Anna Ferrick: Sometimes only food will fix it

Anna Ferrick admits she has a tendency to get "hangry".

For those of you not familiar with the term hangry I'm almost willing to bet that once you know the definition you will know a sufferer.

It is a state in which a person is so hungry they feel irrationally angry and is no doubt experienced daily by people who forget to eat across the world.

Hangry is a term I feel was coined to describe me perfectly.

I don't know if it's a lack of blood sugar that causes the familiar sensation of a rising rage but, once it begins, the only thing that will make it better, not only for yourself but for anyone who comes into contact, is food. In my case, preferably a mint slice.

For as long as I can remember people around me have learned not to approach before they have witnessed food entering my mouth.

My boyfriend has almost reached the point where he carries around snacks to appease me as soon as I get home from work.

He's also become pretty good at reminding me to have breakfast, I assume for the benefit of my co-workers rather than my personal health.

Like anything there are different types of hangry. As someone who is relatively often too lazy to eat, I am familiar with most variations. Selective hangriness - being selectively hangry means selecting a target to take your hangriness out on.

Wise to select someone who will still love you when you've calmed down - so avoid your boss, co-workers and any unsuspecting figures of authority like police roaming the streets.

Hangriness does not stand up in court.

Unassigned hangriness - this is when anything and everything is annoying. Your pet dog you normally love is suddenly the worst thing to ever happen to you, you are genuinely tempted to throw your iPhone on the ground because it is not fast enough, your job sucks, your house sucks, your boyfriend sucks, your mum sucks, I could go on but won't.

Hidden hangriness - this is also known as hangriness in denial.

Men are often the sufferers of this more elusive form of hangriness, too proud to admit they are hangry so they attempt to disguise their mood by genuine "problems".

For example, a friend of mine recently rifling through his closet declaring he has no good clothes and he hates everything.

Less than an hour later, and post food, suddenly all of his clothes are fine and he doesn't even care about that kind of thing anyway. Very interesting.

Group hangriness - be aware, this can be extremely dangerous.

This is where more than one person is irrationally hangry at once and can be a lethal combination. A couple who are both hangry at the same time obviously won't work out well. What a hangry person needs is a level-headed support person to organise food. Should this support person also be hangry at the same time you could be in trouble. Have some back-up mint slices by your bed so when you inevitably storm to the bedroom and lock the door, you can calm down without so-called support person's help.

Hangriness can, of course, be easily avoided.

Consuming three meals a day and probably some snacks in between will help you to stay cool, calm and collected in all situations.

If this is not possible, when you feel yourself getting hangry try to direct the anger in a constructive way.

Perfect if you happen to be a boxer or some other kind of testosterone-fuelled sportsperson.

However if this is not you, try not to physically break anything, be mean to people and, under all circumstances, do not go to bed hangry.

Here again, the mint slices by the bed come in super handy.

P.S. Thank you to mum, dad, boyfriend, siblings, flatmates and friends for understanding my tendency to become hangry and still hanging out with me.

Anna Ferrick is a reporter at Hawke's Bay Today