Anger Card.

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I want to make a card for myself to look at when I get my "rage reaction" (usually when plans change, or when someone touches me), so I can calm down and not punch walls, break things etc.

Can anyone suggest what I can put on the card? I want to have methods to calm myself down.

It's harder not knowing you as a person, but try putting the name of a close friend or family member that you love. If you think of them it may curb your anger.

Try to think of what hasn't changed. What you could (in an extreme situation) loose, but is for now still perfectly safe and untouched. For me it's my kids and my home and even my husband, even though he often tigers most of my meltdowns For someone else it might be a job or their best friend or how blessed with good looks they are. Just think of something you're grateful for and let that be your anchor.

Are you looking for something that will comfort you, or for specific suggestions of actions to do?

In my case, when I'm having a meltdown, generally I'm feeling unloved, so what would help for me is a list, written by my loved ones, of things they like about me.

If you're looking for specific actions, though, you could try things like 'count to 10 while taking deep breaths' or a calming place you can go.

Either way, it would really have to be individually tailored to you. What causes your meltdowns? What emotion, if any, are you feeling during a meltdown? (I say 'if any' because sensory overload is not an emotion - just like surprise and confusion aren't emotions. They're cognitive states.) Have you noticed anything that helps, even sometimes?

Just get a card that says: "Don't make me angry...you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szB7QUXPXqc[/youtube]

That is a good suggestion but it wouldn't work for me because the person that I care most about is usually the cause of most of my anger/meltdowns. Life is a bit funny that way in that the more you care for someone the more they can hurt you.

I have an anger problem as well but I don't think a card would do me any good.
The first thing I would do during an anger attack is rip up the card.

I'd get a pair of sunglasses.

Sometimes it helps me to tell myself I'm over reacting. So maybe write that?

So I can see what I'm doing.

Let's face it folks, if you give a card to warn people of your potential to explode in anger, before it happens, they will likely take that as a threat and you will get all sorts of negative reactions.

If you have exploded already, I highly doubt you will be reaching in your pocket to find your anger card to explain what's happened. When you explode in anger you have lost control totally.

Better to just have an autism card I would have thought.