Explosive Anger Disorder/Intermittent Rage Disorder

Explosive Anger Disorder! (EAD). Or, Intermittent Rage Disorder (IRD). Take
your pick of labels and/or abbreviations.

These are "new" labels in the lexicon of the psychologists and psychiatrists.
(You should know that most such labels are made up in order to get paid by
insurance companies, and have no relation to real diagnosis.) It's for an old
problem that has been around for many decades. The funny thing is that most
doctors have refused to recognize it, or the cause, and most still don't

The official party line of the American Medical Assn is that if there is no diabetes
(measurable sugar affect), then there's no sugar problem. As is often the case,
they're WRONG! The problem is virtually always a sugar problem. Of course,
Big Pharma doesn’t want you to know what the actual cause is.

Hypoglycemia is a medical term for "low blood sugar". The brain requires large
amounts of glucose and oxygen for fuel. When it goes below a certain point, a
hypoglycemic episode occurs. This can become almost any symptom up to and
including coma and even death. In most cases, such a hypoglycemic episode
may only cause drowsiness or sleepiness, but fainting and passing out is not
unknown.

Let’s examine the actual cause of the "new" disease (label for insurance
purposes) called “Explosive Anger Disorder” (EDT). As a result of blood sugar
going low because of excessive insulin released, both adrenalin and testosterone
may be released in males. (In women, estrogen is released which doesn’t cause
anger with adrenalin.) In some males, this combination causes what is called
"undifferentiated" rage. Does that sound like “explosive anger” to you? Of
course it is. Why do medical researchers keep re-inventing the wheel? And, all
too often the wrong wheel?

This is undoubtedly is a part of the current "road rage" problem as well as

childhood tantrums, spousal abuse, bar fights, etc.

Back in the 1980's, I had several male patients who had this form of
hypoglycemia. I also found that they all fit a "special" format of the MMPI
(Minnesota Multiple Personality Inventory) test for "psuedo-schizoprenia". Since
that time, I have seen such "rages" in boys, and some men. If investigated, it will
usually be found that they are in a 3-4 hour time period after eating (or drinking) a
lot of carbohydrates and sugars.

Temper tantrums are not unusual, particularly in "spoiled kids", but if it occurs
about 3-4 hours after a "sweet meal", you can be pretty sure that child has a
sugar handling problem, and needs to limit carbohydrates/sugars.
Glucose is the form of sugar in the blood. This has been transformed in the
digestive process from other sugars and starches into glucose then passed into
the bloodstream.

Hypoglycemia is usually caused by too much insulin driving too much glucose
into the body cells, which depletes the supply of glucose available to the brain
(and other areas). Since the brain depends on a constant supply of both oxygen
and glucose to even function, there are several methods that the body uses to
make sure that glucose is available. First is the release of adrenalin (the fight or
flight response in effect. If this not enough, then fatty acids and hormones are
released and changed into glucose.

Since glucose is as necessary to proper brain function as is oxygen, there are

many different symptoms possible. These can range from a simple yawn about a
half hour to an hour after eating, to a full-blown anxiety attack, or even a real
depression (the term "sugar blues" has a basis in real fact), passing out/fainting,
or even death for diabetics, or almost anything in between. Sometimes, allergies
can cause similar symptoms, or even cause a hypoglycemic episode!

In non-diabetic persons, too much insulin can be the result of a sugar overload,
and this can cause hypoglycemia. To some "sensitive persons", this can be as
simple as eating a doughnut or drinking a full glass of orange juice on an empty
stomach. (It happened to me once!) The response to low sugar/glucose is
individual, and everyone reacts slightly differently. Also, one person can eat a
dozen doughnuts one time with no bad effects, and have a hypoglycemic
episode from just one doughnut at another time.

Let's look at a simple example, which will help clear up some of the confusion
surrounding this subject. If a normal (whatever that is) person eats an apple,
he/she will gain approximately the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of sugar. It will take
about 3 hours to digest the apple in the following way:

1. As sugar is absorbed in the mouth, in the stomach, and the small intestine, the
amounts are measured and the brain determines how much insulin to release
into the blood. For simplicity, let's call this process a "sugarstat". We don't fully
understand how it works, but we do know the effects.

2. From millions of years of evolution, the sugarstat "knows" that with the amount
of sugar absorbed over a certain time it needs a certain amount of insulin and
releases that amount accordingly.

3. Now, it takes 3-4 hours for all the sugar to be digested from the apple fiber as
it passes thru the digestive system. It's a downward curve, and the insulin
released also has a similar downward curve, and it lasts about the same 3 hours
in the blood, as it's used.
So, eating an apple has an immediate effect of raising glucose (blood sugar)
somewhat, and this "blip" is fast compensated for by insulin release, and from
that point the incoming sugar is pretty well balanced by insulin release over the
three or so hours of digestion. In effect, there is very little change in blood sugar,
and that's what nature intended - the sugarstat is working as designed.

The situation is drastically different if we "pre-digest" the same apple by

squeezing it in a cider press. In effect, all we have removed is the fiber, and
retained all the sugar, vitamins/minerals, etc. (A glass of apple juice might
contain the juice from 10 apples or 30 teaspoons of sugar). Now, there is much
more sugar absorbed very fast, and the sugarstat is "fooled" into releasing many
times the amount of insulin actually needed as a result.

Remember that for millions of years of evolution, we didn't have cider presses, let
alone the "designer" apples of today. Let alone the processed foods! We simply
aren’t designed to handle the amounts of sugar we get. (In the 1800’s the
average intake of sugar was about 5 pounds. Today it’s over 200 pounds.)

This "overdose" of insulin drives blood sugar into body cells at a furious rate, and
even though the blip is now much larger, it quickly lowers it.

The sugarstat has released enough insulin for 3 hours of digestion, but all the
sugar is actually digested and within the bloodstream within minutes. This results
in way too much insulin (hyperinsulinism), since enough insulin has been
released for three hours of this same amount of intake. The sugarstat has been
"fooled", by not evolving far enough to handle our "modern" food processing.

This excess insulin "drives" all the glucose it can find in the blood into the body
cells (its job). This results in a shortage of glucose to the brain.

Now, since the brain MUST have glucose as well as oxygen, for fuel, several
body mechanisms go into action to raise the glucose. (Few people realize that
without BOTH glucose AND oxygen, brain cells start to die in about 4 minutes).

The two most important body hyperinsulinism defenses are adrenalin release,
which releases stored glucose for emergencies (the flight/fight response), and
the release of some fats and sex hormones that can be converted to glucose.
The combination of adrenaline and testosterone may result in EAD. (A new
name for an old mostly undiagnosed sugar-handling problem.)

From the above scenario, it can be seen that hypoglycemia isn't really an actual
disease, but in fact, it is actually normal to we humans, even though the effects
are individual and may vary greatly. It's our modern sugary diet full of processed
or pre-digested food that's really to blame.
These body defenses against low blood sugar also cause some very different
symptoms in different individuals. Usually, this is about 3+ hours after eating a
sugary processed meal. This time may also vary from about 2.5 hours to 5 hours
in different individuals at different times.

One symptom that is not uncommon in women is a panic/anxiety attack, or even

fainting. Men sometimes might experience these symptoms, but not as often.

An anxiety attack caused by a hypoglycemia episode while driving might result in

a phobia of driving, or if driving in a tunnel, a phobia about that, or if on a bridge,
a phobia about that. In practice, I've seen all three of these phobias generated by
hypoglycemic episodes!

In1982 I wrote a paper 1982 describing “Adult Onset Phobias”, and how
hypoglycemia episodes can cause them in the Behavior Journalist. Of course, it
was belittled by many, but some wrote that they had found similar cases and
thanked me. (Non so blind….)

Men have another symptom. The combination of testosterone and adrenalin may
trigger "undifferentiated" anger in a man. He will have a "rational" (to him) reason
for the anger, but bystanders can't understand how he got so angry for "no real
reason". Men who change personality dramatically while drinking are of this type.

I once helped to save a marriage by simply advising the husband to eat a handful
of peanuts and raisins every two hours after lunch. (He was her boss, and at
3PM, she couldn't do anything right according to him - his lunch included a candy
bar and a soda!!)

Anyone who has a sugar handling problem might be well advised to carry a bag
of peanuts and raisins around, and make sure that they eat a handful every two
hours or so. (A ratio of about 5 peanuts to 1 raisin seems to work well.) The
raisins will provide glucose within a relatively short time, and the peanuts will
provide protein and fats that can be converted into glucose over a longer time.
This was what I usually advised hypoglycemic sensitive persons to do, and it
works well. Really sensitive persons should know to eat 6-8 small meals every
day. A meal might be a hard-boiled egg, or half an apple, etc.

On the usual Glucose Tolerance Test (for diabetes or hypoglycemia), the subject
is given a measured dose of glucose in a horribly sweet soda type of drink, and
measurements are made before this drink, 1/2 hour after drinking, then at one
hour, and then every hour until either 5 or 6 hours have passed.

This test is more often done wrong than perhaps any other medical test used.
These are the common mistakes made by medical practitioners and hospitals:
1. They just give the standard 10 oz bottle to anyone, and it's way too much for a
child or a small person. There is a weight/volume slide rule that should be used,
but usually isn't. At 6' tall and 200 pounds, I should take only 7 ounces!

2. The measurements are too mechanical. I believe (along with most other
knowledgeable practitioners) that the patient should be advised strongly to
advise the person (usually a nurse) giving the glucose test know if they
experience any symptoms at all from yawning to headaches, etc. Actually, the
person giving the test should watch the person taking it and ask how they are if
they even begin to look “different”.

3. Between 3 and 4 hours of the test is the most likely time for most persons to
experience hypoglycemia, even passing out in some cases. If no symptoms are
noticed, it is a good idea to test at the 3 1/2 hour mark.

4. When the test is concluded, do NOT let the patient leave the clinic, office, or
hospital, until they have been given food, preferably fast digesting food. I often
used a small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, in season, and out of
season the handful of peanuts and raisins. Many persons have left a clinic or
office and passed out on the street, or perhaps had an auto accident.

The above applies primarily to GTT's where diabetes is not a factor. A fasting
glucose test will find diabetes instead, and is much safer.

In Orlando, where I checked on all the hospitals, and several MD's offices, I
found none that did all the above correctly, and most made all the above
mistakes. Be advised.

I hope this helps you in your quest for better health.

Dr Bate is a retired orthomolecular psychologist

who invented Neuroliminal Training, a simpler and
affordable way to change brain wave amplitudes solving
ADD-Autism, depression, insomnia, and more.
http://drbate.com – http://Neuroliminal.com