Ever since I've been taking Effexor, I've had to deal with more anger issues than normal. I'm not on it anymore, but the anger issues are still there.

There's a great anger workbook out there that has identified an anger definition that hits home for me. It's the fact that when our needs aren't met, we get angry. In particular, something like, "Why does nobody understand me? Don't people recognize I have these needs?"

In mental health, we often go thru many things, like symptoms of the diagnosis, side effects of taking medicines, withdrawal symptoms, that others don't understand, and after a while I've built up anger over time.

We have to accept that we will not be understood, and our needs will not be met. When I quit relying on people to restore my happiness, I stopped feeling angry this way. I was beginning actually, to accept my mental illness.

A lot of anger issues continue because we refuse to be humble and allow our pride to rule the roost. Accepting that people won't or can't do for us what we're looking for and not fighting them for it, is a form of humility.