Am J Psychiatry 1977; 134:1109-1112
Copyright © 1977 by American Psychiatric Association
Anger and fear
HB Danesh
The author proposes that fear and anger are innate defensive mechanisms
mobilized by preceived threats to the individual. Both mechanisms are
accompanied by anxiety and an urge to escape or attack. The individual's
lifestyle, which is the result of interaction between his innate qualities
and life experiences, determines whether he will attempt to deal with
threats, his fear and/or anger, and the resulting anxiety in an objective
or pathological manner. This formulation underscores the need to learn
methods of coping with anger and fear from early childhood, so that they do
not develop into pathological behavior patterns.
