I’m a behavioural scientist and here’s why we all need to scream more – especially women
EVERYONE seems to be stressed at the moment.
Whether it’s the cost of living crisis or just managing to get out of bed and function without snapping at anyone before 9am – the world can feel like a lot.
It can sometimes be difficult to control these emotions.
Now one behavioural scientist has said that instead of trying to supress them – we should let them out, through screaming.
Pragya Agarwal, who is a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice at Loughborough University said yelling triggers a neuro-physical response.
She explained that taking time out to scream at the top of your lungs is a great release of pent-up anger, rather than letting it spill over when someone leaves the milk out of the fridge or hasn’t managed to take the rubbish out.
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Doing it this way, she said, releases the same sort of endorphins also known as the happy hormones – just like those we get after exercising.
“These endorphins, along with the peptides produced by the pituitary gland, can together have an emboldening effect by triggering the brain’s receptors to reduce pain and increase strength,” she told The Guardian.
Prof Agarwal said that screaming therapy isn’t a new thing and added that celebrities such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono were known to have taken part in screaming sessions.
It was invented in the 60s by Dr Arthur Janov, who aptly named it ‘Primal Therapy’.
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Various studies have shown that screaming can be beneficial, with Professor in psychology at New York University, David Poepple saying that when it’s done in a group, it can unite people and release adrenaline.
Experts at Iowa State University also previously found that quick, loud yells also upped physical strength.
When it comes to why the practise is good for women, Prof Agarwal said this is because the female species have in general, been taught to supress their emotions.
During her own sessions, she said she was allowing herself and her kids to fly off the handle for just a short while.
“Reclaiming our anger, sadness and frustration and all the associated emotions that have been considered bad for us as women.
“The first step towards this was the acknowledgement and acceptance that these are all valid emotions requiring an outlet, not to be dismissed or hidden or shoved back inside.”
The scientist said many women in popular culture have been portrayed as being damsels in distress.
The more elegant women, she said, would often have a melancholy that was more desirable.
While strong emotions have often been associated with protagonists or so-called vixens.
ALL CONSUMING
She highlighted the goddess Kali, who has her face contorted into a scream.
The goddess is the symbol of death and was previously used as a warning to women that emotions such as anger can become all consuming.
Prof Agarwal, who is the author of Hysterical: Exploding the Myth of Gendered Emotions, said emotional expression has also been linked to how good we are at our jobs.
Those who voice their opinions and emotions are often discredited, she said.
The guru referenced the popularity of screaming in Chinese medicine and said many people there gather every morning to scream together.
According to one master of the practise, Nan Lu, energy that feeds the wellbeing of the liver can become disrupted when we are angry.
It’s a practise that Prof Agarwal said has made her and her family feel lighter.
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So if you want to let off some tension, why not head outside to an open space and scream at the top of your lungs.
The expert said that using your body, by shaking your arms and legs can also help release tension.