| Are you involved in a close relationship with someone | | | | developing, and they are finding themselves in a difficult |
| whose occasional outbursts of temper at times shock | | | | and uncomfortable transition period in their lives. It's |
| and surprise you? Do you find yourself sometimes | | | | natural for a teenager to be angry. It can be difficult to |
| looking at your teenage son and wondering where all | | | | tell the difference between bipolar disorder and the |
| of this sudden rage could have come from, when you | | | | natural discomfort of teenagers until they've aged a |
| have provided him a happy home? Is your relationship | | | | little, and have begun to exhibit regular patterns of |
| with your wife one you would describe as loving and | | | | recurring depressions and manias. However, if you are |
| happy, if only it wasn't interrupted by her recurring | | | | concerned that your teenager's anger is an ongoing |
| bouts of irritability and anger over what seems to you | | | | and uncontrollable problem, it's best to get him checked |
| like trivial things? | | | | out by a doctor, psychiatrist and/or therapist. |
| While people can and often do become overwhelmed | | | | While it's possible that recurring fits of inappropriate |
| by negative emotions that they're unable to handle | | | | anger in your loved one may be a result of bipolar |
| without having a major psychiatric disorder, there is | | | | disorder, it's important not to jump to any conclusions. |
| also the possibility that your loved one is suffering from | | | | Only a qualified professional can make that diagnosis, |
| bipolar disorder and that's what is causing these angry | | | | and many normal' people simply cannot handle their |
| eruptions. | | | | tempers, or do not care to. Outbursts of anger alone |
| Bipolar disorder is characterized by shifting moods and | | | | cannot be used to make a diagnosis of bipolar |
| emotional volatility. When a person with bipolar disorder | | | | disorder, many other signs and symptoms have to be |
| is not well, they can be very reactive and more easily | | | | present. There are other psychiatric disorders that can |
| provoked into sudden outbursts of anger. Irritability and | | | | be characterized by angry outbursts, such as major |
| anger is one of the usual symptoms of bipolar | | | | depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder, |
| episodes in both depression and mania. What may | | | | schizoaffective disorder, cyclothymic disorder, |
| seem like an abnormally explosive reaction to you may | | | | substance induced mood disorder, and intermittent |
| be something that the person with bipolar disorder in | | | | explosive disorder. |
| an episode may see as very natural, feeling that they | | | | If your loved one can be encouraged to get help, you |
| had every right to be angry and express themselves | | | | may both find out that it's a psychiatric disorder |
| in that way. When in an episode, a person with bipolar | | | | causing his or her angry outbursts. That information will |
| disorder usually does not have perspective on the | | | | help you both gain perspective and understanding. You |
| appropriateness of their reactions, and may often see | | | | will realize that his or her anger is not an attack on you |
| their anger as being justifiable. | | | | - you didn't cause the inappropriate anger, it's the result |
| The thing is, everyone gets irritated and annoyed. It's | | | | of a mental illness. Knowing this will help you have |
| just that people in the midst of a bipolar episode are | | | | compassion for your loved one as you support him or |
| especially volatile and express their irritability in a higher | | | | her in getting help. Realizing that your loved one's anger |
| intensity than someone who is normal'. | | | | is coming from a major psychiatric disorder can help |
| Bipolar disorder can be hard to recognize when it has | | | | protect you emotionally from taking their anger |
| gone undiagnosed. One can generally expect | | | | personally. When your loved one reacts inappropriately |
| emotional volatility and hostility from teenagers. Their | | | | in anger, you will be less likely to hold it against him or |
| hormones are out of control, their brains are still | | | | her, and your relationship will improve. |