Processing Rage

[Innordinate]

not to hit things when angry as then you are conditioning yourself to act out violently

what would be the difference, do you think, between purposefully and violently breaking dishes, purposefully and violently ripping up phonebooks and hitting a pillow?

seems weird.

I even had a friend tell me to write a letter to God. She explained to me that "he can take it". He understands and will not judge you.

heard this too... and if you don't believe in a god you can give it to the earth.
same deal.

ive actually done that and spent 3 nights in the middle of nowhere forest in a lean-to that i built, with nothing but a sleeping bag, note book and 6 jugs of water, reflecting and writing notes and burying them for the earth to take. called a vision quest.

actually had my life together for a couple years after that so... apparently it can work.

 

[Lionheart]

what would be the difference, do you think, between purposefully and violently breaking dishes, purposefully and violently ripping up phonebooks and hitting a pillow?
seems weird.

I really don't know to be honest with you. It does seem a little weird now that I think of it. Perhaps the idea is to hit or break inanimate objects rather than to strike out as if to hit a person. But this is just a wild guess. Good question.

 

[zero]

Hi

Does anyone have any suggestion on this?

I am not referring to anger, but rage, the kind that wants to devastate and destroy

I do the punch bag gig but it's not enough, it is turning in

Was wondering about effigy or something art therapyish....

Thoughts welcome

I read a book once by Dr Susan Forward, where she suggests that rage needs to be experienced physically and then it can be easier to deal with on a more rational level. The way she suggested dealing with this was exercise. I did a lot of running to help me with my rage. What I felt, I channeled into my run. I tried not to run too far, a mile or so to start. But I did get up to about 11 miles in 2 months. Lot of rage, yah.

There's another technique I learned, a meditation about "Leaves On A Stream." In which, you acknowledge the emotion, the thought, (like a leaf) - breathe, and let it go (down the stream.) When I'm feeling fairly angry, she'll say "Leaves on a stream, leaves on a stream," and I start laughing.


/love,