Bipolar Support Group

I have dealt with depression and anxiety all my life pretty much. But the last few years, I can get so upset or worked up over something and I feel rage. I just wanna yell stop, make it stop or be quiet. Every little noise gets on my nerves! I dont know if its anxiety manifesting itself that way or not. Im also dealing with some PTSD from my best friend taking her own life in '08, and thats when the anger started. Its not everyday, or even everytime I have anxiety issues, but it does happen and Im not an angry person. Im having issues right now with my 16 yr old daughter and it dosent help what so ever.... wondering if anyone has experianced anger as a form of anxiety, or know of it happening???? please I need som feed back on this one...

Do you see a therapist for all of your PTSD and the terrible emotions you went through when your friend took her life? If you don't I would say for sure go see a therapist. They can help you so much. Anger is one of the hardest emotions to control. Having a 16 year old daughter has got to be extremely hard for you to control it with the trials and tests she puts you through. I'm very sorry that you are experiencing this. I've never heard of anger coming out as anxiety. That is a good question for your psychiatrist. It could be that you need a medication adjustment. I know when I get hypo-manic, I get angry and it calls for an increase in my anti-psychotic. I would definitely talk to your psychiatrist about your anger that you are having. You say that your anger started when your friend committed suicide. I'm thinking that this may be related somehow. This is why I think you should be seeing a therapist. To get to the bottom of the problem. I'm very sorry for your loss by the way. That had to have been traumatic. My best advice to your problem would be to talk this over with your psychiatrist and get a therapist if you don't already have one. I'm very sorry that you are suffering through all of this. I hope your daughter lets up and gives you a break. Know that we are all here for you and we will listen to you. Get it all off your chest and out in the open. Hang in there. We really care.

Hi moodymama, I have had problems with anger and anxiety too. Sometimes the feelings are stronger than others and like you, it doesn't happen all the time, thank goodness. Also like you, I'm not normally an angry person. I attribute some of it to depression eking out and some to my ongoing (though hopefully nearly subsiding) grieving process over my divorce and losing one of my dogs.

For me, it seems that the worst anger comes when I'm trying to resolve something in my head that may never be resolved and some little thing like a noise or I spill something, or bump into something or my computer freezes up or someone cuts me off in traffic happens and I react inappropriately with an outburst and then afterward I feel bad about myself for my reactions. Make any sense?

One thing that helps when I remember to is to try and be in the moment instead of mulling over things I can't change in my mind. If I try to listen to all the sounds going on around me, every little thing as if it were music. When I do that I have to be in the moment. Granted, it's not always easy to keep in mind but it does help me.

I'm sorry about your loss of your friend that way. It's hard to make sense of a world where things like that happen. I agree with Joy, maybe talking to a therapist might help.

hugs,

Jim

Moodymama, I have had anger problems for a long time, but I've never had them connected with anxiety that I can pinpoint. However, I can definitely attribute a lot of my anger issues to PTSD from rape. Your friend's suicide could truly be the catalyst for this and I agree with Joy, that seeing a therapist would help. It could be that your anxiety is one way in which the anger is being expressed and a good therapist can help you sort that out. A 16 year old is stressful and the added help of a therapist will relieve you of some of that, too.

Do also talk with your pdoc about your anger because your medications can be adjusted for that. If I begin to get hypo-manic or manic, I get angry very quickly, so controlling that makes a big difference. I was also prescribed a med to help with anger and it actually does seem to help me. That's a "just in case" thing. You may not be getting that way at all, but it still would be smart to talk with your pdoc about it. I am sorry for the terrible loss of your friend. That must have been devastating for you. I hope with therapy you can work through this, lose the anger and come to a place of peace.

Post edited by: uppitywoman, at: 01/26/2011 07:50 AM

thanks everyone for your input on this....Yes im seeing a therapist but we have yet to go there with the death of my friend. she is fairly new and we havent gotten there yet. I have an appoinment with her on the 14th of feb and she wants to talk about it then... I just found a new Pdoc and I see her the 31st of this month. I plan on talking about all of this with her. I have yet to get a true dx of whats going on with me. I have been pulling at straws with that. I dont know what hypo-manic is, but my last pdoc was going the bipolar route with me and thats when i was put on depakote and I felt better than I ever have....buts that also before my friend did what she did, and it stopped working. Beepur I do relate to you in the anger issues, it dosent happen asll the time, but when it does I have to watch myself very carefully or I will say or do things I will regret later....

I'm trying to help my husband sort through these same feelings. He expresses a range of emotions as anger, including anxiety. I think it would be helpful for him to try and identify what he's feeling at the time, because I'm pretty sure the situation doesn't warrant anger many times. I am hoping he will be able to learn awareness of his emotions in therapy and then learn some new coping skills to deal with his true emotion. I've been working on a mood chart with him everyday and it is easier to remember what events preceeded the rage. For example, one of his outbursts was due to anxiety about his court date a couple weeks ago. And then 3 days after that he had an episode of epic proportions with a suicide attempt. I think repressing true feelings can be dangerous sometimes, at least in his case.

wife, sry to hear about what ur husband is going through. Im dealing with so much stuff right now with my 16 yr old, and stress is not good for me I get angry. I neverrrrrr have been like this. I know I need help, but I dont know if its a med change or talking to my therapist....god I hate this!!!!!!

i went to my pdoc yesterday and she belives my ptsd isa causing the anger...we r working on a med plan..