I always directly ask if there have been any changes in the person's life, and staff will typically respond in the negative. Then, if I inquire more specifically by giving examples, they will relate such things as the fact that three staff resigned, a roommate was targeting the person, and so on. Deaths of a parent or loved one are sometimes not mentioned, because staff sometimes assume that the individual's level of cognitive impairment is too severe to notice or have a significant reaction to stress. Given this situation, it is very difficult for the psychiatric clinician to arrive at a solid diagnosis or rule out inappropriate diagnoses. A. Treatments offered would typically include anger management, and sometimes treatment with a pharmacologic agent as well.
Many people use beta blockers in quite high doses.
These medications were developed for the treatment of hypertension and work on the beta adrenergic receptors. Some beta blockers cross the blood brain barrier and affect the beta adrenergic receptors in the brain. However, many of the studies do not address the form of aggression or separate rage attacks as a target symptom. Many studies also do not list comorbid psychiatric disorders, many of which can be associated with increased irritability and increased likelihood of aggression in their own right. Many studies also do not list other medications prescribed, which can be another confounding variable.