When was the last time someone unexpectedly snapped at you for no good reason? Was that person a stranger? A friend? Co-worker? Your partner? Son or daughter? This "snapping" thing, by the way, can be a symptom of bipolar mania...not just someone having a bad day. Depending on the person and how often they experience these "about to snap" moments, hair-trigger irritability is, indeed, one of the signs of a possible mood disorder and bipolar disorder with mania (or mixed episodes) in particular.
"Snapping" as a result of an undiagnosed and/or untreated mood disorder requires no "real life event" to trigger one's angry feelings/behavior. If a person wakes up highly irritated...or was fine until 3:00PM and then began to feel angrier and angrier "out of nowhere"---this is how a mood disorder involving mania or manic episodes roll. There is nothing that is "happening" to explain a person's feelings in this regard. Feeling pi**ed off, angry, irritated, and restless (in a bad way) just comes when it comes---and goes when it goes.
With personality disorders, being irritated or snapping occurs because of some "bad" event that has taken place beforehand. A person might wake up and because it is raining outside, that's enough of a "bad" event to trigger one's disappointment and subsequent irritability and angry feelings. For someone else, the rain isn't the problem..it's finding out that the dog vomited on the carpet which does it. Real life events that are perceived as "bad" represent the biggest triggers for someone who struggles with a personality disorder. Along with this, there are those individuals who are triggered by "imagined" bad events (haven't happened yet!) which lead to their own angry feelings and irritability. The kid who doesn't want to go with his parents to the lake this weekend because it is "boring"; the employee who has to give a presentation at 7:00AM tomorrow morning to the executive board. The business owner who is flipping out because his business is "down" this quarter; all of these are examples of imagined "what if" scenarios than can quickly move a person from being "o.k." to being and feeling highly irritated and angry.
So...what is someone supposed to do if they recognize themselves as a result of reading this post? I would encourage you to keep a "mood chart" for one month just to see what pattern(s) are present when it comes to your own irritability and angry moments. Being and becoming more self-aware of your irritable feelings and anger when they pop up is not a bad thing. The mood chart is merely a means of tracking "when" they pop up over the course of a 24 hour period. Those tiny spiral-bound notebooks at the drugstore are a perfect "tool" to use in recording such mood changes. An example of a series of entries for "DAY ONE" may look something like this:
6:00AM: Never anything to eat for breakfast around here; what does my wife do all day?
7:30AM: Driving in rush hour and very upset. Thinking about nothing but how much I hate rush hour!
10:30AM: Sister called and wants me to go over there after work. I'm pi**ed off.
3:30PM: Went for a "poof" with my buddy from work. Had a couple beers. Noise on t.v. set bothered me; too loud!
5:30PM: Whoops I forgot I was supposed to go to my sister's house; feel good though!
6:30PM: I went into son's room and about blew a cork. Such a pig pen in there! He's a slob!
11:00PM: Going to bed now; feel fine. No other angry or irritated incidents I can think of since this morning to report...
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There are mood chart templates online (free) that a person may use to track his or her irritable and angry feelings if the mini notebook isn't preferred.
Another example of one's Mood Chart may include entries like these:
DAY FIVE
10:00AM: I've been irritable all morning since I woke up. I can't figure out why. I have been more tired lately and haven't gotten much sleep this past week. Maybe that's it?
12:30PM: I feel much better now. Am going to go out and run some errands.
4:00PM: I wonder if I have low blood sugar or something? I feel like I want to rip someone's head off!
6:30PM: Husband announces after coming home that we are invited to a party this Saturday. Whoop dee doo. All of these last minute social invites irritate me for sure.
12:30AM: Goodnite. Now I can't sleep. Fabulous. Wide awake and like my body's being run by a motor. Ugh!
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Too many of us don't want to notice or acknowledge our own or another's "about to snap" behaviors. After all, there is no fun associated with being irritable or angry! By being willing to initially explore what's going on, when, and under what circumstances can be extremely helpful in empowering us to get and do better.
Next time, we'll talk more about what works (and what doesn't!) in managing "about to snap" moments...
"Snapping" as a result of an undiagnosed and/or untreated mood disorder requires no "real life event" to trigger one's angry feelings/behavior. If a person wakes up highly irritated...or was fine until 3:00PM and then began to feel angrier and angrier "out of nowhere"---this is how a mood disorder involving mania or manic episodes roll. There is nothing that is "happening" to explain a person's feelings in this regard. Feeling pi**ed off, angry, irritated, and restless (in a bad way) just comes when it comes---and goes when it goes.
With personality disorders, being irritated or snapping occurs because of some "bad" event that has taken place beforehand. A person might wake up and because it is raining outside, that's enough of a "bad" event to trigger one's disappointment and subsequent irritability and angry feelings. For someone else, the rain isn't the problem..it's finding out that the dog vomited on the carpet which does it. Real life events that are perceived as "bad" represent the biggest triggers for someone who struggles with a personality disorder. Along with this, there are those individuals who are triggered by "imagined" bad events (haven't happened yet!) which lead to their own angry feelings and irritability. The kid who doesn't want to go with his parents to the lake this weekend because it is "boring"; the employee who has to give a presentation at 7:00AM tomorrow morning to the executive board. The business owner who is flipping out because his business is "down" this quarter; all of these are examples of imagined "what if" scenarios than can quickly move a person from being "o.k." to being and feeling highly irritated and angry.
So...what is someone supposed to do if they recognize themselves as a result of reading this post? I would encourage you to keep a "mood chart" for one month just to see what pattern(s) are present when it comes to your own irritability and angry moments. Being and becoming more self-aware of your irritable feelings and anger when they pop up is not a bad thing. The mood chart is merely a means of tracking "when" they pop up over the course of a 24 hour period. Those tiny spiral-bound notebooks at the drugstore are a perfect "tool" to use in recording such mood changes. An example of a series of entries for "DAY ONE" may look something like this:
6:00AM: Never anything to eat for breakfast around here; what does my wife do all day?
7:30AM: Driving in rush hour and very upset. Thinking about nothing but how much I hate rush hour!
10:30AM: Sister called and wants me to go over there after work. I'm pi**ed off.
3:30PM: Went for a "poof" with my buddy from work. Had a couple beers. Noise on t.v. set bothered me; too loud!
5:30PM: Whoops I forgot I was supposed to go to my sister's house; feel good though!
6:30PM: I went into son's room and about blew a cork. Such a pig pen in there! He's a slob!
11:00PM: Going to bed now; feel fine. No other angry or irritated incidents I can think of since this morning to report...
------------
There are mood chart templates online (free) that a person may use to track his or her irritable and angry feelings if the mini notebook isn't preferred.
Another example of one's Mood Chart may include entries like these:
DAY FIVE
10:00AM: I've been irritable all morning since I woke up. I can't figure out why. I have been more tired lately and haven't gotten much sleep this past week. Maybe that's it?
12:30PM: I feel much better now. Am going to go out and run some errands.
4:00PM: I wonder if I have low blood sugar or something? I feel like I want to rip someone's head off!
6:30PM: Husband announces after coming home that we are invited to a party this Saturday. Whoop dee doo. All of these last minute social invites irritate me for sure.
12:30AM: Goodnite. Now I can't sleep. Fabulous. Wide awake and like my body's being run by a motor. Ugh!
-----------------
Too many of us don't want to notice or acknowledge our own or another's "about to snap" behaviors. After all, there is no fun associated with being irritable or angry! By being willing to initially explore what's going on, when, and under what circumstances can be extremely helpful in empowering us to get and do better.
Next time, we'll talk more about what works (and what doesn't!) in managing "about to snap" moments...