Snapping and yelling

I have just recently been diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and OCD. My question is is it normal for someone with bipolar disorder to be snapping and yelling at people when I get stressed about something? Ever since I was a teenager I have always taken stuff out on the people that I love where I will get very nasty and snap and yell at the people that I love. Is this normal for someone with bipolar disorder? I hate that I do this and I am trying to change because I seem to be pushing my boyfriend away because I have been doing this. I just started mood stabilizers and my anxiety medication a week and half ago and I see some changes but I am still doing this sometimes and I can't seem to control it. I just really want to stop so I stop pushing people away I've done it for so many years and I am trying to break it but it is very hard to! I am seeing a therapist weekly now and of course a psychiatrist as well for the meds. Does anybody have any advice to stop this or to help me learn to stop snapping and yelling at people because I really want to stop.

I don't think it's BP but anxiety. Your therapist can teach you little tricks to combat that.

My T helped me learn to see the build-up of stimuli in my environment and keep better internal tabs on my anxiety levels. Now, I'm pretty good at noticing how agitated or anxious I am. That has such a huge impact on my reactions to otherwise normal stimuli (people being in my space, noises, activity around me). I used to snap and yell at my family much more - made me feel awful when I would snap at my kids, particularly. Now, I am pretty practiced at recognizing when the external stimuli are too overwhelming for me, based on my internal state. So I either go in a room to get some calm and quiet, or I tell my kids/husband that I'm feeling really anxious or agitated, and that I need their help in keeping the environment around me really calm. That's hard with the kids sometimes, obviously, so I just tell them that I can't listen to the noise they're making right now, but they can either go outside or in another room if they want to keep doing what they're doing. Or I tell them that I need a break and that I'm going to close my door and need them to not interrupt me.

Taking the time to create an externally calmer environment helps when my internal environment is chaotic and out of balance. It helped a TON explaining all this to my husband and kids - that when I'm out of balance on the inside it makes it really hard to process other things the way they do or I would otherwise do. Enlisting their help in addressing the things that promote my negative reactions has been great; it also shows them that I'm working really hard to not snap or yell, because it's important to me to treat them well.

Definetly it is anxiety and sounds reacting to PTSD perhaps or other traumas. I have been reviewing how i treat people. We do tend to react when stressed much differently than if life was good, stable or perfect w/o any troubles. You sound like you started something good, just let it work over time. Change comes with growth not necessarily over night like we want it to. you hang in there it will get better (((hugs))).

This is the same in my household. We all have been dealing with my mi for a very long time. Month 4 on meds newly diagnosed. We made it a family thing to help me recognize when I need a mommy time out.sometimes even the noise from 4 happy laughing kids becomes too much and I need to step out. Self awareness, family awareness and environmental awareness. I can tell you just from my children and husbands point of view it gets so much better! We still have a long way to go though. Hang in there. They will see you trying.

No matter how small, a positive change deserves to be celebrated!

I think you have to blame the anxiety instead of the bipolar, as has already been said. I'm bipolar I, with PTSD, ADD, and anxiety disorder and it wasn't until the anxiety was properly treated that I was able to stop snapping at people. Talk to your doctor about it.... you'll need to *want* to stop snapping at people and seek alternative behaviors before this will change. For example, I will sometimes say to my husband that I *want* to scream instead of actually screaming. That helps.

Thank you so much for all your help! I do not have children thank goodness because I'm sure I would be hollering at them as well. I have been doing better but I will definitely become more aware of when I'm starting to become stressed & anxious. It does make sense because when I become anxious or stressed is when I start yelling and snapping. I definitely do want to change and I know I can! I am finally starting to feel more optimistic and looking forward to my life for once! : )

I snap at my family all the time. it's something I'm trying to work on, It mainly happens when I'm stressed over work or sleep deprived.

more anxiety yes. i have improved so much with this problem - you can too. the sooner the better cuz regrets aren't fun.
i'm pretty good now, when i snap & yell at my family, i can fairly quickly say i'm sorry it's not you i'm just feeling so stressed out.
you can do it & your therapist will help.

Hello thank you for all of your advice. I was doing really well with my snapping & yelling but a lot of things have unfortunately changed & I don't do well with change. My boyfriend just recently moved in about a month ago & I have gotten a new job. I've been very much on edge & flipping out at the littlest things. It's horrible! I think I'm causing my boyfriend's anxiety to be more amped. I feel so horrible! I thought I was getting better but I guess not. I'm just so sad & ashamed of myself. So tired of being this way & feeling like this. Sometimes I wish I could be another person, a better person who didn't do this.

The wellbutrin I was on increased this for me. I was taking risperdal for it; it helps a TON. (sidenote: I only quit taking it in a fit of bipolar rebellion )

Yeah my psych upped my mood stabilizer & OCD meds. Then put me on Xanax. I'm supposed to take it when needed.

I'm a master of snapping on people, especially when i'm hyper, i can be aggressive. I'll go from fine to cussing someone out pretty fast if it's a touchy subject or i feel disrespected. I got pretty good at controlling it from working on it for so long though, i don't have many issues as long as i'm clean and sober. I'm not on any meds, but most meds i've been on have just made this worse.

I have the same problem as you flipping out on people especially my family and then I feel terrible after words, I hate it and I never know how I am going to act one minute to the next, I think one thing that helps though is staying away from toxic people, I just got rid of some people in my life that were not good for me, They were full of drama and gossip and two faced back stabers, If people are talking about other people behind there backs you can guarantee they are doing the same to you, I would rather be alone than have these people in my life, Try to get your stressors down and try to live more of a healthy life style, Try to get out and enjoy nature every day and excersise that might help, I know it is easier said then done, But I am going to try it myself

I am the same way, I will be fine but if some one disrespects me or angers me, I will flip right out on them and it is not a pretty site, And then people will think I am psycho because of my anger

Yup i totally relate, many people probably think i'm a "psycho" lol. For some reason i have a lot of friends though (probably says a lot of their mental state as well), even though i've been in multiple fights with probably every single one of them. Most people know i'm fine as long as i'm not drinking or high though. I was worse when i was a teenager. I got to give it to my friends though, they've really been accepting of who i am, and some of them seem to get a kick out of my craziness in a sick way haha. i focus on a very healthy lifestyle, intense exercise, hobbies, diet, etc. it has helped i just need to stay off drugs which is hard. I also need to find a steady job and get back to school. I think my mood depends a lot on how i feel about myself at the time, i can admit a lot of my anger is just me redirecting it from myself to others. If i'm happy with myself i am very easy going.

My boyfriend has Bipolar II, he doesn't manage it very well, and yes if I say anything he would consider stressful, he goes off on me, calls me names etc. I have been noticing he may be manic right now, and much more agitated, paranoid, anxious and a lot more "snappy".

I don't know if it's normal, but it does happen. I used to be really short-tempered and irritable, but then I was diagnosed with ADD in addition to my bipolar and taking the meds for that has changed me for the better.

I think the right med balance helps with this, as well as giving yourself lots of personal space. Don't feel pressured and you will start to think of other ways of reacting than snapping someone's head off.