Anger / Question
Published: April 3, 2003
Dear TeenHealthFX,
A few years ago one of my friends pissed me off to the point that I blacked out and beat him unconcious with a golf club, and afterwards I came back to the real world and had no memory of what I had done. Is there anyway to keep this from happening ever again?
Signed: Got So Pissed Off; Blacked Out & Beat Friend
Dear Got So Pissed Off; Blacked Out & Beat Friend,
In some cases this type of aggressive outburst can be caused by a seizure disorder. However this is very rare and can easily be ruled out by a neurologist. Anger is a very powerful emotion and left unchecked, it can cause tremendous damage and ruin lives.
In the few seconds it takes to swing a golf club you could have dramatically altered the course of your and your friend life. Using the phrase "my friends pissed me off" will not absolve you of your actions.
Assuming that his is not a neurological condition, the first thing you need to do is recognize that you have a problem with anger and you need help. If you really want to keep it from happening again you need to understand why it occurred in the first place.
The goal is to learn to control your anger not get rid of it. Anger is an emotion that is part of life and serves a function. Being angry is not the problem; it is how you express it. Sometimes anger can a byproduct or intensified by an underlying psychiatric condition such as depression or a generalized anxiety disorder. Medication can be useful in the treatment but you still need to learn how to express your anger appropriately and safely. Also recognizing where the anger originates is extremely helpful. If you can locate the source then you can deal with the emotions that fuel your anger.
You probably guessed where TeenHealthFX is going with this, so here it is. You should talk to your parents and let them know that you have a problem. Tell them that you do not want to be known as a violent person and that you probably need some professional help. Anger is a very common topic among therapists who treat adolescents and there are some very effective cognitive behavioral approaches for dealing with it. A therapist can also assess if there is a biological component to your anger and refer you to a physician.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
One out of every six American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. A total of 17.7 million women have been victims of these crimes. 
