Are "Rage Rooms" a Good Idea for Traumatized People?

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Short answer: Probably not.
Long answer:

I've been debating whether to share this because getting vulnerable on the internet is terrifying. Still, in case someone else has the same story and can avoid this, I'll share.

I recently visited a business that specializes in "destruction rooms." It's where you can go and break things with a bat in an enclosed area (wearing safety equipment, of course) while rocking out to your music of choice.

I asked for Icelandic house music. It was a solid choice, and made the owner laugh, "that's the first time I've had that request!"

Someone close to me had the idea of going for my birthday. I've always been curious, so without too much thought, I said, "Heck yeah! Let's go."

I can now confidently say: I did not enjoy the rage room.

In fact, I hated it. It was exhausting, and 24 hours later, my nervous system still feels pretty raw.

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The consequences of "raging"

Bipolar folks will know the "tea kettle" moment well. The moment or hour when the internal pain must out. When all those excruciating emotions and fears have reached their breaking point.

It's rarely a pretty sight, and there's usually a LOT of fallout afterward. For me, sadly, those rare but awful moments have been me breaking things. Objects. Sometimes alone, sometimes near and while with (but never at) someone else.

I'm not proud of it. I hate it. Reacting to internal pain and overwhelming emotions in that way is dangerous and damaging. It's nothing to admire or aspire to, believe me.

Thankfully, I can still count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've done this, and I've never hurt someone else or myself because I'm careful. I would never intentionally cause harm. (I carry spiders outside.)

But somehow, I didn't realize that going to a rage room with someone else would be so triggering. I definitely dissociated on the way, during, and all the way home after.

I felt raw, unlike myself, and had lots of heady emotions. Shame. Fear. Sadness. Discomfort. Heartache. Confusion. Terror. Regret.

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Too close for comfort

See, I went with the person I'm closest to. They've seen me like this the most out of anyone, which isn't a lot of times, but it's enough to have most likely traumatized them. (I'm well aware of that and was surprised they suggested it in the first place.)

They wanted to help me by creating an outlet for it. And that's understandable because seeing rage personified is scary, and it's better to do it in a safe, controlled space.

The problem is I never choose those moments. They just come and overtake me.

Let me tell you, going through a pantomime of the worst moments of my life in a fun "yay, let's smash sh*t!" environment...sucked. It felt so wrong. Trippy, in a bad way.

I don't have a point to this post other than to caution other traumatized or bipolar folks against trying this form of cathartic release. I won't say, "no, don't ever" (you can do what you want), but maybe stop and consider if it'll help or hurt your healing progress.

Going to a rage room by yourself may help! It was very cathartic for the person I went with; they cried some real tears at a few points.

I was holding back because if I had actually let go, I'm sure I would've scared the other person or accidentally hurt them with the ricochet.

Also because I was scared. Of myself.

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Is it worth it?

If you're like me, it may remind you of moments in your life best forgotten. I may go back someday by myself, to see if it's a different experience. Or I may never, and look for better ways to cope with my raw pain. 

After all, why reactivate trauma on purpose in a strange environment? For me, it's too risky.

As a friend mentioned, for people in mental health recovery, using violence as a coping mechanism, even in a safe and contained environment, isn't a long-term solution. It could also make PTSD worse, for example.

There are better ways to cope—that can be utilized in the moment—without scaring anyone (including yourself.) 

So are rage rooms an ideal coping mechanism for traumatized folks? I can't tell you for sure, but I'd definitely exercise caution and use your best judgment before booking a room.

Just something to keep in mind.