troubles, why should I shout?' The reason for its increase in Turkey is that the country is experiencing a trust crisis. Trust should be the rule, fear the exception. Lack of communication is the most dangerous; then it breaks at its weakest point, and love diminishes. There have been increases in this regard during the pandemic. Those who used their minds turned it into an opportunity. They say, 'I spend more time with my children.'" he stated.

"People who can talk about everything do not get angry"

Tarhan emphasized that even when we have valid reasons for being angry, we can fall into an unfair situation by using wrong methods; "A child also takes the parent-child relationship as an example. Let's teach the method of building relationships. I am surprised to see that mistakes are still being insisted upon. It is not a scientific approach. At the very least, if we establish healthy cooperation in our own families, with love plus good cooperation, it becomes a lifelong love. If this is not present, love evaporates. People who can talk about everything do not get angry. Even if they do, after the anger passes, asking 'What was the reason you made me angry? Which rule was violated?' turns it into a gain. What does a firefighter do? They don't investigate the cause of the fire at first. First, they extinguish the fire, find a solution, and then write a report. The best remedy for anger is to postpone it at that moment. Some people deliberately provoke angry individuals. Scheming types do this a lot, and humans easily fall into the trap. In moments of anger, judgment ceases, and healthy thinking is impaired. Kanuni (Suleiman the Magnificent) had a method; he made a principled decision. He said he wouldn't make a big decision when he was angry, and he applied this. A smile is considered charity and is not in vain. Doing good deeds makes the world a better place. We have forgotten the habit of doing good. Even telling someone, 'I am with you, we will solve this together,' provides comfort and calms their temper. Social support is important in close relationships. Kind words, a loving gaze, a warm touch are free things. Doing things that will increase these is much more important." he said.

Reporter: Ebranur Özdemir