Angry or Depressed? Why Anger May Be the Sign of Depression?

Why you can’t stop yourself from yelling or shouting at people around you?

Maybe you are easily irritable, short-tempered, or grouchy.

You may even snap or want to snap at whosoever come in front of you, but why this happens all the time?

Why you always angry? Where does this anger come from?

This may happen because you are doing the things that you don’t like (or want) to do. You are saying yes for the things you wanted to say no. You are suffering due to your weak boundaries. You always do things for others that you never feel comfortable doing it.

Even if you think this way, still you cannot make the connection says Dr. Shashi Bhusan Kumar, a consultant Neuro Psychiatrist and De-Addiction specialist in New Delhi.Anger may be the symptom of depression.

Most people think that crying continuously and not coming out of bed are the only symptoms of depression, but it isn’t the complete truth. There could be several signs and symptoms of depression, Dr. S.B.Kumar said.

Feeling irritable and angry all the time may be a sign of depression. So, you might be suffering from depression but are unable to realize it. Because even it took four years for Swati, a software developer in Delhi, to realize that her anger was a sign of depression. She had been suffering for the last four years. Feeling always angry due to not getting enough sleep, tiring, and hectic schedules. She was drowning on her to-do-list, which was making it difficult for her to access her emotional coping skills.

Connection between Anger and Depression

Often people think anger is a person’s nature. But, this can be a sign or symptom of depression. Anger can be a common emotion in those people who are experiencing depression. You may get angry on people, your current or past situations. And this get difficult to control to the point when your depression starts affecting your personal and professional relationship.

To know the relation between anger and depression, you will have to understand what depression and anger are.

What is Depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that reflects how a person talks, thinks, behaves, works, feels, and interferes with daily activities. Well, depression is a diagnosable mental health disorder that involves low mood that affects a person’s thinking ability and concentration power. He/she faces trouble in sleeping.

  • Following are the symptoms of depression: –
  • Feeling Sad and anxious
  • Hopelessness
  • Irritability
  • Feeling of guilt, helplessness and worthlessness
  • Difficulty in sleeping
  • Changes in appetite
  • Headaches, pains, cramps, etc.
  • Thoughts of death and suicide

What is Anger?

Unlike depression, anger is not a diagnosable mental health disorder in fact, this is natural. This is a natural, but sometimes unwanted and irrational feeling that everyone experiences from time to time.

Anger and Depression

Anger is a common and natural emotion that can be critical when it isn’t responded to in an adaptive manner. When depressed, anger can take several different forms. Here are some examples of the types of anger you might experience when you are depressed.

Ways to handle anger

Through the expressions you can deal with your anger:

Expression – This is the natural and common way to deal with anger. You should express what’s bothering you and this act can range from a rational and reasonable discussion to a violent outburst.

Suppression – This is an attempt to control your anger and convert it into more

Calming down – Try to console yourself by breathing in and out. You know you cannot run away from the situation or whatever is happening. And by controlling your internal behaviour by calming yourself, you can control your outward behavior.

Can Angry Make You Ill?

Angry is a natural emotion until and unless it is unnecessary or unwanted. People who get angry all the time may suffer many health issues.

The experts say that our bodies releases hormones adrenaline and cortisol when we are angry just like when we are stressed. So, as a result this may increases our blood pressure, body temperature, pulse, and breathing rate.

Being angry regularly or for a longer period of time can affect your mental and physical health. You will start facing the common health issues like: –

  • Aches and pains
  • Trouble in sleeping
  • Pains
  • Problems with digestion
  • Skin disorder

Anger may cause mental illness as well, such as: –

  • Substance abusing
  • Depression
  • Eating disorder
  • Alcoholism
  • Self-injury
  • Reduced self-confidence

So, it’s clear that angry can make you ill or it is not good for your health. If you always being too stressed or angry then you must seek professional’s help.

Angry isn’t bad always. Feeling angry doesn’t mean you are not good or your behavior is not good. In fact, this protects from a person walking all over you. You can motivate yourself to do some positive things which will keep you happy and stress-free. The key point is managing your anger in a healthy way.

So, what’s the best way to manage your stress? Here are some important points that will help you for anger management.

When Is Professional Help Needed?

Controlling or managing anger can be a challenge for everyone at times. Hence, consider seeking help from professionals for anger issues. If your anger seems out of control, and causing you to do destructive things like hurting your near and dear ones, or is affecting your personal and professional relationships then you should take professional assistance. For this you can consult a best psychiatrist in Delhi that can also tell you if your anger is the sign of depression. And, will recommend the best medications and treatments whatever will be the best for you.

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