QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
My niece is in her late 20's and for quite awhile she has been having severe attacks of rage and aggression. During these attacks she is abusive and sometimes violent. The attacks are unprovoked in most cases. The following day she will ring up and apologize. It is very hard to know what to do. We all love her and would like to help her. Any ideas on how to handle this situation would be most welcome.
ANSWER:
Rages are a scary phenomenon - for all involved. The most common cause is the
borderline personality disorder (BPD), although some seizure disorders can cause it. Those
who rage but have no psychiatric diagnosis are diagnosed with the "intermittent
explosive disorder" - which responds to epilepsy medications like Tegretol.
Making the diagnoses is crucial, and I'd recommend you take a close look at the BPD.
