Published February 23, 2026 | By Travis L, Collectors MD Community Member

Rage is an emotion that, when people see it surface, they often immediately label the person as a villain. But rage is just as natural as any other emotion. We are human. We love. We cry. We laugh. We grieve. We get angry. And sometimes, that anger turns into rage.

I’ve felt rage at my own stupidity during the days I threw money at card breaks. Rage at myself for believing the next rip would be life-changing. Rage at the feeling that I had failed myself and my family because I didn’t hit that card that was supposed to fix everything.

We all process rage differently. Some people break things. Others yell. Others shut down. There are countless ways it shows up. The question isn’t whether rage exists. The question is what we do with it.

Ignoring it is not the answer. Bottling rage up is not healthy. I’ve seen it firsthand. Many veterans I served with bottled everything up. I did too.

Rage isn’t the problem – what we do with unspoken pain is what determines whether it destroys or transforms us.

When rage is ignored, it doesn’t disappear. It turns inward or outward. You may end up hurting yourself, the people you love, or even strangers. If it weren’t for my wife, my rage could have turned me into the villain of my own story.

I’m not a hero. But I did get help.

And while I may still carry anger in my heart, it’s no longer consuming me the way it once did. Will the anger ever go away completely? Maybe. Maybe not. But seeking help kept it from eating away at my heart, my mind, and my soul.

The last thing I want to say is this: please seek help for any health issues you’re dealing with, mental or physical. Don’t put it off. Don’t tell yourself you’ll do it tomorrow.

If it weren’t for my wife, I wouldn’t be here writing this today. I wouldn’t have my wife or my daughters. I wouldn’t know what it feels like to be happy and loved.

Think about the people who love you. Even if you don’t realize it right now, someone out there needs you. Someone wants you to stay.

I also know what it’s like to lose someone who didn’t get the help they needed. And that loss never truly leaves you.

#CollectorsMD
Rage doesn’t make you broken – silence does when pain has nowhere safe to land.

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