The definition for rage is "Violent, explosive anger", but rage can also be used as an addiction to deal and cope with past hurts that have left a person very angry, resentful, bitter, and revengeful toward a primary offender which is usually a parent or parents. This rage is caused by past abuse, divorce, abandonment, neglect, death, or other things that happened when they were young, and although the defenseless child could not do anything to protect themselves at the time, they just kept it all bottled up inside of them until they got older. As teens these "Ragers" start acting out through fighting, doing drugs, drinking, sex, or through self-abuse. There may also be violent episodes in the home, but when that person leaves home and enters the world of marriage and employment, the problem normally escalates greatly.

When we have been severely mistreated as children, it creates a debt in our hearts that we feel someone needs to pay for. The pain from what they did to us, and from what we believed about ourselves because of what they did can poison our hearts as adults, and lashing out in anger can feel like a pressure release from our old unhealed pain inside. The problem is, unresolved resentment creates outbursts of anger that escalate with each episode where you can soon cross a line with the laws of man, and cause a severe backlash that cannot be undone. Most rage addicts also drink and use drugs, and this acts as a key that opens the door to episodes of the worst violence. Most murders have happened during a drugged fit of rage, and people end up in prison for life, or worse being executed. You see, episodes of rage can be very dangerous not just for others, but for ourselves as well.

If you are not sure you have a rage problem, then here is a test to help you determine if you do. Just answer each question as true or false, and then tally up the T's and F' at the end;

Anger Self-Assessment Test

T F 2. People say that I fly off the handle easily.

T F 3. I don't always show my anger, but when I do, look out.

T F 4. I still get angry when I think of the bad things people did to me in the past.

T F 5. I hate lines, and I especially hate waiting in line.

T F 6. I often find myself engaged in heated arguments with the people who are close

to me.

T F 7. At times I've felt angry enough to kill.

T F 8. When someone says or does something that upsets me, I don't usually say

anything at the time, but later I spend a lot of time thinking of cutting replies I

could and should have made.

T F 9. I find it very hard to forgive someone who has done me wrong.

T F 10. I get angry with myself when I lose control of my emotions.

T F 11. I get aggravated when people don't behave the way they should.

T F 12. If I get really upset about something, I have a tendency to feel sick later (frequently experiencing weak spells, headaches, upset stomach or diarrhea).

T F 13. When things don't go my way, I "lose it."

T F 14. I am apt to take frustration so badly that I cannot put it out of my mind.

T F 15. I've been so angry at times I couldn't remember what I said or did.

T F 16. Sometimes I feel so hurt and alone that I've thought about killing myself.

T F 17. After arguing with someone, I despise myself.

T F 18. When riled, I often blurt out things I later regret saying.

T F 19. Some people are afraid of my bad temper.

T F 20. When I get angry, frustrated or hurt, I comfort myself by eating or using

alcohol or other drugs.

T F 21. When someone hurts me, I want to get even.

T F 22. I've gotten so angry at times that I've become physically violent, hitting other

people or breaking things.

T F 23. I sometimes lie awake at night thinking about the things that upset me during

the day.

T F 24. People I've trusted have often let me down, leaving me feeling angry or

betrayed.

T F 25. I'm an angry person. My temper has already caused lots of problems, and I need help changing it.

Scoring the Anger Self-Assessment Test. If you answered true to 10 or more of these questions, you are prone to anger problems and may choose to call yourself a rageaholic. If you answered true to 5 questions, you are about average in your angry feelings, but learning some anger management techniques can make you happier.

Also, if you have a major problem with profanity, then that is a good sign that you have a lot of unresolved anger still living in your heart. Profanity shows that a person’s heart is hard, angry, and bitter, plus it is a form of verbal violence and revenge against others. Verbal abuse will often escalate into physical abuse. Someone that uses profanity to punish others does not trust in God's protection. Cain was someone who carried a lot of resentment toward his brother because he was jealous of what he perceived was favoritism from God, and his undealt with anger ended up culminating in the worlds first murder. Make no mistake, undealt with rage leads to murder. God even tried to reason with Cain over his anger problem, but Cain would not let it go.