Anger bipolar episodes in Bipolar Affective Disorder: what are they?

A Quick Guide

Bipolar affective disorder is a serious psychological condition related to disturbance of mood. A person diagnosed with it may exhibit alternate extremes of mood episodes. One of the mood states is called mania in which the person is elated, energetic, and has increased libido. At the same time, the person may shift to a depressive episode which is the complete opposite. In this, a person experiences low mood, tearfulness, exhaustion, and increased libido. Recently the role of anger in bipolar episodes is being increasingly recognized especially during depressive episodes of bipolar affective disorder.

What are anger bipolar episodes?

Anger bipolar episodes simply refer to anger attacks during depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. The person undergoes certain episodes of intense anger. This brings with it high arousal of the autonomic nervous system. Previously, the role of anger attacks was recognized in major depressive disorder. However, recent studies have shown that anger attacks are more likely to be common among bipolar disorder rather than unipolar depression. In fact, anger attacks often predict bipolarity in an individual and can be recognized as its prominent feature.

Doesn’t anger occur in manic episodes?

In the past, it was widely established that anger or irritable mood was the core defining feature of a manic episode. Especially in mixed states of bipolar disorder and active mania, irritability, anger outbursts, and hostile behavior is apparent in individuals. Today, surprisingly, irritability has also been found to be prominent in pure depressive episodes of bipolar disorder.

What does an anger bipolar episode look like?

A typical anger bipolar episode may be characterized by irritability and overreaction to minor annoyances of daily life. The person may show excessive or inappropriate anger with associated symptoms at least once a month. For example, physical symptoms like tachycardia (irregular heartbeat), and diaphoresis (excessive sweating) may be common. Similarly, psychological symptoms may also be present. For instance, the person may experience a sudden desire to attack others or verbally shout at people. Some people even show behavioral symptoms like throwing objects at others, attacking people, or destroying items and things in their surroundings.

What to do if you have anger bipolar episodes?

If you think that you are struggling with anger attacks during your depressive episodes, it is suggested that you inform your psychiatrist and therapist immediately. It is likely that the psychiatrist will use medication to manage your symptoms of anger. Especially, SSRIs may show promise in managing excessive anger. However, research on its effectiveness is still underway.

Meanwhile, it is recommended that you consult a mental health professional and undergo anger management training. This training may focus on your ability to identify your negative feelings and regulate them in an adaptive manner. The therapist may even teach you effective strategies to regulate your anger before it becomes extreme. For example, relaxation exercises like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and guided imagery may help you to channel the underlying emotions in a healthy way. These exercises may also calm down the autonomic arousal in our bodies.

We hope the above article was helpful for you in understanding bipolar anger attacks, their manifestation, and management. To find out more about bipolar disorder, check out the related articles.