Depression doesn’t only look like lethargy and sadness. Many people struggling with depression experience anger as a symptom or as a response to their depression. And those who experience significant anger may find their depression is worsened by the compounding effects of their anger issues.
If you experience anger issues alongside depression, you may wonder if there are ways to treat your conditions simultaneously. Anger problems are not directly addressed by depression treatments, like taking antidepressants or undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS has, however, been shown to positively impact patients’ anger issues, especially alongside other therapeutic methods. If you’re wondering, “Will TMS fix anger issues,” we can help you navigate that question at Advantage TMS.
TMS is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared therapy for those suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
Many people with depression have underactive nerve cells in their pre-frontal cortexes. TMS therapy uses short magnetic pulses to stimulate these nerve cells to increase their function. Over a brief treatment period, patients experience heightened activity in the brain areas most closely linked to depression, which resets their brain chemistry.
In addition to depressive symptoms, the pre-frontal cortex is also connected to judgment, long-term thinking, and reaction. For people with diminished control of their emotions and anger, this stimulation may change their processing skills.
Depression and anger are connected in more ways than one. Depression can decrease one’s energy and thus contribute to irritability. It can create self-loathing, which turns anger inward. Depression can be frustrating itself, which can make patients angry about their experience or others’ inability to understand what they’re going through.
People with depression experience anger as a symptom of depression, a reaction to depression, or a co-occurring issue.
TMS is not a treatment for anger itself, but it can absolutely have positive results on anger. One study of 50 veterans with PTSD undergoing intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) – a form of TMS – found a decrease in self-reported anger symptoms. As your depression symptoms decrease with TMS and your mood stabilizes, you may find that your anger becomes easier to manage as well.
On the other hand, one study found that some patients undergoing TMS therapy experienced temporarily increased anger issues while going through treatment, though those patients reported better depression-reduction results overall. In some cases, anger issues might get worse before depression improves. At Advantage TMS, we take your mental health very seriously through the entire treatment process. If these are concerns prior to treatment or symptoms during treatment, we work with patients to understand, manage, and ease them.
If you’re experiencing anger issues, the right answer may be to tackle them directly. If your anger is negatively affecting your mood outside of your depression symptoms, that may be reason enough to seek help.
And if you find yourself unable to control your anger – snapping at friends and family members, getting into unreasonable fights, or even become physically violent – it’s certainly time to find a better way to manage your anger issues. Fortunately, there are many interventions that you can consider.
People suffering from anger issues have several options for improving their anger management skills, whether or not they have depressive symptoms.
One of the most common interventions for anger issues is cognitive behavioral therapy, also known as CBT. Also a viable treatment for depression, CBT helps patients work through adaptive coping skills when anger arises in a therapeutic environment. It helps them reframe their anger and move through it faster and more effectively.
If your anger is concentrated in specific relationships or has been negatively affecting people in your life, it may be beneficial to work through these issues in a neutral environment. With the help of a trained professional, you can work through your conflicts while having intervention should they spiral out of control. You can also see your triggers play out in real time so you can work through them.
In addition to joint counseling, you may still want to see an individual therapist to work through your individual issues and come up with healthy coping strategies away from your loved ones.
Sometimes, anger, resentment, and hostility can live in the body. Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between the body and mental health, empowering patients through breath work, mindfulness exercises to feel more present in their own skin.
Still, if you experience both anger issues and depression, TMS could easily go hand-in-hand with other strategies for managing your anger, and it may support the healing you’re doing elsewhere. TMS will not necessarily solve how you process irritation, frustration, or resentment, but it may help you achieve a more neutral emotional baseline.
When you experience multiple mental health issues at once, they can compound and exacerbate each other. Fortunately, treating them can work the same way. Improving your depressive symptoms can alleviate some of your anger. Managing your anger can save your energy and allow your support system to get closer to you.
TMS therapy is absolutely compatible with anger management work and therapy. When you work with Advantage TMS, you even get access to free therapy and coping skills sessions as a patient. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step towards managing both your depression and your anger today.
Our office is closed December 25th for Christmas and January 1st for New Years Day. If you have any questions or urgent requests, please email us at info@advantagementalhealth.com.
Please fill out the form if you have a patient interested in learning more about TMS treatment. We appreciate the referral and partnership.
Next Steps:
• Our TMS Coordinator will contact the patient to schedule a complimentary information session.
• If the patient decides to seek TMS treatment with Advantage TMS, we will communicate with you when necessary and the patient will continue to work with you while receiving treatment.
Questions?
• Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 727-600-8093 or info@advantagementalhealth.com
