Hey there, viewers! Have you been feeling angry lately?
Anger can be triggered by a lot of things including stress,
financial issues and family problems.
But if you are getting angry all the time,
to the point where it’s affecting your life and relationships, you should be concerned.
Anger is a known symptom of several mental health disorders. In today’s video,
we will be discussing 6 mental health conditions that could be making you angry all the time.
What is Intermittent Explosive Disorder? What about bipolar rage? Can depression lead to anger?
We will be talking about all of this AND more...
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Anger is a natural human emotion. It sounds surprising, but you do need it.
A little bit of anger is healthy and you need it for your survival. If someone is
constantly being rude to you, it is usually justiable to be angry.
But when you are constantly riled up, it’s time you take this seriously.
Both angry outbursts and continuous passive aggression can cause a lot of damage.
You could lose important relationships, face setbacks in your career, and suffer physically.
Experts have shown that uncontrolled anger is pretty bad for your physical health.
Do you experience sudden outbursts of rage? Have your friends and family
tried telling you your reactions are out of proportion to the situation?
It could be Intermittent Explosive Disorder. People with IED experience
intense recurring outbursts. These outbursts are more than just tantrums. The person might
attack others verbally or physically. Some destroy stuff like their smartphone and other belongings.
The most common symptoms of IED include:
Intense shouting Temper tantrums
Yelling Damaging property
Road rage
Frequent brawls Assaults in severe cases
These angry outbursts occur with little to no warning.
People with IED often experience remorse and guilt after their angry episode.
We all have different ways of expressing anger. Some are outright about it,
while some are non-confrontational. Some people believe in hiding anger.
How do you react? Share your thoughts with the Bestie community in the comments below.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
There can be various reasons behind your anger. It could be stress, resentment you are carrying,
or lack of healthy boundaries. All of these can be corrected with several lifestyle changes.
But if you feel like you’ve been trying to control your anger your entire life,
there is much more going on. Add other problems like difficulty concentrating, being forgetful,
and easily becoming distracted. These make your problems worse.
Does this ring a bell?
If yes, it could be Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD in short.
ADHD is a mental health disorder that makes you behave impulsively.
It is difficult for you to focus on one single task. Experts have no idea what causes ADHD.
although many blame it on neurological problems and genetics.
People with ADHD have a difficult time regulating their emotions. When they are stressed or
overwhelmed, they burst out in anger and lash out at others. This can damage their relationships.
Lack of concentration along with a pile of unfinished tasks can frustrate anyone.
ADHD amplifies this frustration making the person feel ashamed
and guilty. This worthlessness often erupts in the form of angry outbursts.
It is like a pressure cooker with steam building inside. If not released slowly in a controlled
manner, the cooker will one day erupt. This eruption is what we see as explosive behavior.
Fortunately, ADHD can be managed well with the help of experts, medication and lots of therapy.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Anger can be broken down into three types. It is these types that influence how you react in
a situation. The first is passive aggression when you express negative feelings indirectly.
It can cause long lasting damage to relationships.
Second is open aggression. The third and final type
is Assertive Anger. It is the best approach to show frustration in a healthy way.
But what if a person’s way of thinking is destructive in itself? What if there is a mental
health condition causing them to be manipulative and angry all the time? Is there such a thing?
Yes, there is a disorder that can make a person manipulate and exploit others,
violate their rights, and even have disregard for law. This is antisocial personality disorder.
And a person who has this gets angry, lies and manipulates without remorse.
There are risk factors that can make you more likely to get Antisocial personality disorder.
The risk factors are being abused as a child, possibly raised by parents who have this disorder,
or growing up with alcoholic parents.
Symptoms of this disorder include:
Frequent outbursts Manipulating people
Fighting Aggression
Arrogance Disregard for law
Unable to feel remorse Disregard for the safety of themselves and others
Experts also link Antisocial personality disorder with alcohol abuse.
Diagnosis of this disorder is never made for people under
18. A combination of psychotherapy and medication can help manage it.
Borderline Personality Disorder
If your anger can be described as intense, impulsive,
erratic and explosive, it’s likely bipolar rage.
Can a simple question bother you to the point of exploding in anger?
Do you lash out at your loved ones, often without reason? Do the smallest things set you off?
People who love and care for you might feel you have bursts of irrational anger and irritation.
All of this can be a symptom of Bipolar Personality Disorder. BPD is a mental illness
marked by a pattern of unstable relationships, impulsive behavior and emotional instability.
Although anger is not a typical symptom of this disorder,
people with BPD are known to experience intense outbursts.
This is called bipolar rage. Shifts in mood, irritability and emotional instability cause this.
Genetics and childhood trauma can cause BPD.
Not to mention abnormalities in the hormone that regulates mood.
If you have a family member with BPD, you are at risk of developing yourself.
A person with BPD experiences high, low and mixed moods. They need to know how to
manage this irritability. Otherwise it will eventually cause angry outbursts.
Some of the signs and symptoms of BPD are:
Constant fear of abandonment Irritability and anger
A pattern of unstable relationships You idealize someone and then devalue them
Unstable self-image Frequent mood swings that can last up to few days
Long term feelings of emptiness
Difficulty in controlling anger and getting angry without a cause
The good thing is BPD is manageable if you seek treatment under the care of an expert.
Both medications and psychotherapy are great for this.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Even mild-mannered people experience anger and frustration.
But if it’s a lot more frequent, there could be an underlying issue.
This is Oppositional Defiant Disorder that causes defiance and anger against
authority. Though it is frequently diagnosed in children, adults can also get ODD. Children with
ODD are prone to temper tantrums, excessive arguing and complete disregard for authority.
Adults with ODD are generally angry at the world at large.
They feel misunderstood and disliked. They have a strong disdain for their boss. Adults with
ODD might also identify as rebels. They dislike feedback and defend themselves rather strongly.
Individual cognitive behavior therapy,
family therapy and medications can help manage ODD in an efficient way.
Depression
Surprised to see this on our list? Well depression is sadness, right? Wrong.
It is a misconception that depressed people just feel sad all the time.
Mental illnesses are more than just one emotion. If you are lashing out
for no reason or feeling angry without triggers, you could very well be depressed.
According to experts, anger plays a key role in depression.
Conflicts and difficulties coping with anger can be the reason why you’re depressed.
It can also make it difficult for you to be free from depression.
It is in fact a kind of self-directed anger, where you hate yourself.
When you get treated for depression, you will notice your anger evaporate.
Whatever the reason behind your anger and frequent emotional outbursts,
you need to seek help immediately.
Leaving anger unchecked never helps in the long term. It impacts your ability to be happy.
Your health problems will also worsen because of increased stress.
Besides getting the help of professionals and therapy,
there are a few things you can do to improve your condition. Eat a more healthy,
balanced diet. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Try to stay physically active.
Avoid alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes at all costs.
Use mindful techniques and meditation to reduce stress and relax.
And the most important part... Never stop taking meds on your own. Always ask your doctor.
Do you experience intense anger? Do you think you might have any of these conditions?
Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!