Labeled as an Angry Person by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT
Sometimes an individual will get labeled, or looked at, as an angry person. This can occur when others watched an individual have an angry outburst while in a mood episode, or if a person was on the receiving end of the angry outburst. When others do not know the individual’s personal struggle with mood shifts, or are not informed about mood disorders, they label the individual as angry and don’t see the individual in any other way.
This leaves the individual who is living with a mood disorder to feel misunderstood, embarrassed, sad, rejected, frustrated, or angrier. The individual may feel unsure about how to repair the relationship with the other person or how to regain their reputation. The individual may make attempts to apologize or explain themselves, only for it to go unheard because the other person has made up their mind about who they think is front of them.
Things to consider:
Irritability is a symptom of bipolar disorder. Also, some individuals express sadness as irritability or anger.
The emotion you felt in that moment is valid. It’s okay to have feelings, including irritability and anger.
Not everyone will understand your experience. Read that again. This is a difficult one, but I don’t sugar coat things. Good news: there are people who WILL understand. There are people will be supportive and come from a place of understanding. It’s important to have these positive people in your life.
There are things you can do in the moment so that the irritability and anger don’t spill over into behaviors that you may regret later.
If you’re noticing that this is impacting major areas of your life like work, school, relationships, or how you feel about yourself, a mental health professional can help.
You don’t have to do this alone. I specialize in bipolar disorder. If you are interested in receiving therapy with me, let’s schedule a free 15-minute phone consult.
I provide video therapy to individuasl who live in all counties in the state of California, including Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Alameda, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Marin, and Sacramento, to name a few. My office is located in Irvine, which is near Newport Beach, Orange, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Tustin, Seal Beach, and beyond. I work with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and Asian American & Pacific Islanders.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. The topics being discussed are meant as a self-help tool for you own use. It is not psychotherapy or counseling. This information is to be used based on your own judgment. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly.
**IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. **