Irritable Male Syndrome - a test for you.
 

I just finished reading an article on MSNBC.com about this condition called Irritable Male Syndrome. It's a research paper and now probably a book by the same person who wrote about Male Menopause a few years back.

The article name is Many Angry Men.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8962022/site/newsweek/

I found it to be quite interesting especially since I have been feeling quite irritable for some time now. So I decided to take the available test. It is very basic and easy to finish the 50 questions in about 3-5 min.

There are no questions but just a word like "tired", "frustrated", or "sarcastic".
So, just add in "Are you feeling ________? and answer each one. You score will be out of 100. (The article says it's out of 150 but when I submitted it, it said between 70 - 100 is a trouble zone.)

Here is the test.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8914601/site/newsweek/

I scored an 86 out of 100. Damn it :crazy: I had better start exercising a little more to get my testosterone level up.

Anywho, I thought you guys might find this interesting and now you have something to say to your significant other when she tells you to quit being such a pain in the ass. Tell her you got IMS and that she is not the only one who gets to be moody...not anymore. Being bitchy is no longer gender specific.

I got 103. Dang. Not good.

I RTFA and actually found most of the things that they talked about to be true. The only problem is they're talking about middle aged men and I'm 22, so I probably should start getting worried. Or not. The only gripe I have with this article is that I tries to imply that most males get irritated because they suffer from some kind of syndrome. I'm not convinced. Lumping things into syndromes is something that doctor's like to do, just to say afterwards that they came up with something new. But, again, I admit I'm very irritable.

I got a 16. My score could have been lower but I felt like putting a few sometimes' in for hell of it.

I have little to no faith in internet self-psycholgy tests.

Got a 43. Damn! I guess I can't use that as an excuse...

If you re-read the article, they state that it commonly happens during two different age groups - Mid life and 16-28.

I'm pretty sure I went through this a few years ago... It certainly puts my action in my old relationship in a new light. I would have been around 26 at the time.

Your score is: 53
50-75. Indicates that IMS is likely and we suggest you seek help.



I don't usually feel too irritable.......I'm at the low end of that range, but I need help? LMAO......I think I'll be ok. :p

Your score is: 27
26-49. Suggests some indications of IMS. You may want to take the quiz again to see if things improve or get worse.


I guess I better work on this so I can get more irritated... then I can be a candidate for the latest pill that will cure my trendy disorder...

Excellent! My sarcastic streak serves me well. Now I just need to get less sleep and take more drugs and I will be on my way to an unhealty 110!!!

No, you just need to have the urge to do more drugs.

Don't worry, Charlatan, with a little help and little hard work you'll hit that 110 mark, I just know it. :thumbsup:


I scored a 50.

Guess I'm not as irritable as everybody says I am. :)

So it does. Interesting. I wonder if I should do anything about it, or just live with it.

Besides, aren't the symptoms similar, if not exactly thesame, as depression?

Your score is: 35
26-49. Suggests some indications of IMS. You may want to take the quiz again to see if things improve or get worse.

Sounds about right.

43, but not surprising since we just bought a new house and i'm blowing my stack almost daily. should have taken this quiz when i was working hehe.

I really think that question was the best in the article. The answer sucked, because that question is true. Labelling this is a "disorder" just adds it to the laundry list of pyschological "disorders" that one can use to defend or rationalize asshole behavior. Hormones go up and down, but we're not rams. We have control over how we react in any given situation, and if you know anything about people you know they are NOT predictable. A man could have 0% testosterone and be a pacifist, or he could be the angriest summabitch you ever met. What's important to me, however.. is not his chemical levels.. but how he reacts -- that determines what kind of MAN he truly is.

And really, this test doesn't say much. "When stressed, men tend to be more irritable." HOLY SHIT BATMAN! I mean really, tell me that these things wouldn't immediately tell you that the person was stressed and more likely to be irritable?

If that paper (or his book for that matter) had any real science to it, I might be more convinced.

You stress your body, you'll be more likely to be irritable. That doesn't make it a syndrome or a disease or anything other than the personal choice to let stressors effect your mood. I apologize for disabling a "fun" survey but this reeks of Quack Science and it bothers me. Ask me sometime if I think PMS is a "syndrome" too. (sorry ladies) We're all built of chemicals and changes in those can certainly change our possible demeanor but its still a choice.

And despite my apparent vehemence in this post, I'm mostly a pacifist:

I'm not a man, but took it for fun. I scored a 75 and discovered that I likely have IMS and should seek help. I didn't need a test to tell me I need help :p

Your score is: 59
50-75. Indicates that IMS is likely and we suggest you seek help.

And the winner is....
 

DING DING DING!
JinnKai gets the prize for this thread. VERY well put!

52. Apparently the people that wrote the code for this quiz have degrees in psychology and suggest that I seek help.

70

Supposing then, that this is real...Yeah, I'm betting I'd have it.

Yep. I would put more, but there's no reason to. I think you hit the nail on the head.

-Lasereth

64

I'm disappointed, I'm a lot grumpier and irritable than that would imply. I really don't need a disorder or diagnosis to be a crotchety SoB.

82
However I don't think I get angry without reason. It is usually only when im involved in some kind of competitive sports. Although i do seem to get annoyed at small things now that i think about it.

34???? WTF is that all about!!!!!


:lol:

I got an 80. I think that's a tad low for me. Of course, it could be my Manic-Depression. :crazy:

Yay. Somebody came up with a name for what I have. I thought I was just a grumpy old fart.

Not surprised...
 

60 was my f@cking score!...You got a problem with that!!!!!!

Hey what are you looking at???!!!!! YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME A$$HOLE???!!!!

Oh.....sorry about that it's my IMS acting up.....friends and family staged an intervention and I am now getting help.

Just pointing out a difference here, as I did in another similar thread...

The people who study and research this and other various disorders should *not* be thrown in the same boat as those people who use the disorder as an excuse or rationale for "asshole behavior."

i.e. Don't blame the psychologists for the irresponsible assholes.


By the way, I got a 9. yay!

53. I'm surprised. Maybe I went through the test too fast.

38 - on the plus side I'm already drinkig decaf espresso and not much booze, on the down side that's because they react badly with the Prozac.... ;)

Hubby just took it and got a 68. I took it "for him" last night and got a 69...pretty darn close. I'm sure he's going to refer to having IMS any time I mention him being grumpy...I can already see it :D

Wow, only 43, I though i was more irritable than that. Dammit, I want to be more irritable.

28 - said "some indications of IMS", which was really irritating

Why not? They're the ones who CREATED the "disorder" for easier assholism.. I fail to see why they shouldn't be grouped together, and I don't see your other post.

I don't know that it needs to be labeled a "syndrome" as such, but I don't think it can hurt for people to become a little more aware of their reactions to life. If you're scoring high, hopefully you'll take that to mean that, okay, maybe your testerone levels are low, but maybe (and more likely) you need to change a few things in your life in order to not be so damned bitchy all the time. :lol:

Unfortunately, more people will use it as an excuse rather than a prompt for self-evaluation.

Oh, by the way, JinnKai... PMS? Not real? Tell my husband that when every month, at the same time, (when my hormone levels change) I'm crying uncontrollably and I don't even know why, and I get nasty !#@!$ migraines... or tell that to a woman who has the actual syndrome and not just the grumpies, when she's lying on the couch with cramps so bad she can't walk. Go on, I dare ya! :p
/threadjack over

Your score is: 33
26-49. Suggests some indications of IMS. You may want to take the quiz again to see if things improve or get worse.

My feelings exactly, bravo. Yet another stupid name to give something so people can justify their horrible actions by saying they're in the hands of a disorder, and somehow incapable of rational thought. This test is completely useless. Quack science, indeed.

Here's my post from the other thread. You actually posted in the same thread, as it turns out.

Psychologists do not CREATE disorders, but they discover, identify, and study them. When a behavioral trend is found, it's helpful to name it so other scientists can recognize it.

Did psychologists CREATE depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder? No, they identified and named (labeled) them so that treatment could be effectively administered to the afflicted.

Now, considering this "IMS" research, I can't vouch for all of (Dr.?) Diamond's work (he comes off as more of a salesman than a scientist to me), but I can say that a blatant disregard (or disdain, even) for actual research of any kind that may really help some people is rather haughty. And, once again, it's not the researcher or the psychologist who is to blame for some assholes making up excuses for their irresponsible behavior.

This what I think you're saying- tell me if I'm inferring wrongly with this example:
If a guy came up to you and sneezed on your arm, and he said, "Sorry, I have a cold." You would then say, "Curse those dirty doctors with their laundry list of excuses for assholes!" and instead of blaming the asshole in front of you, you blame the scientists who identified that sickness which makes people sneeze- the common cold.

Obviously, this IMS isn't as basic as the common cold, but it's likely something that shouldn't be so instantly discredited as "quack science." Especially if you weren't the one doing the research.

If this is still questionable, I'd be happy to discuss it further, so that we may all be enlightened.

Just someone floating their theories. Couldn't live without them.

Whatever the condition, when a name is applied it implies some attention is being paid. As mentioned, researchers need words when trying to uncover more information, causes, effects, remedies. Maybe re-naming or blending with other disorders as dicoveries are made, this is the normal progression. No way around it unless we figure out how to communicate without words.

Unfortunately the aspects we as outsiders most often see are healthcare entities making a buck, be it the big drug companies pushing magic cures or doctors/insurance making their cut. Before that we hear it from media and attorneys using it as a catch-all when somebody goes postal. We see these things and become jaded to all references, including news of progress, even cures, because the circus is what usually touches our lives.

Then should you or a family member suffer from symptoms that may or may not be related, you may find yourself digging deeper, trying to understand. Perhaps defending or even trying potential treatments out of a desire to help.

As usual, whatever piece of the game most deeply touches our lives tends to dictate our opinion.

Your score is: 85
76-100. Indicates that IMS is definitely present and it is advisable that you seek help right away.

Shit. I thought I was just a bad boy. :D

Not to give the article too much credit, but it does seem liek they are on to something anyway. I too went through a rough time in my mid twenties..but I also divorced in the time frame as well. Now that I am in my 40's, I see another period where I am more self critical and taking a harder look at things. I don't know if I am starting a mid life crisis or not, but I did score 65. SHould I exercise more? You bet. But I think a bid reason for the way men are is the environment we live in these days...It's a hell of a pressure cooker we live in these days, much more so than 20-30 years ago. I think most will agree.
If you (men) haven't taken the test, why not give it a shot? :cool:

I'm 33 yrs. old & scored 90!!! I think the test was a bit too much vauge generalizeations . .

Your score is: 13
0-25.None or few signs of IMS.

Not bad I guess. Hah.

37.

While I am not yet the Zen masters that Chingal0 and Charlatan are, I am almost Daniel_. For the reasons stated numerous times above, I think this is a dumb test. It said I might be showing signs of IMS. I have only one thing to say to that...
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I would honestly think that most men that take that test will come back with a score that indicates the need for help... After all, life would have to be going just fucking peachy for any man here not to answer sometimes or "worse" to the majority of those questions. There are a lot of things that can cause those feelings, as pointed out... Stress!!!

I got a 57 -- in the "likely" zone. I hate to admit it, but I think there is something to this as I find myself more irritable on some days than others, but I can't quite figure out what is causing it. I'd be interested in finding out more.

Thanks for the post.

You know, pop psychology just pisses me off.

IMS, my ass. Loudmouth dog, hyperactive children, wife with a penchant for repeating herself over and over and over and over and over and over, and a job I don't particularly like. This is not a disease; it's a woefully unpleasant life, but not a disease.

Yeah. And it's an effing TLA. Like all good science.

Actually I had a quick look at the website. No questions about how good you are feeling. No questions about life events (stress) or exclusion of other factors (depression say?). Of course many people who are getting older are likely to feel some angst re life expectations vs reality, goals vs achievements etc.

Well damn, I got a 106. I know I'm angry, I know I drink too much, and I'm very aware that I'm sarcastic, tired, coffee-loving, and am quick to react to situations I get myself into.

But that's just it, I get myself into it, and I am a man afterall. I mean, do you expect me to "talk" about my feelings ? Fuck that. Pop culture or not, anyone claiming to be a victicm of this "disorder" is not right in the head.

I got a 68 score.. yes.. I am irritable lately. I blame work!

Blah!

Since this thread got bumped, I decided to take it again and see if I'd gotten more signs of "IMS" since the last time I posted;

Your score is: 16
0-25.None or few signs of IMS.

Apparently not -- I should join the ranks of Buddhist monks or something. Maybe I'm just too happy with my life?

And yet, I still stick behind my vehement dismissal of this pop culture non-science lame-brained fuckwitted survey, as my first post clarifies:

Jeesh what are you people smoking that you got such low scores? You need to work harder dammit.. Drink more caffeine... Be angry.. Be hostile.. Keep that running commentary in your head about what you really think of most people...

Well, I'm up to 80, now. Must be the season

Bah Fucking Humbug.

Your score is: 26
26-49. Suggests some indications of IMS. You may want to take the quiz again to see if things improve or get worse.


I am by far the most laid back person I know. In my opinion this test is heavily biased, especially with the diagnosis of "results". If irritable male syndrome is anything, it is a lesser form of sociopathy, of which males are predominate.

I believe there are a lot of valid disorders that have been identified, but that this is not one of them. When you are stressed out, figuring out what you're going to do with your life, taking on responsibilities, coming of age, dealing with financial burdens, etc. you will shows signs of that stress.
16-26 is a very stressful time and i'm not suprised that some people are grumpy because of it. If "IMS" were a true syndrome it would be fairly consistent throughout a person's lifetime, but the way they are presenting it is that it just appears during these stressful times. It has a poor foundation and nonexistant symptoms- they are looking the disorder "by degrees", but the results that prove IMS are well within normal range of variation in individuals. This is a crackpot theory and should be junked.

I also find it offensive that "drinking caffeine" and "drugs or alcohol" are considered something that would ADD to IMS.. ethanol,caffeine, and nicotine always improve my mood.

49 and I'm on the verge of going all 'irritable male' on my staff.

39,

I checked off allot of "sometimes" though because it's pretty rare to never experience certain emotions, think it might even be unhealthy.

Oh, so now I have a syndrome instead of just being unhappy with pretty much everything in my life. I don't know whether to get help or to roll up a copy of the test and whack the writer in an easily irritable male region.

I think you are irritable! :o

My husband definately has it, though I will make him take the test..lol. He breaks out and gets moody about a week before I get do(period)..lol...It's quite cute, I call it his "sympathy period"

39..

I checked a lot of "sometimes" to..

33%
Most of mine were "sometimes" as well.

they make it seem like being irritible is a bad thing... Why do people have to be all sunshine and roses all the time... Sometimes it's good to be just an ornery ole cuss...

Yeah I'm female, but I am usually far more irritable than my boyfriend. So I took the test, and behold!...

Your score is: 66
50-75. Indicates that IMS is likely and we suggest you seek help.

No surprise there. I don't get PMS but I just have those personality traits... at least, I have had them increasingly for the last couple of years.

And I am getting help, thank you. Have been for the last couple of years... hey, wait a second...