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RAGE AND ANGER: The most powerful emotional addiction. "Breathing fire" Have you ever been so angry that you felt like you could breathe fire? Felt your cheeks burn as they turned red? Actually broken out in a sweat? Begun to tremble with rage? Not even been able to talk? Wanted to smash something or somebody and break it all to pieces? And then felt sort of sick to your stomach afterwards? Have you found yourself yelling at people without even thinking? Snapping at your kids, spouse, fellow workers? "Got Road Rage?" Do you regularly drive faster than the posted speeds, run yellow or red lights, ignore stop signs? How about those other drivers on the highway, have you wanted to flip them the bird? Slow down in front of them when they come up too close behind you? Intentionally cut in front of them when they do it to you? Flashed your lights at them so that you could pass because you thought they were going much to slowly? Felt like you ought to teach them a lesson about driving? Followed them on the highway past your own exit, just to put a scare into them? And then justified your actions to the passenger in your car when they made a comment? What a kick it is to feel so ferocious! "Impatient with others?" Do you think that most of the people you know are stupid jerks who can't do anything right? Are you impatient with the people who wait on you in stores and restaurants? Do you argue with nearly everyone you meet at some point in your encounter with them? Do you prefer to watch violent, action movies and television shows, and sometimes secretly wish that you could do the things that the characters are doing? Prefer to play with violent action video games? Kick the cat? Beat the dog, or your kids or your spouse? Or fantasize about doing those things? Have the people around you told you that you have a very short fuse? Have you ever tried to control your angry or rageful outbursts? Do you feel, in secret, that you are losing your grip on your life? Read on. "Drunk on your own brain chemicals.
You're right! That's exactly it! You are drunk on your own adrenalin. You can bring on a rush of the chemical by your thoughts and actions anytime you want to. When you do, your thinking becomes impaired, you can justify your outrageous behavior, no matter what the real facts are, and know, without any doubt, that someone else is to blame. You're out of control, and you know it, but you can't stop. Because when you try not to react to those angry feelings you miss that powerful, intoxicating feeling. You crave the adrenalin rush. You need it You can't live without it. So you give in and do it again.
"I'll give you something to cry for!" You hate seeing your spouse and your kids cry all of the time. It makes you sick! If they're going to cry, you'll give them something to cry for! What do they want, to be coddled? Spoiled? Wrapped in cotton? It's a tough world out there and they had better learn to deal with it! This, my friend is part of your impaired thinking. It may be exactly what you heard when you were a kid, but it is wrong none the less. Angry responses elicit either fear or anger in return. You know that. You've seen the look on their faces. You know that you can't change them by screaming at them, but you can't seem to control it. You are truly addicted to this state of being, this emotional, chemical trap that now determines your every action and feeling. You've known for a long time that it is getting worse, nearly everyone you care about is afraid of you, or they've left you. You feel alone most of the time, even when there are people around. Here's the good news. Well, there is good news. You can stop. You can change. You don't have to suffer this anymore. In the Spirit of Recovery, we are here to help. Call us at 1-800-754-1452 or email us at RecoveryCentral@aol.com for a free, initial evaluation. It's completely confidential and safe. You'll be speaking with the best therapists available to help you gain freedom over this. Call us now, we are waiting to hear from you.
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Anger is one of our most primitive emotions. Feeling angry brings forth a flood of adrenalin in our bodies and our brains. You know the feeling, the rush when you feel taller than a mountain and stronger than superman, every single muscle and nerve is on red alert, you tingle all over and you believe that you could take on the whole Green Bay Packers team and win! That feeling is sensational! At least for some of us. It feels so good that we want to experience it again and again, so we stay in a semi-constant state of rage. It takes nothing to tip us over into outrage. It's almost as if we are drunk!