Tag Archives: rage

Parents Use Medical Marijuana for Son’s Autistic Rage

A family in Oregon is using a non-traditional source of medication to manage their son’s medical conditions. He is severely autistic, and has had incidents of rage. He also has Tuberous Sclerosis. The parents are using medical marijuana as a form of treatment. Alex Echols is eleven years old. He is severely autistic, and has exhibited self-destructive behavior. This behavior has been described as rage. Alex also has Tuberous Sclerosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a complex and rare genetic disease. It causes benign (or noncancerous) lesions to grow in many parts of the body. The lesions can … Continue reading →

Bodyworks: Physically Calming Yourself

Yesterday, we took a look at how anger works in the body — what it does to your hormones, your body language, your heart rate, and more. Anger isn’t just a mental state; it has an impact on the whole body. Calming down can be a whole body process, too. The instinctive reaction to anger is aggression. Anger is one way the body and mind respond to threats — like yesterday’s example of the reckless driver. If someone cuts you off in traffic, you may get mad because they have endangered your life. Maybe that anger makes you drive a … Continue reading →

Bodyworks: the Physical Side of Anger

Some people have a shorter fuse than others. Some people seem to spend most of the time ticked off about something. Anger is a normal, healthy emotional state — but it also has a physical impact on the body. Anger can change the body in many different ways: Heart rate can increase Blood pressure can rise Facial expression and body language can change — the face may get flushed, the jaw may clench, the arms may raise. Hormone levels change Perspiration can increase Blood flow to the hands may increase in preparation to fight Researchers have observed a pattern of … Continue reading →

Foster Parents Will Have Emergencies

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Yesterday, I was in the car at a crowded intersection and an emergency vehicle had to go through in a very big hurry. I was glad that they were not coming for me. It made me think about the times that I have been in an emergency situation. I was involved in an accident on my motorcycle when I was in law school. I also needed emergency help more times than I like to admit when we received four badly traumatized little boys into our home. We had a close friend living nearby who had shown us over the years … Continue reading →

Impulse Control Disorder

Shortly after the boys moved in, the words “dysfunction” and “disorder” became commonplace in our everyday language. There were a multitude of them, some diagnosed, others lying in wait to be discovered in the boys’ everyday behavior. We were aware of Randy’s ADHD, FAE, and learning disabilities. We soon learned Daniel had real and critical problems with Attachment Disorder and hoarding issues. However, it took us awhile to realize there was a serious issue with Randy; he had been diagnosed with Impulse Control Disorder, but we weren’t aware of it until we experienced his behavioral symptoms. Our first inclination of … Continue reading →

Insecurity in Adopted Children

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Our adopted children occasionally struggle with feeling secure with their new family. Some of the behaviors are obvious and expected, while others are not. Tommy came to our home from a brief stay in a foster home which had followed a stay in an inner city shelter. He was 30 months old. He was prone to throwing rages. Many of them were triggered by insecurity issues. Tommy would become hysterical when either of us left the house. It was even triggered when he heard one of us discussing running an errand. The mere sight of a suitcase or a packed … Continue reading →

When Your Child on the Autism Spectrum has RAGE

When I was a young mother with a newly-diagnosed autistic toddler, a woman came to my home to talk to me about her adult son with autism. What is interesting is that I do not remember who put us in touch or even her name. But she came for a visit, I suppose because I was just starting the journey, and she was a street-wise traveler. She shared some very frightening stories about her son. Our visit was not very helpful; it actually terrified me. Horror Stories She told me that once her son reached puberty, his episodes of rage … Continue reading →

Redirecting Rage

Have you heard of the phrases? Going Postal Cheerleader Mom Soccer Dad These phrases describe behavior that is related to a mood disorder called IED (intermittent explosive disorder) and it seems that about 7.3% of American adults have. There are a number of studies being done in American psychiatry in order to diagnose, treat and help to avoid the dangerous consequences of such behavior. Most people who are susceptible to IED are prone to bouts of anxiety and depression as well as more likely to suffer from substance abuse. One of the signs of IED is a sudden, explosive anger … Continue reading →

Side Effects of Attachment Disorders (Part 7) Anger and Rage

Anger of course! Who wouldn’t be angry having their lives turned upside down? A child with an attachment disorder usually feels like life is all buck luck for them. Often a child with an attachment disorder resents all the past rejection and abandonment feelings they have learned to accept. Some children can rage for hours about things that were never really there and for things, they never got. Many attachment disorder children are completely out of touch with some of the other important emotions and feelings such as joy, sadness, pain, fear, and most other emotions, but they know what … Continue reading →