By far this is one of the most dangerous symptoms of BPD and one that causes those of us who suffer from it the most problems, both mentally and physically. But yet, it is also the one that the fewest people have and it only shows up in 18% of people who have BPD. For years psychologists questioned why some of us with BPD experience anger differently than others and in more intensive bursts, but these days they do know a lot more and those answers are what I bring you today. If you have ever wanted to know what the BPD symptom of explosive anger is or how to stop it inside yourself this is the page you are looking for…
What is the BPD Symptom of Explosive Anger?
You might think ‘Explosive Anger’ is pretty self-explanatory, but that is not the whole truth. When it comes to BPD anger it is so much more than a standard emotional reaction, in fact, the DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) described BPD anger as “inappropriate, intense anger or difficult to control anger.” and that line is something you really need to let sink into yourself. When the dust has settled on an episode of this symptom you often feel guilty and angry at yourself. You need to remember that you are not in control as the bursts are often far too intense for the brain to deal with, so its not your fault for having them.
What Can Trigger the Symptom of Explosive Anger?
Getting deep into the trigger reasons for this the truth is those of us with BPD suffer the same level of anger as any ‘normal’ person, but it is the intensity of that said anger that is the trigger cause. Someone suffering from BPD anger will go for 0 – 100 in the blink of an eye and that anger will last a lot longer than most ‘normal’ people. The trigger point comes from being overwhelmed in a situation that causes anger. It’s not like those of us with BPD get angry for no reason, it is more we get SUPER ANGRY at the same situation, hence the “explosive” part of the symptoms name.
How Bad Can the Symptom of Explosive Anger be?
When I said this is the most dangerous of all the symptoms of BPD I was not so much on about those of us who suffer from it, more the people around us. Without getting too scare-mongering it can indeed cause loss of life, it can destroy lives, friendships and relationships of both the person it is aimed at and the person doing it. The good news is this is one of those symptoms that has clear signs and is far easier to control than many of the others.
How Can I Stop the Symptom of Explosive Anger?
The quickest and easiest way to stop it is to remove yourself from the trigger situation. Is a discussion getting heated? Is someone else getting angry at yourself or others? If so simply walk away from it. Don’t try to stop it, don’t try to engage, just walk away. Sure that is often easier said than done, but it is still the best advice.
Of course, therapy can also help, especially if you suffer from this symptom in seemingly non-triggering situations. But I advise that this is not something for most talk based therapist to deal with, it is more for professionals like fully-qualified psychologists who have the skills, experience and systems in place to deal with it. When it comes to any sort of therapy for Explosive Anger slow and steady is the ONLY way to go as it really is a volcano waiting to explode and should be treated with just as much caution as one.
Well, I hope this has answered your question. As always with any posts/pages on this site, we would love to hear from you in the comments below. Is this a question you wanted answering? Are there any questions you have relating to BPD that we have not covered? If so please leave a comment to if you want more privacy do please to get in touch with us via the Contact page.
