Anger

[wj74]

How do you manage it? Do you use meds, like anti-anxiety type drugs, something else? Or do you use natural methods to chill out? I'm getting frustrated. I was doing really well on my meds but lately i've been more moody again and the agitation is coming back. I'm not nice to be around while depressed, not at all. :(

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Yeah, I think the highest daily dose is 30mg of it so you can go up in 5 more increments.  I find it funny how some meds only take really small doses to be effective but then you have like Geodon that can go up to 160mg a day.

[wj74]

That's good, I have some room to increase, I'm only on 5 mg. :)

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Yeah the higher the dose is to how much you actually need the better you will be although I don't think it all goes away entirely, ever.  However you can't go past the highest daily recommended dose because it stops having therapeutic effects and just starts having more bad side effects at that point.

[wj74]

I'm still on a low dose of Abilify, maybe as the dose increases it will get better?

[starbunny]

Adel is right, before I took seroquel and I was just on mood stabiliser I used to 'flip out' when things would occasionally start speeding out of control  and anyone who was in my path would get it, wherever I was. I would end up shaking and crying. Luckily it was so unlike me that it was obvious to those who knew me that it was my illness. Seroquel took care of this, and a lot of other symptoms at the same time.  

[adel_ezz]

For anger/mixed states I found that seroquel never failed me.

[wj74]

I try to get enough sleep. 9-10 hours would be about right for me but most days it's more like 8. The food is harder for me, I have a sweet tooth and I love coffee. I try though. I am going to bring it up at my next appt with the therapist, but I'm not sure what she's going to be able to do... it's not even justified anger. It's like a short burst of rage over not much. :( Then 5 seconds later I'm fine and I feel guilty for flipping out.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I write rants on my website to get it all out so it's not directed at anyone directly as anger directed towards someone usually doesn't fix things but is still there where someone can listen to it if you know what I mean.  I try to just let it go or train myself to not even get mad at all.

[juliagulia45]

For me, talk therapy and balance of food intake and sleep regulation seem to be more effective for that one specific symptom of anger. I try to eat regularly and as healthy as possible. Protein balances blood sugar levels, which seems to help with mood. I try to get enough sleep (which for me is about 9-10 hours because of my meds, a lot, I know, but that's just how it is). I also have found working with my therapist to understand my anger, validate it as needed, and work through it has been extremely helpful.

As for meds, I am on Xanax for anxiety, and Lamictal, and tapering off of Trileptal right now. The Lamictal helps with depressive symptoms and keeps me from bouncing off the walls too much when a bit manic. The Xanax helps with anxiety. So, no, I have not found meds to help as much with anger as the food/sleep/therapy combo I am currently working with. Oh, and exercise too seems to help, especially walking, skiing or yoga for me.

[wj74]

I use a mood tracker every day. I should note the time of day..

[imsmiley12]

it may help you to make a mood journal.  just day, time current meds and dosages and how you are feeling.  whether the occurance of a mood is increasing or decreasing ect.  it may help your pdoc figure things out.

[wj74]

Yes, hiding does help some. I do have kids though so it doesn't last long. :) This is new to all of us but my husband is starting to see when I'm losing it and I'm trying to remember to ask him to help me. I was always the patient one and now I'm not. I can hold it together at work, but home is a different story on a bad day. I hope this goes away as the meds increase...

Yes, I'm glad I'm not alone.

[imsmiley12]

OMG I hear my thoughts coming out of your mouth!!  lol  However, I know the cause of my "unreasonable bitchiness" is the med the pdoc has me on.  What I do when I am having an "attack" is remove myself as much as possible from people.  I usually come hide on the internet and just try to concentrate on something else until I feel calmer then I go deal with what I have to.  Thankfully I have my better half to deal with the important things and he just let's me handle what I can when I can.  Also, my daughter is 15 so I don't have to worry about her so much either.  Hope this helped a little.  At least you have the knowledge YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!

[wj74]

Thank you for your thoughts. I do think I need either more time on the meds, or a dose increase. I am titrating up on the meds right now. I'm going to say it's a mood swing thing, since it does go away. I'm okay right now but not great. It is usually things that would annoy other people but I'm going off the deep end instead of dealing with it calmly. I will mention it at my next visit. I wondered if anti-anxiety meds were an option, just for when I get too bad.

[ILADVOCATE]

I try to redirect it by doing something specific and constructive about it by trying to identify what the cause of it was and how to handle it. I do take Klonopin which is right now prescribed for dystonic spasms and before I acquired my physical disability used as a side effect pill. Years ago before that I was given it as an anti-anxiety medication (by a different psychiatrist) to take as needed as honestly I declined because I got concerned I would overuse it. People are exposed to everyday stress and taking medication at that time won't always solve it. Then again what you are describing sounds like depression and an agitated mixed state which might mean the mood stabilizer you are taking is not working but only a psychiatrist would know for sure but you should discuss it with them. Its important to differentiate everyday anger in reaction to events, over reaction to events that make a person angry and mixed states and other mood variances but only a psychiatrist could understand the specific difference in each person but once treatment is adjusted specific coping solutions and ideas could be discussed with a talk therapist such as finding out and developing coping solutions around emotional trigger points which is one essential concept.