Angry all the time - is this depression or just life?

Dec 251 min read

Tbh I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is actually depression or if I'm just a naturally irritable person who's now sleep-deprived and stressed. I get mad at small things - my kids, my wife, traffic, my job, myself. It's constant.

Then I feel guilty about being angry, so I'm angry about being angry. It's a loop.

Has anyone felt this way? Did it turn out to be something treatable or is this just... who I am now?

11 comments130 views

Comments(11)

AAaron W.RegularDec 25

Could be both honestly. Sleep deprivation alone will make you angry at things that wouldn't normally bother you. But if it's been going on for months even when you DO get sleep, might be worth talking to someone. The traffic thing is small but if you're white-knuckling the wheel, that's a sign

HHank C.RegularDec 25

Sleep deprivation is no joke. How old are your kids? If you've got little ones still waking up, that alone could be doing this. But yeah, if the anger sticks around even when you sleep well, worth investigating

RRyan G.RegularDec 25

The getting mad at your wife part is worth paying attention to though - that's when you know something's off. Like if you're snapping at her over small things too, that's your sign that you're running on empty.

HHugh S.RegularDec 26

Honestly the fact that you're asking the question and not just accepting that you're an angry person is good. Talk to your doctor, get checked out. Could be depression, could be sleep, could be both. But don't just white-knuckle through it.

DDwayne S.RegularDec 26

The combo of poor sleep + stress + responsibility is basically a recipe for constant irritability. Doesn't have to be clinical depression for it to be a problem. Have you talked to your doctor about any of this?

BBrad H.RegularDec 26

Real talk: if you're mad at your wife and kids over small things, that's usually the first sign something's off mentally. Not saying you're depressed necessarily, but sleep deprivation + stress + irritability is a specific combo that responds really well to treatment. Even just talking to your doctor could help

ZZack M.RegularDec 27

Real talk - if you're snapping at traffic and your kids over nothing, sleep deprivation alone can absolutely make you feel like you have depression or an anger problem. But that's a question for a therapist, not internet strangers. Might be worth talking to someone?

WWyatt C.RegularDec 27

I used to think I was just an angry person until I realized I was getting like 5 hours of broken sleep a night. Got the sleep situation handled and suddenly I could handle my kids being loud without wanting to scream. Might be worth tracking your sleep for a week?

HHector R.RegularDec 27

I went through this exact thing and it turned out to be both - untreated anxiety that made sleep worse which made irritability worse. Took meds + actually prioritizing sleep to break the cycle. Worth exploring.

RRaj P.RegularDec 27

I was like this for like 18 months before I realized it wasn't normal irritability - it was depression wearing a "grumpy dad" disguise. The anger at my kids was the worst part. If you're snapping at them over regular kid stuff, might be worth getting checked out just to rule it out

VVic G.RegularDec 26

the fact that you're aware enough to question whether it's depression vs just life means you should probably get it checked. That self-awareness is actually pretty valuable. Worst case, doc says you're fine and you got a baseline. Best case, you get help and stop yelling at traffic