Anger problems
Hey people, I don't know if this is exactly the place to put this, but I'm assuming since anger problems CAN affect how you're viewed socially, I can post this topic here. Either way, this is my first post in a while, and probably my first post since my official ADHD diagnosis.
As I've been in college, I've gone through many ups and downs, and lived in several different situations from dorms to living in a giant house with my bandmates to currently living on my own. But I've never had huge recurring anger problems until last spring (the tail end of my living with bandmates) and continuing onto now. It's never over huge things, either. Probably my biggest fit was last week when I couldn't figure out how the sewing machine I finally cracked open worked.
In my bouts of anger, I can't control how I bite myself, smash things, or tear up my own clothes. It just seems like I need to destroy something. I went to therapy, but none of the therapy sessions could be sound with my schedule, so I can't do that. I never manage to be angry around any of my friends or at work, so I'm assuming this might be something due to isolation depression.
Do any of you people have any coping methods for dealing with depression and sudden anger bursts? The absolute last thing that I want to have happen is for someone I really like to see this side of me at its worse. It's already happened in front of two of my best friends, and I've lost a girlfriend because of it.
Also, I'd prefer to not have stress balls, as those turn into projectiles. For context onto why I'm writing this convoluted thread, it's because a simple anatomy drawing exercise turned into me almost smashing my leg in because I couldn't finish the drawings in time and Paint tool sai kept resetting its window.
TL;DR, my anger is becoming too much of a burden and I need help coping. Any ideas?
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"It takes less courage to criticize the decisions of others than to stand by your own" - Attila the Hun
You should really get into kickboxing, martial arts, or something physical.
If you're in Europe, something like rugby or "football" (soccer). If you're in America, something like "touch football."
This would channel your anger.
I know, when I am not active in something, that I tend to get anger outbursts.
Thanks, kraftie! I'm thinking getting a punching bag could work so long as it's durable enough to hit consistently. I've always been more of a peaceful person and would never want to harm anyone else. Thus, I don't really like American Football, and in general, I find masculinity repulsive. I've tried other physical methods like yoga, but my thoughts keep racing. In general, the most soothing thing I can do to myself is draw and watch youtube. Then again, that's exactly what I was doing when I got into my fit last night.
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"It takes less courage to criticize the decisions of others than to stand by your own" - Attila the Hun
dossa
Veteran
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Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,590
Location: The right side of my couch...
What is your housing situation like? You mention living alone, but is it a house, duplex, apartment, something else?
Curious as well, you mention not wanting to turn stress balls into projectiles... but what if you could have a place in your home designated to projectiles... would that be an okay thing to do? I ask because I have been known to hurl objects about while falling apart, so I set up a corner in my basement for 'dossa smash' moments. I had all of these big, old, ceramic tiles and I would go down there and scream, yell, and chuck those things into the walls... go all out ballistic with it. It was really helpful for me for a few years and added bonus, I could use all the busted tile bits to make mosaic projects. I also got into whacking apples with a bat, cracking old 2x4's into the basement walls (thank goodness for cement walls... lulz), make shift punching/stabbing/bat whacking bags... Old jeans sewn together into punching bag shapes stuffed with more old jeans are the best ever for that because if you destroy them you're not out much and you can generally find fugly old jeans dirt cheap at thrift shops. If you wanna get more crafty with it, you can always mount that kind of thing on a wall using 2x4's to heights that are in both kicking and hitting range... you can also put a softer stuffed type at head level if you ever knock your head into walls in anger... not sure if you do, but just an idea. While on thrift store clothing talk... if you shred your clothing, could you just buy crap clothes just to shred? Not sure how you feel about it, but if you tend to go towards things like that, why not roll with it but find things you don't care about too wreck?
Grrrr removal ideas aside...
Really the best thing I ever did to lessen my dossa smash moments was prevention. I needed to figure out what was going on and setting me off and tweak my life and such to be better able to function within it. I kinda did a life overhaul and while the smash coping techniques were very helpful to me, the removing of unnecessary stress, pacing myself, taking more alone/down time, figuring out what made things better and worse, yadda yadda... that was the stuff that helped me the most.
I do hope this finds you feeling better and that your leg is okay.
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"...don't ask me why it's just the nature of my groove..."