Depression Vs. Anger – Why They Go Hand-In-Hand

Being among one of the most common mental illnesses in the world, depression is also one that’s often misunderstood. It’s a mental illness that causes feelings of constant sadness and a loss of interest in what you used to find joy in, putting a pause on being able to satisfyingly live your life.

Stereotypically, depression looks like a sad, quiet, and drained person. While some people with depression might fit this common description, their traits and feelings aren’t just left at that. This is because several symptoms of depression can also cause one to experience or develop feelings of anger, aggression, or rage as a result. Although depression and anger can both be very different experiences, they’re also two sides of the same coin. Curious as to how? Keep reading to learn why.

Anger is a Secondary Emotion

In order to understand how depression and anger go hand-in-hand, you must first know that anger is a secondary emotion, which is an emotion prompted or caused by an initial emotion one feels and reacts instinctively with to a situation, also known as a primary emotion.

Anger is an emotion that can stem from pain, whether it’s emotional or physical, making it involuntary or an almost uncontrollable emotion you can’t contain at times. Recall a time you’ve felt angry. It might’ve been when you were stuck in traffic while running late for work, or when you had your clean, new shoes stepped on. Regardless of the situation, experiences like these cause you to feel some form of pain from within, and as a result, can manifest into forms of anger, such as aggression or rage. 

For people with depression, sadness is a primary emotion actively involved in their life, and as a result, can lead to a secondary emotion of anger because of the emotional, or even physical pain depression can cause. Understanding this connection can make anger during depression a logical symptom, and something that makes sense.

Irritation Can Cause Anger

One of the many symptoms of depression include irritability, or being easily irritated. This feeling of frustration can be caused by strangers, coworkers, and even loved ones, like family and friends. Irritation can also stem from other symptoms of depression, such as a loss of appetite or purposely not eating enough. As a result, this can lead to something some of us commonly know as “hangriness” or feeling “hangry”, which is when you feel angry or annoyed as a result of hunger.

Irritation isn’t just feeling people with depression only experience; most people can easily remember a time when they’ve felt irritated or annoyed, and as a result, felt angry moments after. Whether it was from instances like having to deal with an unfair and demanding boss, or someone messing up the room you just cleaned, anger as a result of annoyance is a widely shared experience. However, certain symptoms of depression that involve or cause irritation can make those with depression especially more prone to anger.

Lack of Sleep Can Make You Rise to Anger More Easily

Another common symptom of depression is insomnia, which is a sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. According to a study done by Iowa State University in 2018, “Losing just a couple hours of sleep at night makes you angrier, especially in frustrating situations”. The study demonstrated that compared to participants who slept an average of 7 hours a night, those who slept 4 and a half hours a night were more quick to rise to anger when listening to unpleasant, annoying sounds while performing a task. This behavior also proved them harder to adapt and function in uncomfortable situations. Additionally, a lack of sleep not only can make you more easily angered, but it can also result in increasing feelings of sadness and anxiety, while decreasing ones of happiness.

Low Productivity Can Feel Infuriating

We’ve all had our low-energy days where our workload felt heavier than it really was, making it hard to check off every single task on your to-do list. If you’ve experienced this, you’d know that not only do you have to deal with mustering up the energy to do work, but you’d also have to deal with the reality of not being able to get as much done as you’d like. This, at the very least, can feel frustrating and even enraging because of how unproductive you feel.

This is especially an experience that might sound familiar for people with depression, as another common symptom is tiredness, or not having enough energy to get tasks done. Not to mention, those with depression also definitely aren’t spared from the resulting feelings of frustration, self-blame, and anger that come with not being able to get much done. If anything, these feelings can even be intensified in those with depression, making them feel even more agitated, worn out, and more likely to self-blame or berate themselves.

On top of that, for someone depressed, even with enough sleep at night, their depression and the overwhelming negative emotions they’re dealing with can also make them feel restless and energy-less. This lack of energy can not only make big tasks difficult to accomplish, but small ones as well. This is because it calls for extra energy and effort to complete tasks, and can even make it harder to find the will to start. With this unfortunate combination of physical and emotional exhaustion, along with a workload that just keeps piling up, inadequate productivity levels can result in frustration, self-blame, and anger in people with depression.

Anger Can Stem From Feeling Misunderstood

Although depression is something many others have experienced or are currently going through, its causes are unique and different for each person. Whether someone’s depression is caused by the death of a loved one, or by a life-changing event, depression’s causes and the feelings that come with it are often complex, and sometimes only understood by the person experiencing it themselves. Because of this, it can be hard for people like family members and friends to understand what exactly someone with depression is going through. As a result, this can easily lead to misinterpretation, having their experiences and feelings played down, or, even worse, disregarded. These unwanted reactions from others might even include having feelings be chalked up to just “being sensitive” or “dramatic”.

Being devalued like this can no doubt cause anger and a rise in temper for someone with depression. These feelings aren’t always only towards those who don’t understand them, but can also be directed themselves for being unable to express their thoughts and feelings as clearly as they want.

Just Having Depression Is Something You Can Be Angry Over

While certain symptoms of depression can lead to anger, simply being depressed can be a reason for someone’s anger as well. Whether a person with depression is angry at themselves for being unable to go about life as well as they used to, or are angry over their unfortunate circumstances and the drastic, negative life changes depression has caused them, feelings of anger are definitely something that can be triggered by depression as a whole. It’s a mental illness that can take a toll on not only your mental health, but can also greatly affect your school, work, and social life by turning your once satisfying, routinely life upside down. It can also negatively impact the relationships you have with others, creating distance and tension within them, or causing them to fall apart.

These drastic changes can make life feel as if it’s in shambles, which can be infuriating and frustrating to say the least. Depression’s impacts can also make you feel at fault for your troubles, with no control or handle over the direction of your life. As a result, the feelings of anger that come with this can cause you to point an accusing finger at yourself, making you rationalize that you’re to blame for your life’s downward slope, when in reality, your depression is at sole fault.

Conclusion

Depression comes in many forms, and doesn’t just match one description. People with depression can be sad, angry, or even have a smile on their face at times. Regardless, any feelings or emotions that come with depression are valid, and often have a reason behind them. Everyone, not just those with depression, can feel anger for all sorts of reasons. But, since depression can make someone more prone to anger because of certain inescapable symptoms, it’s important not to merely label them as someone with “anger issues”, especially without knowing or understanding why exactly they feel that way. Did you find this article helpful? Let us know in the comments below.

References

“Depression (Major Depressive Disorder).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007.

“Depression Explained.” Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government Department of Health, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/depression.

“Depression.” Mental Health America, Mental Health America, www.mhanational.org/conditions/depression.

Farkas, Terezia. “Depression and Anger Can Go Hand in Hand.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 25 July 2014, www.huffingtonpost.ca/terezia-farkas/anger-and-depression_b_5381640.html.

Khan, Nadia. “What Are Primary And Secondary Emotions.” Edited by Patricia Corlew, BetterHelp, BetterHelp, 19 Jan. 2021, www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/what-are-primary-and-secondary-emotions/.

“Lack of Sleep Intensifies Anger, Impairs Adaptation to Frustrating Circumstances.” Iowa State University News Service, Iowa State University News Service, 27 Nov. 2018, 7:00 a.m., www.news.iastate.edu/news/2018/11/27/sleepanger.

Pratt, Kim. “Psychology Tools: What Is Anger? A Secondary Emotion.” HealthyPsych, HealthyPsych, 3 Feb. 2014, healthypsych.com/psychology-tools-what-is-anger-a-secondary-emotion/.