The Impacts Of Co-Occurring Anger And Depression
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Experiencing anger and depression simultaneously can be confusing for some, as anger is not often discussed as a symptom of depression. Understanding what depression and anger can look like may help you identify the signs in yourself or a loved one, as growth can be difficult when you're unsure of what you're experiencing. Recognizing your challenges with depression and anger may also allow you to find ways to cope with them effectively.
What is depression?
Depression is a complex mental health condition characterized by persistent sadness, low mood, and other distressing symptoms. If you're living with this mental health condition, you may also experience a lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities and symptoms like the following:
Changes in appetite
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual
Increased fatigue or loss of energy
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Difficulty caring for your hygiene
Difficulty completing daily tasks
Irritability and anger
Thoughts of suicide or death
Although this list is not exhaustive, it may be beneficial to reference it for yourself and your loved ones. Left untreated, depression can lead to other mental and physical health challenges, including sleep disturbances, substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental illnesses.
What is anger?
Anger is a healthy emotion that can occur to anyone. However, it can be valuable to understand the difference between healthy anger as an emotion and anger-motivated unhealthy behaviors that can cause interpersonal, relational, or legal challenges.
There are three types of anger-related symptoms, including behavioral, emotional, and physical. A person with anger management challenges may display a combination of the following symptoms:
Excessive irritability or anxiety
Overwhelming rage
Difficulty organizing thoughts
Fantasizing about hurting yourself or others
Heart palpitations
Headaches
Pressure in the sinuses or head
Fatigue
Tingling in the body
Higher blood pressure
Lashing out quickly
Difficulty interacting with others
Erratic or unpredictable behaviors when angry
The impacts of anger and depression
When you experience anger and depression to extreme degrees or find that they are debilitating to your everyday life, it can create unhealthy physical and mental health effects. Additionally, it may start to impact the people around you. Anger and depression can affect how you view, handle, and live your life. You may respond more poorly to life's stressors than you normally would if you weren't trying to cope with one or both concerns.
Experiencing severe depression can lead to anxiety, increased anger management challenges, and withdrawal from the people and activities you enjoy. Withdrawing from the activities that once brought you happiness might result in losing friends who don't understand that you are depressed. It could also lead to job termination or missing out on other opportunities. Each of these consequences can make your depressive symptoms worse, which can start a repetitive loop of increased withdrawal and more severe depression. This cycle might trap you in a negative, unhealthy pattern that keeps you from living the fulfilling life you seek.
Unhealthy anger-motivated habits can also be harmful. Extreme and unhealthy behaviors can cause physically and mentally damaging results. If you find yourself frequently in an upset, angry, or argumentative state, loved ones may begin to pull away from you after a while, or you may pull away from them.
While it may be normal to have disagreements sometimes, if your anger is excessive, it can drive away your friends and family members. If this occurs, it may feed into depression, causing you to feel alone. Irritability can also be a common symptom of depression, so you might feel angrier during this process. When not adequately recognized and mitigated with healthy coping strategies, anger, and depression can result in an unhealthy cycle.
Treatment for anger and depression
There are several types of treatment methods that you can seek out for anger, depression, and other mental health challenges. Talk therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes are common strategies to address these challenges. However, different treatments work more effectively for some people than others. In addition, what's appropriate to manage anger might not work for depression and vice versa.
Talk therapy
Psychodynamic therapy involves talk therapy to uncover the subconscious roots of a patient's behavior and beliefs. One method that is often utilized for depression and anger is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). With this therapy, a mental health professional teaches you to identify and replace your unhelpful thoughts with healthier beliefs and ideas. Over time, you may learn how to improve your behavior through unique coping strategies personalized to your situation.
Another type of effective therapy for depression and anger may be cognitive processing therapy (CPT). CPT looks at your childhood or past traumas as a possible source of anger or depression in your present moment. These methods consider what caused you to feel this way and focus on resolving those childhood challenges to change how you react, think, and feel in the present. For some, healing from the trauma that they experienced can be an effective way to move forward.
However, not everyone experiencing depression or anger has experienced trauma, and as such, therapy may involve looking deeper to see where depression and anger issues may have begun. There are also over 400 therapeutic modalities to try, so if one doesn't work for you, you might choose to try another.
Group therapy
Group therapy may also be an effective option for addressing depression and anger. With a group therapy session, you can meet with other clients experiencing similar symptoms to discuss your experiences and receive peer support under the guidance of a therapist. In some cases, group therapy might involve your family if it occurs in a family therapy format.
Being in a group therapy setting with your loved ones may help you recognize how much they care for you and motivate you to seek support for your concerns. Speaking with others who know what you're experiencing might help you feel seen, heard, and validated. It may also allow you to learn valuable tips for improving your life based on what worked for others.
Alternative counseling options
If you're struggling with anger, depression, or both simultaneously, seeking professional support can be beneficial. However, many people living with depression or anger challenges may struggle to find the energy to go to an in-person appointment regularly. In these cases, online therapy can be a productive way to find a therapist with the qualifications you seek.
Online counseling platforms like BetterHelp have thousands of licensed therapists specializing in different areas. You can get matched with a counselor who meets your preferences without having to leave the house. When matched with a counselor, you can choose between phone, video, and live chat sessions, allowing you control over how you speak with your counselor when you're struggling.
Online therapy can be effective for individuals experiencing various mental health obstacles. One study conducted in Sweden over four weeks found that therapy delivered via the Internet could help those living with co-occurring anger and aggression. The study relied on two methods: mindful emotion awareness and cognitive reappraisal.
Takeaway
Should I go to therapy if I have anger issues?
Everyone experiences anger from time to time, but if you are experiencing ongoing anger that is interfering with your health and interpersonal relationships, talking to a therapist for emotional support for depression and anger can help. Therapy can help you learn to identify your triggers, change your behaviors, and explore anger management techniques. Anger can be the result of pent-up issues, or it may be a symptom of other mental health conditions like anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or bipolar disorder.
Can depression make you have anger issues?
Yes, depression can contribute to anger issues. While anger is not listed as a symptom of major depressive disorder in the DSM-5, it does acknowledge that some people with depression may experience irritability, which may progress to anger. People with depression may get impatient with others and pace or fidget to try to cope. They may have anger turned outward (which can be made worse if they also engage in substance abuse) and get physical, slamming doors or throwing things, or their anger might come from a general sense of hopelessness. Some recent research even shows that anger and anger attacks are linked to anxiety and depression.
What type of therapy works best for anger problems?
One type of therapy that is commonly used for both anger and depression is cognitive behavioral therapy CBT. In CBT, you work with your therapist to identify and replace unhelpful thoughts and learn how to replace them with healthier ideas and beliefs. In time, you can manage your behavior using the coping strategies you learn. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) can also treat anxiety and depression. CPT looks into your past to determine if there is a cause of your depression or anger, considering what made you feel the way you do and working to resolve those issues so you can live in the present. Psychodynamic therapy may be another option. Group therapy can be a good option for people with anger issues as meeting people who are experiencing similar symptoms can give you a safe place to talk about your own life and get support from people who understand what you’re going through.
Does sertraline stop anger?
Research shows that sertraline can be used to treat anger. Talk to your doctor if you want to learn more about this medication.
What do therapists do for anger?
If you are in therapy for anger, your therapist will likely help you figure out what triggers set off your anger and how your anger has affected your life in both the short and long term. You may look into the feelings and thoughts that come before your anger and determine whether they accurately assess the situation. Mental health professionals will also help you learn how to have self compassion, resolve conflicts with others, and rebuild any relationships affected by your behavior.
What are the remedies for anger and depression?
Therapy and medication can be effective treatments for angry depression, but there are also some things you can do to try to cope. Exercise has many benefits for your mental and physical health, and activities like yoga and meditation can help your muscles relax and make you feel calmer. Try expressing yourself creatively to help work through your negative emotions by writing poetry, journaling, drawing, or painting. Grounding and deep breathing exercises can also help you relax and focus on the present.
Why am I so angry and unhappy all the time?
Everyone has periods where they are sad or angry, but if you feel angry and unhappy all the time, you may be dealing with an undiagnosed mental health condition or another chronic illness. Many things can cause and contribute to these feelings. Talk to a therapist for your emotional well being and to get anger treatment to help you identify what is causing these emotions and what you can do to work through them.
Why do I snap so easily?
Having a short temper can result from a variety of things or a combination of factors. Upbringing can be a factor as children learn from observing others. People who grew up in households with parents, siblings, or other family members with short tempers may have been raised to believe this is a valid response. Anger may also be a secondary emotion that comes from another feeling, like fear, uncertainty, or sadness. Chronic stress can also make it challenging to deal with things that might cause anger, which can cause people to lose their temper easily. Short tempers can also be a sign of an underlying mental health condition, like anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, or oppositional defiant disorder.
Does depression make you mad at everything?
Anger is not part of the diagnostic criteria for depression, but it can cause someone to feel irritable, which can lead to anger. Depression can be accompanied by anxiety, and both can interfere with sleep. Not getting enough sleep can also cause people to be irritable, which can cause a short temper.
Is anger a symptom of bipolar depression?
Anger isn’t a symptom of bipolar disorder in the DSM-5, but people who have this mental illness may have trouble controlling their emotions. People with bipolar disorder may experience irritability, which can be misinterpreted as anger or rage. Some recent research found that people who have bipolar disorder have greater episodes of aggression, and the cycling between moods may lead to emotional responses like irritability, rage, and anger.
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