Depression is a very common condition that millions of people deal with each day. It is currently estimated that more than 264 million people are suffering from depression globally. Knowing this, it’s easy to see that depression isn’t something you should shy away from talking about. It’s a very real health condition that makes it harder for people to get through life. If you’re dealing with severe depression symptoms right now, then you might be having a hard time realizing many of your life goals.
It’s also true that many people develop what is known as angry depression. Angry depression isn’t too uncommon, and it involves lashing out in anger at others due to the depression you’re feeling inside. It can certainly be very tough to cope with anger as a depression symptom, which makes it so hard not to lash out at others. Sadly, people who experience angry depression will often have angry outbursts directed at the people they love the most. What can you do when your depression is causing you to lash out like this?
Keep reading to learn more about angry depression and what can be done to cope with it better. If you’re able to educate yourself about depression, you might take important steps to turn things around. A depression diagnosis isn’t something that means that you’re going to feel terrible for the rest of your life. Millions of people learn to cope with depression effectively, and even angry depression can be curbed. After you’ve read the information below, you should feel much more confident about taking steps to mitigate your depression issues.
Anger And Irritability
Many people go through life knowing that they’re angry or irritable individuals. These people are often not aware that their anger and irritability might be caused by depression. Not everyone makes the connection between anger and depression because they aren’t comfortable talking about mental health topics. Some people saw mental health topics as somewhat taboo in the past, and some men think that depression somehow weakens them. This is nonsensical, but that doesn’t mean that people haven’t thought that way for many years now.
If you find yourself feeling angry all the time, then that could definitely be related to depression. You might be depressed about things that you don’t even realize you’re depressed about. It can be hard to come to terms with your feelings sometimes, and you might need help to understand why you’re feeling as angry as you are. These depression angry reactions are just emotions that you have bubbling to the surface when you can’t contain them any longer.
It has been said that depression is anger turned inward, making more sense when you think about it like that. Some people who feel depressed will mostly beat themselves up about how they’re feeling or what their life situations are looking like. Those who have depression angry reactions will be more likely to lash out at others. Instead of turning their depression inward like usual, they’re going to attack others. The type of depression response that you have can be based on various factors. If you want to understand more about it, it might be necessary to work with a therapist.
What Causes Angry Depression?
Figuring out what causes angry depression is not so easy. You see, there are many potential causes of depression, and your depression might be caused by something very unique to your situation. Some people will get depressed because of things that they’re dealing with in life. You might get depressed when a loved one dies, or you could get very depressed when you’re going through a divorce. Depression can even simply be caused by dealing with an abundance of stress in your daily life, and many people aren’t as good at coping with stress as they should be.
To figure out what is causing your depression, it’s going to be best to objectively look at your situation. This can be hard to do when you’re the person who is experiencing everything. A trusted family member or friend might be able to give you more perspective about what issues you might be thinking, though. If you’re worried about lashing out at others due to your anger, then you might be better off working with professionals. Some people can help you to get to the bottom of your anger issues.
Depression Treatment Options
Depression treatment options can help to alleviate depression symptoms over time. The first thing that you will need to do is make an appointment with your doctor. If you’re not sure if you’re depressed or not and need some convincing, then taking a depression test might help you out. These tests are good for helping you to determine whether you’re going through depression symptoms. Once you know more, it’ll be easier to go through with making that appointment with your doctor so that you can get your issues resolved.
Some people who are experiencing angry depression will benefit from simply taking antidepressants. These can have a calming effect in some ways and will help you to feel way less depressed than usual. If you’re having significant anger issues, you might need to take something else to help. Doctors can prescribe medications known as mood stabilizers that can help you to avoid angry outbursts. Overall, these have proven to be very effective for many people with anger issues. Your doctor will determine what is best after diagnosing you with a specific type of depression.
It can be effective to go to therapy to get help with depression as well. Not only can a therapist help you to understand your depression better, but they will also be able to address your anger problems. Lashing out in anger is problematic, whether you’re talking about your personal life or professional life. You can learn how to control your angry impulses by working with a therapist over time. They’re very experienced when it comes to helping people overcome anger issues. Sometimes just working through depression issues can help to alleviate angry impulses as well.
Reduce Stress Levels
When you have anger that causes you to lash out, it will be common for it to be related to stress. Most people who are depressed are dealing with some type of stress. If your anger is getting really bad, you should try to make things better by reducing your stress levels. Those who go through therapy will likely hear information from their therapists about stress and how important it is to manage it properly. If you develop good methods for alleviating stress, then you’ll be much less likely to lash out at your family or friends.
One good idea is to simply take some time to do activities that help you to feel calm. Many people look for hobbies that are specifically meant to reduce stress levels. Doing activities such as gardening, playing music, knitting, and building things can help you feel less stressed. You don’t have to limit yourself to hobbies like this if they don’t appeal to you, though. Even just reading a good book or playing a game with friends can reduce your stress levels. It’s more about doing something that you find to be relaxing.
Exercise is fantastic for getting your stress levels down as well, and you should try to make working out a regular thing. If you can start a workout routine that will help you to reduce your stress levels, then you’ll be much less likely to lash out in anger. Consider working with your doctor to come up with a good exercise routine that you can do safely. It’s usually good to consult your physician when starting a new exercise routine if you need advice about whether something is safe to do. Some people need to avoid certain types of exercise due to physical limitations or medications they might take.
Work On Coping Mechanisms
Coping mechanisms are going to be your secret weapon when you’re trying to live with angry depression. A coping mechanism is something that you can do to try to calm yourself down at the moment. If you work with your therapist, then you’ll be able to develop these so that you can get through your day without having an angry outburst. A good example of a simple coping mechanism involves closing your eyes and breathing deeply. When you feel yourself getting angry, you can simply close your eyes and count to ten while taking deep breaths.
If this works as it is intended to, then you’ll be able to feel much better about things, and you’ll avoid saying something mean or yelling. Not everyone is good at using coping mechanisms at first. You kind of need to be able to catch yourself before you get too angry so that you can calm yourself down. If you can do this properly, you’ll be much more likely to get through your day without having any big issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is anger a common symptom of depression?
Can depression make you angry and violent?
Is there a mental illness that makes you angry?
Why do I get angry so easily?
Why am I so angry all the time?
Why do I get so angry over little things?
How do I stop being so angry?
Is anger a symptom of anxiety?
What does a BPD episode look like?
What are the types of anger?
