How Do I Stop Waking Up Angry?

What causes someone to wake up in a bad mood?

Many things can cause someone to wake up in a bad mood, but evidence suggests that disturbed sleep patterns are a likely culprit. Good quality sleep is considered an essential element of self-care, necessary to maintain functional mental and physical health. Furthermore, evidence has linked a “sleep debt” - the cumulative effects of too few hours of sleep - with changes in mood and affect. Anger, aggression, and irritability all increase when a person doesn’t get enough sleep. 

An individual who wakes up in a bad mood may also be struggling to overcome sleep inertia, which is the feeling of drowsiness and wanting to return to bed experienced by most people upon awakening. Evidence indicates that difficulty waking is associated with a reduced mood and increased irritability, suggesting that inertia may be more difficult to shake for some people.  

What are rage attacks a symptom of?

Rage attacks are a common symptom of intermittent explosive disorder (IED). IED is characterized by frequent impulsive anger outbursts or aggression. It may also present with paranoid features, where a person perceives that the whole world is against them. A person with IED may get into frequent verbal arguments that escalate into physical assaults toward other people, animals, or property. To qualify for a diagnosis of IED, the person must exhibit aggressive outbursts that: 

• Are out of proportion to the event that triggered them. 
• Are impulsive and not pre-meditated. 
• Cause the person excessive distress. 
• Disrupt the person’s work and home life substantially. 

IED is often associated with other mental disorders, like anxiety and bipolar disorders. Treatment for IED typically involves cognitive behavioral therapy to address thought processes related to anger and aggression. For adults, medication is sometimes also prescribed. 

How do I stop blowing up in anger?

Here are some evidence-based strategies to keep anger outbursts in check:

• Learn a Relaxation Skill. When angry feelings start to rise, it is important to be able to keep emotions from getting out of hand. One of the first things to do, if possible, is leave whatever situation is causing your anger. If you can’t leave, using a simple technique like diaphragmatic breathing will likely be helpful. Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as “belly breathing,” is one of the most effective ways to reduce anger and stress quickly. To do it, just take a slow, deep breath in over four to six seconds, hold your breath for a second, and exhale slowly, again taking four to six seconds.
• Improve Your Communication. One of the best ways to avoid blowups is to avoid misunderstandings. If someone is saying something that may trigger your anger, try to take a moment to recognize the deeper meaning of what the person is trying to say. Criticism might be well-intentioned, and perceived insults may actually be benign. 
• Restructure Your Thoughts. Emotions can make thought processes erratic and dramatic. It is easy to jump to drastic and wrong conclusions based on very little information. Restructuring your thoughts involves working to replace those thoughts with more rational ones. Often, putting conscious effort into changing a thought process can keep anger from growing based on misunderstandings or assumptions. 

What are the four different types of anger?

Anger is sometimes represented as a progressive scale of severity that forms four different types of anger. The first and lowest severity is annoyance, which is a common response to things that are mildly irritating, like long lines and traffic jams. Beyond annoyance comes frustration, which isn’t necessarily expressed but can quickly turn to aggression or irritability if a person is frustrated for too long. 

Next is hostility, where anger is expressed overtly. Hostility often arises after a person has been consistently subjected to unpleasant situations or ones they find threatening. Hostility can include both aggression and passive aggression. Finally, rage is the most extreme type of anger. Rage may mean that someone has lost control of their emotions, but that is not necessarily the case. Aggression is nearly always present in rage, and a person may become a threat to others or property around them. When the incident is over, they may struggle to remember what happened. 

How do I know if I have anger issues?

There are a few things that may indicate that you have anger issues, many of them easy to spot. Consider whether anyone has brought concerns about anger to your attention; significant others, family, or friends may have raised concerns about irritability, agitation, or aggression that you have displayed in the past. In a similar vein, if you have ever become so angry that you hurt someone, scared them, or damaged property, you may have some problems with anger. 

You can always bring your concerns about anger to the attention of a therapist or other mental health professional. A professional can help you get to the root of your anger and use evidence-based techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy to help you get control of angry thoughts. Even if your anger isn’t at a level where it’s impacting others around you, unresolved anger can have a serious impact on your overall well-being. It is likely a good idea to reach out for help if you’re struggling to address a potential anger issue. 

Is anger a symptom of anxiety?

Anger has a close relationship with anxiety. Although it is not a symptom of anxiety disorders, evidence suggests that every anxiety disorder is associated with elevated anger levels. Researchers are still searching for the exact cause of increased anger in those who are anxious. One theory suggests that people with anxiety might tend to overreact in most situations because their anxiety is distressing, placing them into an emotionally aroused state. When they happen upon an anger trigger, they are already experiencing elevated emotions, making it harder to keep anger at bay. 

Another theory suggests that poor sleep quality may be to blame. Anxiety can cause significant sleep disturbances, such as struggling to fall asleep or waking up frequently through the night. A good night’s sleep is an essential part of good mental and physical self-care, and most people’s mood drops considerably when they are unable to feel refreshed and are overly tired. If anxious thoughts lead to a person experiencing that they wake up on the wrong side of the bed each day, it’s likely that their anger threshold will be lower than if they felt well-rested. A sleep specialist can likely help address concerns related to poor sleep quality. 

Do I have anger or anxiety?

Anxiety can sometimes worsen or induce anger and aggression for a few different reasons, which may make it seem as though anger is the primary concern. If you are experiencing persistent worry, difficulty sleeping, and trouble controlling fearful thoughts, it is possible that anxiety is the underlying cause. If you don’t regularly have worrisome thoughts fill your head but sometimes feel overwhelmed or attacked by things that make you angry, anger and irritability may be at the root of your concerns. 

The only way to be certain is to speak with a qualified mental health professional. They can help differentiate the symptoms of anxiety from anger problems and can recommend coping strategies and treatments to help you get negative feelings under control. Because of the complex nature of mental health, it is sometimes challenging to distinguish between different mental health concerns. It is likely that seeking a therapist or other professional will lead to the most successful outcome. 

What medicine helps with anger?

Both medication and psychotherapy are commonly used to treat anger and impulse control disorders. Severe anger, such as that found in intermittent explosive disorder, is typically medicated more frequently than those with less severe outbursts. There is a lack of controlled trials surrounding the use of medication to treat severe anger, but preliminary evidence suggests that mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, beta-blockers, and antidepressants may be useful. The most effective medication will likely differ considerably from person to person based on what is at the root of their anger concerns.