Healthy anger puts emotion in perspective and leads to rational, reasoned assessments and problem solving. Answer the questions below then go to our Goals Analysis questionnaire 

     Destructive anger is driven by feelings of  inadequacy, frustration and grief. It suggest great intensity and loss of emotional control. It is often characterized by an evident display of feelings.  Destructive anger dominates the senses and leads to rash acts that usually carry disastrous results. The goal of destructive anger is to shift the balance of power, but in reality it usually only serves to further inflame a bad situation. 

     Feelings of anger and alienation are common after brain injury.  Some of that is due to the way that the injured brain functions. Another part  has to do with the injured person's reactions to the deficits caused by the brain damage.  Damage one part of the brain and the thinking process slows way down. The upshot of which can be thought of as a dulling of one's mental edge. Greater effort and increased time is required to keep pace with old standards and previous accomplishments.  The upshot of which is a substantial loss of ground and greater drain on mental resources. 

    One prominent theory say that the part of the brain that regulates emotions and intellect, the cerebral cortex -- the thinking brain, is highly susceptible to damage. The thinking brain is closest to the hard bony skull.  Under normal circumstances the delicate brain is protected from contact with the spiky interior of the skull by a cushion of fluids.

    However, during car crashes, and the like, that natural cushion does not provide adequate protection, and you end up with a lame brain.  The reason for that, as the experts put it, is the emotional brain, which is bundled deep within the brain, is somewhat insulated from such injuries.  Once the thinking brain has been damaged the emotions tend to get out of control. 

    Frequently the services of a competent neuropsychologist is needed to help address and explore issues of loss of intellectual functioning and emotional control.  The following anger inventory is a tool that can be used to give context to you anger response. 

   This intervention offers you an opportunity to make an objective self-study of how anger affects you and how you deal with anger in your daily contacts with others.  This increased awareness on your part may provide insights into yourself, and your relationships with others.

Instructions:  Answer each question as quickly as you can according to the way you feel at this moment. not the way you usually feel or felt last week.  Be as frank as possible, your best answer is essential.

          If your anger is frequently out of control you might benefit from anger management training and perhaps even psychotherapy 

Instructions:  Generally, the higher the sum of the scores, the more effectively you are at handling your angry feelings, review your answers to each item to see if a pattern of angry expressions can be discerned.  Look carefully to the items you marked "sometimes" as they might indicate areas for exploration and work.  Discuss your inventory with someone who knows you well to make a perception check.