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The Irritable Male Syndrome: Take the Test
The IMS Questionnaire
The Irritable Male Syndrome manifests itself
through a number of feelings that can help us
recognize where it is present in us or in someone
we care about. The following questionnaire will
help you assess IMS and the degree of seriousness.
Everyone is irritable from time to time. Life is
inherently stressful and there are inevitably
things that bother us. What we want to know,
though, is how irritable are we? Is our
irritability excessive? Has it become entrenched?
Does it seem to be getting worse? Is it causing
problems for me or in my relationship with my
family, friends, or community?
We don’t have a precise instrument to
measure IMS. We can’t read your level of
irritability like we can your blood pressure
(though excessive irritability can lead to high
blood pressure and other stress-related illnesses).
Like so much in the psychological sciences we can
only understand IMS by asking you questions and
helping you reflect on what the answers mean in
your own life. Let the score be a guide, not an
absolute indicator that there is a problem or not a
problem.
The IMS Questionnaire
In the last month reflect on how often you feel
the following:
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Not at All
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Sometimes
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Frequently
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Most of the Time
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Angry
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Impatient
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Blaming
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Dissatisfied
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Moody
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Fearful
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Discontented
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Hypersensitive
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Exhausted
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Grumpy
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Easily Upset
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Bored
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Aggressive
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Unloved
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Unappreciated
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Tense
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Touchy
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Tired
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Unloving
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Lonely
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Hostile
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Overwhelmed
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Destructive
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Demanding
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Depressed
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Frustrated
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Withdrawn
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Mean
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Sad
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Scared
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Numb
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Explosive
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Defensive
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Denies problems
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Critical
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Troubled
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A desire to overeat
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A desire to drink or use drugs
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A need to withdraw behind T.V.
Newspapers, or Computer
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A desire for increased time at work
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A need to sleep more or have trouble
with sleep
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Impulsive
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Worried
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Less intimacy
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A pull to argue and fight
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Sarcastic
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Jealous
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Stressed
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Uncompassionate
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Uncommunicative
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Please don’t use the questionnaire to prove
to someone that you don’t have a problem. Even
if you don’t score in the range, if your
behavior is a causing stress in your family, take
it seriously. On the other hand, don’t use the
questionnaire to prove someone else has a problem
because they scored “high” on the test.
For each feeling noted, check whether it is true of
you (or the person you are rating) not at all or
rarely (score 0), sometime (score 1), frequently
(score 2), or most of the time (score 3). Thus the
score can range from 0 to 150.
With that in mind, I have found the following
scores to be worth considering. They are based on
my own clinical experience with people I rated and
who then took the questionnaire. The scores are
also based on the 9,453 people who took the
Irritable Male Syndrome and Male Depression
Questionnaires on the Men’s Health
Website:
0-25: None or few signs of IMS.
26-49: Some indications of IMS. May need help or
watchful waiting to see if things improve or get
worse.
50-75: IMS is likely and it is advisable to seek
help.
76 and higher: IMS is definitely present and
getting help is most important.
©2010 Jed
Diamond
See Books,
Issues
+ Suicide
* * *
Wealth can't buy health, but health can buy
wealth. - Henry David Thoreau
Jed Diamond
is the internationally best-selling author of seven
books including Male
Menopause, now
translated into 17 foreign languages and his
latest book, The
Irritable Male Syndrome: Managing. The 4 Key Causes
of Depression and
Aggression. For over
38 years he has been a leader in the field of men's
health. He is a member of the International
Scientific Board of the World Congress on
Men’s Health and has been on the Board of
Advisors of the Men’s Health Network since its
founding in 1992. His work has been featured in
major newspapers throughout the United States
including the New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall
Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and USA
Today. He has been featured on more than 1,000
radio and T.V. programs including The View with
Barbara Walters, Good Morning America, Inside
Edition, CBS, NBC, and Fox News, To Tell the Truth,
Extra, Leeza, Geraldo, and Joan Rivers. He also did
a nationally televised special on Male Menopause
for PBS. He looks forward to your feedback.
E-Mail.
You can visit his website at www.menalive.com
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