With professional treatment, coping mechanisms, medication, and other strategies, you can learn to control anger and your reactions to it, even in the depths of a bipolar episode.
Anyone with bipolar disorder who experiences rage or uncontrollable anger must learn how to manage the emotions that come from their condition. With treatment, they can begin to understand why they might experience rapid-onset mood swings.
As with many emotions, however, people with bipolar disorder appear to be more vulnerable to extreme reactions. “Everyone can become frustrated or angry, but loss of control can be part and parcel of bipolar disorder rage,” says Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, president and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
The known maladaptive types of coping mechanisms, or negative coping skills, evident in BD patients are “… rumination, catastrophism, self-blame, substance use, risk-taking, behavioral disengagement, problem-direct coping, venting of emotions, or mental disengagement” (Apaydin & Atagun, 2018).
You may also suffer from delusions or hallucinations that could make you take risks you wouldn't normally take. One of the hallmark signs of mania is impaired judgment. This causes you to participate in extremely risky or dangerous behaviors. You do things without even considering the consequences of your actions.
Don't take comments or behavior personally. During periods of high energy, a person often says and does things that he or she would not usually say or do. This can include focusing on negative aspects of others. If needed, stay away from the person and avoid arguments.
Arguments with your spouse, chilly weather, grief — a number of scenarios may provoke bipolar mania or depression. Certain medications, seasonal changes, and alcohol could trigger bipolar mood episodes, experts say. Here's why. Bipolar disorder is characterized by unusual shifts in mood and energy.
Grandiosity and overconfidence. Easy tearfulness, frequent sadness. Needing little sleep to feel rested. Uncharacteristic impulsive behavior.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that can result in extreme shifts in mood. As this may affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, it may present challenges that can make it difficult to maintain friendships.
Anger is not an emotion that people typically associate with the up and down moods of bipolar disorder. Studies show, however, that individuals with this condition do experience more anger and aggression, and that these feelings are most intense during acute mood episodes.
A “bipolar meltdown” is, much like “bipolar anger,” a very stigmatizing phrase, and not something that really exists. The phrase “bipolar meltdown” could refer to a bipolar person having a manic episode or being in a depressed state.
These emotions have the potential to cause agitation, frustration, and general unhappiness. In order to deal with their emotional pain or to express their internal struggles, they may unintentionally lash out or say hurtful things.
You can be physically aggressive. Kicking things, slamming doors, punching walls, pushing against someone a bit too hard.
If you have bipolar and wish to repair relationships damaged by your behavior (whether while symptomatic or not), it is vital to first recognize the other person's feelings and pain. Admitting to your actions and acknowledging the harm they caused your loved one is a good first step in the process of making amends.
No two people with bipolar disorder share the same thoughts or experiences, but there are some common thought patterns among most folks who have it. This includes cyclical thinking, manic and/or depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and psychosis.
Many mental health conditions can make it difficult for a person to carry out day-to-day responsibilities, especially in the workplace. For example, in a survey done by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, 88% of surveyors reported that their condition negatively affected their ability to perform at work.
Patients with rapid changes between the two states are known to have manic depressive states or episodes. Without the appropriate treatment, bipolar behavior can destroy relationships, deteriorate the individual's health, and/or endanger their job.
It negatively impacts friendships and romantic relationships. Ghosting is done by many of us living with bipolar disorder, especially during bipolar depressive episodes.
Signs of Uncontrolled Anger
What are signs that you may have chronic anger management problems, or the kind of uncontrollable anger associated with bipolar episodes? According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): You're constantly angry or annoyed and are quick to overreact.
Is 'Messiness' a Sign of Bipolar Disorder? Changes in tidiness, personal hygiene, and how you organize your spaces may be a sign of a mood episode in bipolar disorder, but not always.