Rages have many sources. The most basic neurologically induced rage is limbic rage. This is a neurological problem that is often ignored or under diagnosed in children, being attributed by many to bad behavior and reduced to the label ‘tantrums’.
Limbic rage is different than anger. Anger may also be represented by an outburst, but it is proportionate to the trigger and once the situation is resolved, the anger dissipates. Limbic rage can be over the top, totally out of proportion to the trigger, prolonged, and sometimes is followed by the child being unable to remember their behavior, being apologetic for their behavior, unreasonably defiant about their behavior (it wasn’t my fault), or even going to sleep after the rage.
Limbic rage is triggered on the loop between the limbic system and the cortex. Any damage to that loop, be it a specific birth trauma or blow to the head, chemical/alcohol/drug poisoning, etc., can cause damage to the brain that leads to limbic rage. ANYTHING can be a trigger. And in our children the triggers can be so varied, multiple and subtle. The word ‘no’ can be a trigger; the smell of a room or the sound of someone singing can be a trigger; a misinterpreted expression on a parents’ face can be a trigger.
Our children are so much more subject to limbic rage because of their history of abandonment or injury, of toxic exposures and developmental challenges.
NeuroDevelopmental Movement® addresses these kinds of rages by organizing and stabilizing the brain that causes the rages, reducing the triggers (sensory issues, difficulty reading others’ emotions — most midbrain issues can contribute), calming the child, and helping the two sides of the brain work together so the child can regulate themselves from the inside more effectively.
That is the contribution NeuroDevelopmental Movement® makes to the mood regulation of children with rages.