Explosive Anger

Hi Shamefaced. I understand what you're looking for.
May I ask what 'caused' the PTSD?
Many of our military are coming home with PTSD.
Knowing the cause helps quite a bit in a conversation like this.

In prayer for you and your distressed wife.

I'm very sorry that this took place, Brother. Very sorry.

What type of meds are you being treated with? - if you don't mind me asking.

Some are helpful - so don't fear my question.

In July 2010 I had a heart attack at age 42... and I had PTSD for about 6 to 9 months after. I understand! Believe me. I could be as mean as a copperhead snake.... and when that would come on it was almost as though I was outside of myself watching it happen.

I found out that it's very common, especially among younger men who seemed to be healthy and not overweight, yet were blind sided by a heart attack. I honestly thought at times that I was going crazy.

People who dont think PTSD isnt a real thing has never had it.

I did not take any meds. I sought out godly counseling and eventually pulled out of it. Thats not to say meds are not necessary in some cases. I would warn though that many doctors are quick to medicate, and thats unwise. My doctors were not.

Krispy

Hi again Brother. My concern is that you stated that it's getting worse.

About your med - The Merck Manuals Online Medical library lists restlessness, confusion, **agitation**, hallucinations, anxiety and easy startling as potential complications of increased serotonin levels in the body. These symptoms are due to the **stimulatory** effects of serotonin on the central nervous system.
There are whole websites about antidepressants that you can research.

We want to see hope revived in you for feeling better and the guilt off of you for your coping inabilities at present.
Hope is vital and help is possible.

Few will tell you this but benzodiazepines [at the lowest dose that keeps you at an even keel] work far better for what ails you - until your 'nervous system is healed' and the LORD shows you 'the thoughts that precede' these symptoms. I don't know if your present Dr would be willing to transition you over to a benzodiazepine, but you could pursue it. Your medical health decisions are in your own hands, but some Drs don't allow the patient that Freedom of choice.

I'm sure you've researched helps for PTSD on the internet and Anger management as well.
Getting into supplements to help to detox and build your nervous system back up, is the first medical type approach to take.
I'm running short on time - but internet research on natural supplements for neuro-damage would be wise.

We're believing for you, Brother and for the health and happiness for both you and your wife and your marriage. You have each other regardless. If you need to take a walk to pray or read the Word as a 'time out' - do that rather than "react" - because reacting causes the catch-22 of guilt afterwards and the more guilt the more anger - I'm sure you regretfully know.

The LORD comfort you both, in Jesus' Mighty Name.

Praying.

About your med - The Merck Manuals Online Medical library lists restlessness, confusion, **agitation**, hallucinations, anxiety and easy startling as potential complications of increased serotonin levels in the body. These symptoms are due to the **stimulatory** effects of serotonin on the central nervous system.
There are whole websites about antidepressants that you can research.

Amen, sometimes the side effects of meds are worse than the problem your medicating. A lot of times things like PTSD are better dealt with with a healthy diet and exercise, more time in the Word of God... and a pastor that knows how to help you thru it.

No one here should recommend you stop taking the meds, thats a decision that you need to make with your doctor. But I would recommend you have that discussion with him/her.

Krispy

I have had anger issues in the past but not explosive. My Sister does though, she could get pretty livid at times. I am older than she and am afraid of her mouth when she is screaming at me, I just want to run and hide.

She would explain that everything would turn black and then she would 'pop'. The only way to get her to see reason was to say nothing. If I said anything, she'd up the ante, more anger more rage, it was crazy.

I think there is a lot of deep rooted issue. I think when she was raped as a little girl, rejected by dad when she trying to reach out to him, low self esteem, a feeling of worthlessness, and the fear of being alone and abandoned has some bearing. She'd have blackouts, hallucinations, and can't remember her actions. We had to call the police on her one time when she was having her hallucinations because she was going to pick up her kids in that state, the police were here for an hour trying to get her to give them her keys, she was kind to them but rotten to us. She didn't even know us. When she came out of that, she was a different person and couldn't remember anything. When she woke in the jail cell (they had to take her) she didn't know how she got there and she wasn't drunk. I think there is a rage that comes over people that makes them look drunk (unreasonable).

Onemite: I've been truly praising GOD for your testimonies. It is So like GOD to work in the way you've posted.
I know both of your testimonies that you've been kind enough to share here on SI, is the true answer for any struggles that any of us may go through and I hope you don't mind if I add your other testimony here as well. It's a GOD send, as we don't know how many are struggling out there and we know that medication is not the answer - but He is. HE is the "behavioral modification" Expert and our Great Physician. When these problems do not stem from actual physiological damage - like a traumatic brain injury or Alzheimer or dementia - we know that we can turn to Him and His Word and prayer for our thoughts and thought patterns to be 'healed'.
I truly feel this testimony should be up in General where more can be benefited by it and thought to add it to the one you've given above and give that double benefit.
GOD Bless you and all who read and trust Him to lead them through as well. He indeed is faithful. Christ our Hope!

Quote: "I can relate. The Lord healed me of flying fits of rage as well as the things you've described. I was convinced that I needed an exorcism, it would have been easier in my mind to just be done with all that sin in a moment. The more I sought out help concerning that- the more guilty I felt because nothing was working.
God did answer my prayer though. Some deliverance was instantaneous just God and me. However, most of it took some time. I saw a Christian counselor that helped a lot but she did not heal me. The healing came straight from my drawing on Jesus. I had been calling on him for years, but when I started calling on him in truth he led me out of the dark... then he began to reveal his love to me and I suddenly could not betray that love by harming myself.

Dont give up. As I look back to when i was groping around in the darkness waiting for God to get me out was that HE LEADS US OUT into the light through JESUS. I was so unsure of myself and my ability to hear God, that I sought every mans advice. When I got to the point that I knew nobody could save me but God alone,I sought his word out and began to take it very seriously unto myself. Satan was defeated on the cross. Jesus died for you while you were still sinning - he's not going to leave you high and dry now. You don't have to have all the answers. Continue asking for revelation and yield yourself to Him. He will lead you out by whatever means He sees suitable."

They say about alcoholism that admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery.

Anger is very hard to admit to because what goes hand-in-hand with anger? Justifying your anger. Probably more so than most sins. After all, if we didnt feel justified we wouldnt do it. There's been a perceived injustice done to us... I'm mad about it... so out comes my anger.

The obvious answer to anger is repentence and asking God to help overcome it. But I also think that the ways to manage anger are as varied as the personalities of people. How I cope with a situation internally is vastly different than how you might cope with it.

One of the things that helps me the most is to be able to have time to just sit and think and reflect about things. Most of us are typical in this; our lives are so busy and so chaotic that we rarely have time to even think about what is going on in our lives.

Yesterday I was home alone, a rare thing to ever happen. I watched the Syracuse vs Kansas State basketball game (Go Orange!) and then turned everything off that made noise. No radio, no washing machine... nothing was on that made any kind of noise. I then spent 3 hours just sitting on the front porch watching it rain lightly...

At first my mind was racing 100 mph, as it usually tends to do, but after 30 minutes things began to slow down. I made a mental list of 5 things I really wanted to think about, reflect upon, talk to the Lord about and work out in my brain. By the time I was done I felt so much more at peace, calmer and closer to the Lord.

It was the best Saturday afternoon I have had in YEARS.

I suspect that many of us dont get times like that veyr often. We dont really get time like that in our prayer time. We enter our prayer time with our list of things... and even intercessary prayer doesnt give us the "reflective time" we do desperately need too.

For me personally, I find that reflective time is a gift from God. It really helps one to sort things out and share it with the Lord, and let Him help you. If you are continually and constantly thinking about 100 things at a time inside your mind... often times the result is choatic, and it produces frustration which usually translate into anger.

This is something I started putting into practice in my life when I was dealing with PTSD after my heart attack. It's not a high and lofty over-spiritualized forumla... it's a very practical down to earth application. If you're a believer, prayer will be a very big part of this time that you spend reflecting.

Another thing for me was to find an outlet that I really enjoy. Some might find a hobby. Me, I started a big writing project that I discussed in another thread a couple weeks ago. Something different and separate from what you normally deal with on a daily basis.

Over a year ago I started a blog and loved writing it. I wrote about theology, my life experience with the Lord etc... eventually I took it down because I woke up one day and thought "why am I doing this? No one really cares what I think about these things!" So I deleted the whole thing.

Scrapping that thing was the most free'ing thing I have done (other than getting saved). Instead of writing for other people, or thinking that I was... I am now writing for me. I'm writing because I enjoy it. I write whatever I want to on my own computer... and no one gets upset with what I've written! No one criticiezes it or judges me on it... and I love it. No one misunderstands what I'm writing. It truly is a blessing. (Someday I may put what I am writing out there for public consumption, at which time I'm sure it will be criticized for my lack of literary skill... but as far as the subject matter... I wont care what people think!) In fact, I'm sure many will leap with joy at this, but because of my new found "hobby" I am weaning myself off of SI.

So to summarize... Reflective time. We all need time to think. Find an outlet that you enjoy, and make sure it's a "distraction" from other areas of your life that bring you stress and frustration. Do it for YOU. Not other people. Yes, be a servant, put others first just as scripture says... but your outlet needs to be for YOU.

I think if pastors would put this advice to work there would be a lot less stressed out pastors.

Turn off all the technology... the computer, the cell phone, the iPad, the Kindle...

Krispy

Amen & Thank you, KK. "Reflective time" - priceless, Brother and just what our 'Doctor' ordered, and something that I too need to make more time for again.

Still, I feel strongly about God's people availing themselves to Christian resources such as this because it's all too tempting to play armchair psychologist with those who are especially vulnerable. We give advice which sounds wise to us - but we don't know our limitations and blind spots= and when we are not equipped our advise can be counterproductive.

Amen sister... and I think if you look at what everyone has written, we have all said 3 basic things along those lines... 1) seek godly counsel. 2) Consult with the doctor. 3) shared from our own experiences.

Sharing from our own personal struggles is hardly playing "armchair psychologist".

Krispy

Thank you Krispy, but 'presumption' is exactly why I didn't bother to go into the fact that I suffered one of the worst cases of "PTSD", almost 18 yrs ago. And intermittent bouts of rage due to a physical disease combined with an unbearable environment that I was living in while physically incapacitated - that GOD was even able to work me through - even though it was organic.