Anger is running the show

What this means

All three parts of anger are raised in your answers. Small things set you off quickly, the anger tends to come out loud or hurtful when it does, and it keeps going for hours or days afterwards. When all three are high together, they are not three separate problems. They feed each other: lingering anger keeps the fuse short, a short fuse means more explosions, and every explosion leaves more to replay.

This result describes the past month, not who you are. Anger at this level usually comes from somewhere: a long stretch of stress or exhaustion, pain, grief, a relationship or a job that feels deeply unfair, or something older that never got dealt with. It can also sit alongside low mood, anxiety, heavy drinking or other things worth a doctor's attention. The anger is real, and so is whatever is feeding it.

What it may be costing

At this level, anger usually costs something in several places at once. The people at home may have learned to be careful around you. Work, friendships and your health may be paying too: sleep, tension headaches, a jaw that never quite unclenches. Many people with this result also feel bad about themselves after an outburst, which adds another weight to carry.

One line worth drawing

If your partner or your children are ever afraid of you, change their plans to avoid setting you off, or have been hurt, cornered or threatened during an argument, this needs more than a self-test. Please talk to a professional. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) takes calls from people worried about their own behavior and can connect you with programs built for this. If anyone is in danger right now, call 911. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988.

What to do next

Start with the safety of the people around you. Agree on a way to step out of an argument before it escalates, and use it every time: a phrase, a place to go and a time when you will come back.

Then take the load seriously. See a doctor about sleep, mood, drinking and stress, because anger at this level is often partly physical, and some of what feeds it can be helped.

Look for structured help with the anger itself. Anger management programs and counselors teach concrete skills, and working on them with someone over several weeks tends to change more than reading about them.

Lovon can be somewhere to talk at any hour, including right after a hard moment. With this result it works best alongside a professional, not instead of one.