Are You a Rageaholic?

[We recognize that anger and rage issues are a personal and private matter.

The following is not intended for professional or clinical diagnoses,

but as tools for self-diagnoses and personal insight.]

​

1. Is your rage unpredictable?
   Do you…
   -- go from “0 to 100 in no time”?
   -- never know when you’re going to lose your temper?
   -- ruin planned events, due to your unplanned rage?
   -- have convincing reasons to justify your anger, yet you don’t experience relief?
    

2. Are you a hot rageaholic?
   Do you…
   -- scream, yell or act out in rage?
   -- use verbally abusive language to lash out at others?
   -- do physically dangerous or risky things?
   -- rage over things that healthy people would consider benign, such as someone dropping a pen or delivering an incorrect order?
   -- find that your irritation starts with something small then escalates into anger and explosive rage?
    

3. Does your rage harm your relationships?
   Do you...
   -- rage at people closest to you?
   -- notice that people around you fear you, avoid you, or stop talking to you?
   -- fear that people will find out about your temper, and you develop methods to hide it as long as possible? 
   -- constantly make new friends, while losing old friends, due to your anger?
   -- deliberately avoid close relationships or seek isolation as a way of avoiding lashing out at people?
   -- attract others who express anger and rage, so you feel better about yourself or have someone to fight with?
   -- express anger by harming yourself or another innocent form of life?
   -- lash out at strangers, such as other drivers, customer service people, and people in helping positions?
    

4. Do you blame others for your rage?
   Do you..
   -- find yourself thinking, “It’s [NAME’s] fault!”?
   -- say, “You should have…,” “They should have…,” “If only you had done…”If only you had been…” then “…I would not have gotten so angry”?
   -- want others to feel guilt or shame, believing they caused your anger?
   -- rage out of resentment for all the sacrifices you have made for others, who don’t appreciate or acknowledge what you have done for them?
    

5. Do you feel shame about your rage?
   After raging, do you…
   -- feel an immediate sense of guilt and shame?
   -- experience long periods of deep regret?
   -- experience bouts of depression, followed by more rage?
    

6. Are you a cool rageaholic?
   In anger, do you…
   -- withdraw, using the silent treatment, and refuse to work out conflicts with others? 
   -- retaliate mentally, avoid people's requests, or behave in passive-aggressive ways?
   -- feign calmness, yet consistently find yourself in situations where people around you express rage that you agree with?
    

7. Is your rage vindictive?
   Do you..
   -- believe you deserve to take justice into your own hands by punishing, reprimanding, crucifying, flagellating, vindicating, inflicting pain, or somehow seeking revenge?
    

8. Do you have rage black-outs?
   Do you…
   -- not remember raging, but you later hear about the consequences of your behaviors—to your surprise?
   
   If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a rageaholic.