I need to scream.
April 11, 2023 5:36 PM Subscribe
Where in Los Angeles can I go to scream into the void without a) freaking other people by going somewhere populated out and/or b) putting myself in danger by going somewhere too isolated? Normally I'd do this in therapy (minus the screaming), but both my therapists are out this week and I really, really need a nondestructive outlet. yes, this is about work.
Response by poster: god I wish I could make it to a rage room rn but scheduling is a bitch
maybe next week...
posted by The Adventure Begins at 5:45 PM on April 11, 2023
maybe next week...
posted by The Adventure Begins at 5:45 PM on April 11, 2023
Tennis courts have some screaming and are public. Batting cages or driving ranges have served this purpose for me in the past.
I think a beach facing toward the ocean is fine. In any of these public places I'd say you get one to three good screams in under 2 minutes before you start being obnoxious.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 5:47 PM on April 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
I think a beach facing toward the ocean is fine. In any of these public places I'd say you get one to three good screams in under 2 minutes before you start being obnoxious.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 5:47 PM on April 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
Do you have a car? Go for a drive on an open piece of road and screaaaammmmmmmm a lot. Or find a parking lot, like in an industrial park or something.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 5:50 PM on April 11, 2023 [19 favorites]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 5:50 PM on April 11, 2023 [19 favorites]
In the olden days of the 90s, we used to find train tracks and scream as the trains went by.
posted by corey flood at 5:55 PM on April 11, 2023 [37 favorites]
posted by corey flood at 5:55 PM on April 11, 2023 [37 favorites]
Cars with the windows rolled up have pretty good sound-proofing. Certainly you can not hear a screaming baby from the outside if the windows and doors closed. {I was taking in groceries when I learned this fun fact - no fear, baby was not in danger.:)}
The bigger risk is people walking by giving you odd looks.
So, park in spot some distance from other cars and people and you will have perfect privacy. Or go for a drive on the highway and you can scream with the windows down and no one will notice.
posted by metahawk at 6:04 PM on April 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
The bigger risk is people walking by giving you odd looks.
So, park in spot some distance from other cars and people and you will have perfect privacy. Or go for a drive on the highway and you can scream with the windows down and no one will notice.
posted by metahawk at 6:04 PM on April 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
Scream while submerged in a swimming pool. Bonus: you can thrash about and smash the water and do other physically violent things and not do any damage to things or yourself.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:22 PM on April 11, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:22 PM on April 11, 2023 [11 favorites]
Los Angelenos have been screaming in the car since the beginning of time. Get on the 405.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 6:34 PM on April 11, 2023 [42 favorites]
posted by Countess Sandwich at 6:34 PM on April 11, 2023 [42 favorites]
Oceans are also good for masking noise.
posted by lapis at 7:18 PM on April 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by lapis at 7:18 PM on April 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
How about the roller coaster in Santa Monica?
posted by vunder at 7:34 PM on April 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by vunder at 7:34 PM on April 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Screaming while driving is dangerous advice. Screaming is a way of being fully present with your emotions. It is not safe for yourself or those around you to be operating heavy machinery with divided attention. Give the scream the honesty of your full presence and attention.
I knew someone once who, through no fault of her own other than getting in the car to go for a drive, killed someone while driving. She was deeply traumatized. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to bear the weight of unintentionally killing someone while having a full-on cathartic scream.
Here is a solution from the book Farming While Black:
I knew someone once who, through no fault of her own other than getting in the car to go for a drive, killed someone while driving. She was deeply traumatized. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to bear the weight of unintentionally killing someone while having a full-on cathartic scream.
Here is a solution from the book Farming While Black:
Rather than wipe my distress all over my family, I decided to immediately go to the forest and give my pain to the Earth. I grabbed a shovel and vigorously hacked a small hole in the fragrant ground, just big enough for my head. As expected, the Land was able to absorb my tears, screams, and curses and compost them into calm. Once my sorrow was released, I filled up the hole, thanked her, and returned to my family feeling centered.posted by aniola at 9:34 PM on April 11, 2023 [10 favorites]
When Angelenos scream in their cars on the 405 it’s usually because they’re not moving. But I’ve found screaming in the car in a deserted end of a parking lot is great. Also, going to a park and stomping out your anger while swearing feels good and gets it out. It took me 20 minutes of that but I felt the vibrations going up my body and it helped.
posted by pairofshades at 9:53 PM on April 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by pairofshades at 9:53 PM on April 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
Primal scream therapy's main community of practice was in Los Angeles! My mom lived in a place in Venice in the 70s that had a primal scream box in the garage. I bet they still exist, but might be hard to find and I bet you'd have to deal with some weirdos in order to procure access to it. Probably screaming while stuck on the 405 after work is the more convenient and conventional option. But if you want a really authentically heritage-LA screaming experience you should try and track down a primal box.
posted by potrzebie at 10:24 PM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by potrzebie at 10:24 PM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
My small city has occasional meetups where people scream into the void together. If you don't want to freak people out then organize it as a meetup because a group of people screaming at the sky is obviously some sort of weird flashmob thing and not as disturbing as a single person out screaming in public.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:49 PM on April 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Jacqueline at 11:49 PM on April 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
Get on the 405 and let loose. Nobody will hear you, and if you're worried about anybody seeing you, drive at night. I've done this plenty of times. Unfortunately I usually find it just leaves me hoarse without any real catharsis. Hopefully your mileage will vary.
A while back I was so furious that I needed to smash things. I couldn't think of what the heck to smash without hurting myself, damaging the apartment and/or scaring the hell out of my cat, until I finally found a roll of bubble wrap. The kind with the nice, BIG bubbles. Going crazy on that actually helped, more than hollering in my car ever has. It was very satisfying to have something tactile that I could noisily destroy - POP POP POP - without actually harming anything.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:25 AM on April 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
A while back I was so furious that I needed to smash things. I couldn't think of what the heck to smash without hurting myself, damaging the apartment and/or scaring the hell out of my cat, until I finally found a roll of bubble wrap. The kind with the nice, BIG bubbles. Going crazy on that actually helped, more than hollering in my car ever has. It was very satisfying to have something tactile that I could noisily destroy - POP POP POP - without actually harming anything.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:25 AM on April 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
Casting out all of that energy over the ocean would be my preferred outlet. The beach is already loud enough that you won’t disturb anyone while you do.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:27 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:27 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
I can barely manage a conversation on the beach at near-scream levels, so I agree that's the safest. And it's generally accepted that people do all kinds of rituals at the beach - I have attended actual witch rituals at the beach myself with dancing in circles and swaying and ringing bells and walking out into the water.
There's big energy where the water meets the land and it feels like it can take it. I always feel the need for quiet among trees, so many animals I don't want to upset and other humans I don't want to frighten. The whales don't mind.
If you don't want to park and make your way across the whole beach, there's a bunch of viewpoint pullouts and a bunch of shoulder parking along the 1 overlooking the beach. I suspect it's not unusual to see someone pull over, get out of their car (or not), and have a full-on meltdown. Maybe stay back from the guardrail if you do that, don't alarm people with your posture, but in the car or out nobody else is likely to hear you.
It sounds like scheduling anything is a challenge for you, but my god is axe-throwing cathartic (and it's loud in there, you can grunt and scream as you throw) and they've got them all over town now.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:13 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
There's big energy where the water meets the land and it feels like it can take it. I always feel the need for quiet among trees, so many animals I don't want to upset and other humans I don't want to frighten. The whales don't mind.
If you don't want to park and make your way across the whole beach, there's a bunch of viewpoint pullouts and a bunch of shoulder parking along the 1 overlooking the beach. I suspect it's not unusual to see someone pull over, get out of their car (or not), and have a full-on meltdown. Maybe stay back from the guardrail if you do that, don't alarm people with your posture, but in the car or out nobody else is likely to hear you.
It sounds like scheduling anything is a challenge for you, but my god is axe-throwing cathartic (and it's loud in there, you can grunt and scream as you throw) and they've got them all over town now.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:13 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
LA does have this 'rage room' you can book, for future reference.
Otherwise, this has been asked a few of times on Reddit, and there's even a LA Times listicle
Under an airport's final approach path is one of the better suggestions in there. A busy GA airport will work fine.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:28 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, this has been asked a few of times on Reddit, and there's even a LA Times listicle
Under an airport's final approach path is one of the better suggestions in there. A busy GA airport will work fine.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:28 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
In a pillow or one’s mattress worked for the first 18 years of my life - for some physical release, a pillow fight with a bed can also be very cathartic. Turn on a little power ballad at a reasonable volume (both to intensify the catharsis and to give some distraction for the neighbors), get it out, and then treat yourself to some nice Throat Coat or a popsicle of choice.
I hope things get better soon.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:26 PM on April 12, 2023
I hope things get better soon.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:26 PM on April 12, 2023
Find a walk-in freezer you can borrow. Offer to pay some kid $10 to scream in the big fridge for a coupla minutes.
posted by Oyéah at 5:02 PM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 5:02 PM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
If this doesn’t fit your parameters please flag as noise so mod can delete! :)
posted by curious nu at 5:43 PM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]