The Relationship Between Bipolar and Anger / Aggression
I am not an angry or an aggressive person. This is not to suggest I don’t have my moments, as we all do, but overall, I have far fewer issues with anger than most people I know. There are lots of reasons for this, I’m sure many have to do with my psychology the way I view anger (I view it as pointless and particularly undesirable).
Nevertheless, it seems that people with bipolar disorder do, on the whole, have anger issues. I’m a bit surprised to hear this as anger is not a diagnostic feature of bipolar disorder, but people write in again and again and talk about either having bipolar and being very angry or being with someone who has bipolar and this partner being very angry.
But are these just anecdotal accounts or do people with bipolar disorder have aggressive and angry tendencies?
Diagnosing Bipolar
When diagnosing bipolar disorder anger and aggression are actually not listed as symptoms. The closest symptom listed is irritation and that is present in manic, hypomanic and mixed moods. Irritability is known to manifest as aggressiveness and impatience with, or intolerance of, others.
But as stated, this is a mood-dependant characteristic. I, certainly, have felt this mood state. It’s very easy to be irritated with the world when you’re moving faster than everyone else, are more “brilliant” than everyone else and are simply “better” than everyone else. “Genius” gets irritated by the “little people” around it.
Aggression and Anger in Bipolar Disorder
But according to this new study,
Subjects with BP [bipolar disorder] display greater rates of anger and aggressive behaviors, especially during acute and psychotic episodes.
This study found that people with bipolar are aggressive when compared to people with other disorders and when compared to healthy controls and this relationship existed even when the person with bipolar disorder wasn’t in a mood episode (although those in a mood episode showed higher levels).
So apparently my feelings of less anger than the average person are the anecdote and those with bipolar experiencing greater anger and aggression are the average.
Dealing with Anger and Aggression in Bipolar Disorder
As the study states, people in acute mood episodes do show greater anger and aggression so, obviously, the first step is to get the bipolar disorder under control. Certainly when you’re feeling well, you have less to be angry about.
But if anger is still a problem with you, I highly recommend you talk openly about it and get some therapy, individual and couples therapy, where appropriate. This is because anger is a highly toxic emotion that can destroy the relationships in your life and diminish any interaction you may have with another person. Anger scares people and traumatizes them and in the end, most people, quite rightly, will not stand for unreasonable amounts of it.
The good news is that therapists have many techniques for dealing with anger and you just need to find the ones that work for you. Not only can therapists teach you these techniques, but they can also help you get in touch with things that may be driving your anger outside of the bipolar disorder. We all, after all, have our issues.
Regardless though, it’s important to remember that having bipolar doesn’t give you an excuse to take your anger out on those around you. Having bipolar gives you the responsibility of finding a way of dealing with the symptom, should it arise.
You can find Natasha Tracy on Facebook or GooglePlus or @Natasha_Tracy on Twitter.
APA Reference
Tracy, N.
(2013, February 4). The Relationship Between Bipolar and Anger / Aggression, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 21 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/breakingbipolar/2013/02/relationship-between-bipolar-anger-aggression
Author: Natasha Tracy
I'm not going to read your blog anymore. These comments have upset me so much. I had only ever read your articles never the comments. I'm not going to read anything anymore. If you give these people an outlet to disrespect and abuse us ... I don't' want anything more to do with it. Please take me off your blog list thing.
Hi Jennifer,
I'm sorry if the comments upset you. Many people have many different views here. If you would like to be removed from the blog list (I assume an email) the ability to get off that list will be in the email. (I can't do it for you, sorry.)
- Natasha Tracy
Sounds like you believe all individuals with bipolar disorder are serial killers, terrorists, child abusers...etc...claiming how unhappy it makes you that the public hasn't been warned about "what they do" geezus. . . You had a horrible relationship with an individual who suffers from bipolar disorder. But move on.
I’m sorry I meant they do not need to be left to cope alone
I meant people suffering with bipolar need support bu
"Please understand that all people who suffer with this debilitating disease need to be left to cope alone." Wow that's harsh and actually what makes having bipolar harder. I think what Jennifer in the previous post said was based on Righteous anger at the unfairness of painting everyone with the same brush. You said your daughter experienced this abuse? I don't believe you can blame her having aggression to her bipolar if anything she probably has to deal with anger at the way she was treated growing up. I get that this can be difficult for you but if a child grows up experiencing aggression and a lack of healthy boundaries is it any wonder that she wouldn't know how to manage her own? To say that "all people who suffer" are the same seems pretty wrong to me. I'll pray for you and your daughter that you learn to open up your heart to those who struggle. I think its important to recognize that mental health problems can result in negatively impacting relationships and that too often a diagnosis of BPD never comes alone but too often can be a cluster of different diagnosis i.e. PTSD, Anxiety, OCD etc... everyone struggles in different ways and life is messy. But while its important to be safe in ones relationships, caring enough to learn how to cope with a family members condition and learning skills and strategies that will help you reach out can make all the difference in the life of another person. You did not choose your daughter, but then she did not choose you (no one is perfect). No one gets to pick their family, we can't change other people but we can change the way we act based on a more positive understanding of each other and I believe empathy is really important (its great you are on this site reading about her condition). But true empathy means learning to put ourselves in the other persons shoes and not holding on to old hurts (done by them or other people) that will block our true understanding of where they are coming from. As to the previous post of a "national warning" about "these people"? That's just totally ignorant. I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with the guy you dated but not all "people" are like that. When you start talking about "us" v.s. "them" its rather sad. I prefer to think of everyone as a human being and as human beings we aren't perfect. So I'll forgive your imperfection if you can forgive mine :)
I was actually reading this blog hoping to get answers about why people with bp have anger issues. I have been diagnosed about a year now and I have always occasionally gotten mad but in the past couple of weeks I have been getting mad for no reason at all. I feel really bad for yelling at my wife and kiddo, I feel horrible about it like 5 minutes later. I really want to stop the cycle. I tried to join a support group online but they were mostly talking about illegal drugs (which i have never done). If this is a progression of BP maybe I should just tell my wife to leave, I really don't wanna put her or my son through this. Does anyone know if this is normal in bp, or could it possibly be the meds? I really freaking hate who I am becoming.
Hi Mike. 30 per cent of BP sufferers have anger issues, which is why I disliked the tone of Natasha's feature: she seems not to believe that a problem with anger can be a part of bipolar disorder - but it absolutely can. We can't help struggling with anger, any more than others can help having mania or depression. That said, it's a devil of a symptom to deal with because it's almost impossible to rein in when it takes a grip. However,take heart: I found DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy) VERY useful. This is usually only given to those with borderline personality disorder, as it was developed for them, but it's about all kinds of emotional regulation, which is why it helped me control my anger.
I persuaded my psychiatrist to get me into a group (I didn't 'qualify', not having borderline pd). But if you can't gain access to a DBT group, there's lots of it on the Net. I particularly recommend Kati Morton, who is an American clinical psychologist who specialises in DBT. She's brilliant - and as I said, DBT techniques really work to control angry outbursts. I've tried an anger management course, CBT (useless in my experience) and self-help measures including mindfulness. DBT wins hands down. Here's a link to one of her talks on calming anger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb3ii5lq0jM
Good luck Mike, I know it's not easy, but it IS possible to reduce anger attacks. Just remember that those of us who struggle with this strongest of emotions experience it more quickly, more often and for longer than those who don't have anger issues - and it really is NOT our fault. Best wishes...
As an infant, I was diagnosed bipolar. I now 22, I am not going to give a life , its full of ups and downs, meds, therapy, etc.
Ive had many relationships, many jobs, I will say this: My life sucks, too many people don't understand what it is, what its like, and how to deal with it.
Most people put on a face, then take advantage of it.
I read articles like this to try to understand my Father. My Father was diagnosed as having Bi-Polar disorder, and I had to live with him after he'd had a mental breakdown. He screamed bloody murder at me about: 1:Leaving pillows on top of crayons.2:Missing the TV repairman.3:Renting too many videos(this was the 80s)4:Needing to take an extra semester in college(a college where it took many even longer to graduate)5:Not auditioning at a theater where I'd acted before(he was a stage Father)6:Losing a mailbox key that was so tiny it was just too easy to lose(and HE'D lost it himself).7:Not learning about "Differences in people"(he thought I'd become a Middle-Class Snob)8:The MDA spending money on the telethon instead of research(not true, and not my fault anyway-he had to scream at SOMEBODY about that because his Mother was dying of Leukemia)-oh, I could go on and on. I'm trying to get an idea what being Bi-Polar is like so I can understand.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your comment. I can understand how hard it is to live with another person with bipolar disorder when that person's illness is not well controlled.
You might consider getting one or more books on bipolar disorder to get a fuller picture. I've written a book on bipolar and depression that encompasses a lot. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Marbles-Insights-Depression-Bipolar/dp/1539409147/ref=tmm_pap…
However, there are many other fine books as well. You may wish to give this one a try. It's by Julie Fast (who also has bipolar) and it's technically for the partner of someone with bipolar but I think it would be useful for you as well: https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Someone-Bipolar-Disorder-Understanding/dp/1608822192/ref=pd…
If those don't work for you, just search for "bipolar" on Amazon and see what speaks to you.
- Natasha Tracy
Sorry, Natasha, but I find the tone of your feature patronising and at times, judgemental. And it is very disappointing, as I was looking for help with a hideous symptom (anger), and not judgement. As you don't suffer from bipolar rage (and you are very lucky you don't - I didn't used to, then my BP got worse and I did, and do), you can't understand that it is impossible to control when it hits.
We bipolar sufferers have a mood disorder that can also affect our cognitive abilities. I have BP 1 and when I am manic or mixed, I absolutely can't control my agitation (which is the medical word for irritability/anger) and IS a 'diagnostic feature' of BP and I also teeter on the brink of psychosis (paranoia and delusions).
I can only control this explosiveness when I am not episodic. I don't want to be made to feel guilty about a symptom of mood dysregulation I cannot control when I am having yet another episode (which happens once a year in my case). Maybe you have no problem with anger, and maybe you are lucky. Everyone is different. There are probably other symptoms you have that I don't. Please don't generalise like this, it's moralistic and unhelpful.
Hi Light and Shade,
I'm sorry you find this judgemental but at no times do I talk about a judgment of those who suffer with this. In fact, I mention it's the "average" based on the study I cite.
I agree, it can be very difficult to control mood-episode symptoms when you're in the midst of a serious mood episode. But that's why I suggested learning new skills and getting counseling. That should happen when you're _not_ in an episode in order to help when you _are_ in an episode.
- Natasha Tracy
Yeah, I've done all that Natasha. I've lived with this for many years. Please try not to patronise me - or anyone else who reads your writing. You are not an authority on this subject.
I sit here crying my eyes out and not being able to help or even my family household. My son of 14yrs has been diagnosed with bipolar and has had extreme rages and aggressive, anger, and destruction periods. Its hard on the whole family. One minute he is ok and then something sets him off and he flips out breaking everything, yelling, screaming to top of lungs. We have found not one therapy to help him as he is refusing everything and that makes it hard to even help. I never know what or when he will go into a rage of anger. Sometimes I can see it right before it starts, but never can stop it. We all have to literally leave the house. So confused and lost on how to help him and still maintain the rest of the household. I have 2 sons. One is 16 and is always getting the short end due to his brother's bipolar.
He is young and as a parent you can still get him into treatment. There are so many types and kinds,I am sure you can search and find something for him on the internet.
What you don't want is him to end end up like my roommate.
My bipolar , out of countrol, has almost killed people, has attacked people, thinks she is better than everyone, etc and scares the living daylights out of me most of the day.
She is the Landlord 's sister. She has been here 11 months no treatment and off medication.
I am 59, She is 62, and very strong and large. Makes living at this rental house, like walking on egg shells every day.
She thinks nothing wrong with her and because she is an adult, we cannot force her into treatment.
Yes, actually we could, but the Landlord refuses. Its called the Florida Baker Act.
Google and see if your state has something similar.
This where the person is so out of the control that a doctor or police has you write a statement so the person is taken away, kicking and screaming for observation and treatment because , you are your wits end.
Worse case scenario.
So I am sure, if you find out your son's interest, you can get help for him at his early age, then wait for him to get as bad as my roommate.
And the real kicker, is my roommate thinks she is always in the right and did nothing wrong.
The roommate still talks with her victim in another state and wishes to go home, and yet her victim is so afraid that this lady, my roommate will kill her. Yet people don't want to be the one to take action, they dont want to be ' the bad' guy.