The rage ritual has gone viral on TikTok and is resonating with women.
In a world where stress, anxiety and frustration are on the rise, many people are searching for ways to control their emotions. One method that has gained traction on the Internet is the “rage ritual,” where women in the United States pay thousands of dollars to take part in screaming rituals and break things. The rituals are an effective way to release pent-up anger. The rituals usually take place in the forest, where women let out ear-splitting screams at the top of their lungs and hit objects on the ground with sticks.
Participants are encouraged to think about people or experiences that have wronged them and then scream and swing the stick around for at least 20 minutes, or until they can no longer move their arms.
“‘Don’t be mean’, ‘don’t be angry’, ‘don’t be aggressive’, ‘don’t be assertive’, ‘don’t defend your dignity’, ‘don’t tell someone you don’t consent to them touching you or talking to you in a certain way’. There are certain emotions that are accepted by the gender binary and each of us needs to feel them. Men need to cry. It’s very healthy for men to cry. And women need to be able to get angry,” said Mia Banducci, who performs such rituals. USA Today.
She has conducted many such ceremonies, ranging from small events among friends to overnight retreats, with the cost of these ceremonies ranging from $2,000 to $4,000.
There is also a shorter, one-day version that costs $222 per ticket.
One of the attendees, Kimberly Helmuth, shared her thoughts about the ceremony.
“There’s no place where a woman can be that angry and not be criticized for it. ‘She’s just hormonal. She’s just crazy. She’s just on her period. Whatever.’ This was a place where she could shout about how she felt, maybe more than she’s ever been in a really long time, or ever,” Helmuth told the outlet.
She participated in the rage ritual two and a half years after her divorce.
The rituals have gone viral on TikTok and have struck a chord with women, many of whom have spoken out about how it makes them feel to see other women venting their anger, something they say society discourages them from doing.
As she vented, an unexpected emotion also emerged: not anger toward her husband, Helmuth said, but a sadness she’d been carrying since witnessing the death of a friend when she was 15.
But psychotherapists say there is a one-size-fits-all solution for dealing with anger. USA Today Some people use behavioral strategies to cope with anger, such as hitting a punching bag or engaging in vigorous exercise, while others find calming strategies like deep breathing, walking slowly, or listening to soothing music more effective.
