Rage rooms: can smashing stuff up really help to relieve anger and stress?

"According to Smash It Rage Rooms in south-east London, where a 30-minute solo session costs 50, each smash is a cathartic release, a burst of pure, primal joy. We are at capacity we were looking for another venue because we can't keep up with demand, said Amelia Smewing, who set up the business with her husband after exploring ways to help their son cope with PTSD."

"Clark said many customers were navigating tough personal challenges. The feedback we get is consistently good the Rage Room gives them a safe, constructive way to release pent-up anger and frustration, and it's making a genuine difference to their mental wellbeing, he said, adding several youth care homes regularly bring their teenagers, while a handful of therapists actively refer clients when traditional talking therapy is not enough."

Rage rooms originated around 2008 and have spread globally, with venues now operating across the UK from Birmingham to Brighton. Pay-to-destroy sessions allow participants to smash TVs, plates and furniture as a hands-on form of stress release. Some operators promote the activity as cathartic and stress-relieving, and demand is reported as high. Customers include younger people seeking novel experiences, groups celebrating break-ups, individuals managing stress or mental-health challenges, school and youth care groups, and clients referred by therapists when talking therapy is insufficient.

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