Anger Issues

Arggg

Yes, I sure do!!

I think anger can turn into a disease. Everybody has something to be angry about, even furious about, but it can be controlled by diet and supplements. Here are a few suggestions:

1. First of all, I avoid chocolate like the plague, even the raw cacao bean "health supplement". It causes rage and irritability in a lot of people, I think women especially. It can cause paranoia and angry thoughts, too. You won't find much documentation on this, but trust me, it's true! The methylxanthines are to blame, I think. They're what I call "bad anti-oxidants". Theobromine and theophylline are two main ingredients - also caffeine. I can tolerate caffeine wonderfully well, but not the other two chemicals. It causes me great rage when I see it touted as a health food - it is NOT!!

2. I take a lot of fish oil supplements. Barlean's is a great brand, not fishy-tasting all, kind of orange-flavored. It comes in capsules and plain oil. Oh yeah, it's $$$. But if you can afford it, buy it (health store only, refrigerator section). But take some kind of fish oil, whatever you can afford. It calms me within an hour or less. Other Omega-3 supplements can be helpful, like flaxseed and borage, but I find fish oil the best.

3. I use Body Balance by Life Force International. It's a great vitamin/mineral supplement in liquid form. Full of sea vegetables, tastes like sweet cherry or grape juice, not delicious but drinkable. It improves my mood within an hour.

4. I've heard good things about acai berry supplements and goji berry supplements, for several reasons. I've never tried them, so don't quote me. But I've never heard anything bad about them, so worth trying!

5. Take your calcium. It regulates your mood, too. Take an absorbable form, like calcium citrate - 2:1 ratio of calcium:magnesium. Too much magnesium and you'll be going to the bathroom all day. The amount you take depends on your health, age, hormone levels, bone density, and blood calcium. I take at least 1000 mg/day.

6. Buy yourself a juice extractor (cheapest - $100 or so?) and juice up some veggies and/or fruits. I like carrot/apple/parsley/spinach. It takes out the fiber and gives you pure energy in one glass of juice. It also boosts my mood incredibly! It's messy, but worth it. Get a book of juicing recipes - there's usually one included with the juicer. Or if there is a juice bar where you live, take advantage of it. I'm not talking about smoothies, which are full of sugar and give you brain-freeze. I'm talking about vegetables, pure carbohydrate energy without the calories, and much more concentrated in nutrition than a salad. The buzz can last me a few days! And without drugs.

7. I avoid soda pop of all kinds, diet and otherwise. It is one of the worst things on earth for you. It makes me jittery and nervous, and therefore irritable. Avoid anything with high-fructose corn syrup. Don't eat hard candy -tons of calories with no fat, so no full feeling. Avoid fake sweeteners. If you want something sweet, eat a few cookies or a piece of cake with real sugar - the fat in them will make you feel full and not starved for more. If you feed yourself just a little teeny bit of fat & sugar (and no chocolate in it!!), you won't get a fiery craving for it that drives you crazy.

8. Avoid processed foods (easy for me to say - I love them). I'm lecturing myself as well as you!

9. Avoid toxic people, even if they're family members! This is the hardest piece of advice to follow. But I almost died a few years ago, and when I got well I realized that life was short, and mean people were unnecessary. These people included friends and even a sibling. It can include co-workers too. Changing a job is really hard, especially now, but do it if you can, if you need to. Even the laziest, most unprofessional person doesn't deserve to be abused on a daily basis.

Toxic people are sometimes hard to pinpoint. They may be very popular and intelligent, considered "winners" and "doers" and "wonderful" people. But if they make you feel like cr*p, even if it's not their fault, cut them out of your life! Take care of yourself, not them.

10. You may have vitamin deficiencies; most people do, especially Vitamin D. I take 2000 IU of Vit. D a day and notice a huge difference. B supplements can calm you if you're stressed, too. Folic acid can help with depression; it's available in prescription form and OTC form. I don't know much about vitamins. I'm learning the hard way. But they're so important for mood and energy.

Hope this helps! You are SO not alone.

Laye

WOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that. It will be so helpful to me and I'll check out some of the products. I do take fish oil supplements. My problem is I'm addicted to chocolate. I eat it a lot. I have to cut that out..I see. That will help.

I find that some vitamins really upset my stomach. I was taking prenatal ones from New Chapter and they worked well. No tummy issues. They are expensive but worth it because they don't make me sick and have a probiotic.

So much to learn..but I do believe eating well would make a huge difference. I have such a sweet tooth..what can I eat instead of chocolate that would fill the craving...?

Thanks again for sharing so much!!!!

Laye

I do know what you mean about the toxic people..I've been slowly doing that now. Not hanging around them at all. My nerves are way more fragile and life is too short to waste it with people who don't matter.

diane777

I'm addicted to chocolate, too, and didn't know that about the rage. This is very interesting. When I have fasted on just liquids or vanilla rice milk, I've had no rage. I didn't know it could be the chocolate.

A HUGE rage-maker for me is spicy or salty foods. I am a b*tch within 2 hours after eating things. NO bbq potato chips or nacho chips. Nothing coated with salt. That's my rule. I am almost homocidal when I eat those things. I've decided that my poor cats don't deserve to have me walking around slamming doors and anything else in sight.

That homeopath Rescue Remedy helps alot when it is bad. I also take that Chinese herbal formula that Dr. Christianne Northrup talks about in her book -- The Wisdom of Menopause. That helps alot with the rage, too.

Diet is definitely a big part of it, though. Best of luck to you Laye. I know exactly what you are going through BIG TIME.

Arggg

I can't tell you what will replace chocolate, but when I get a sweet tooth I find something with caramel or vanilla or lemon instead of chocolate. That usually satisfies my sweet tooth. I don't crave chocolate anymore - you get used to going without it.

P.S. Weather can cause irritability too. I notice today that I'm clumsy and in a nasty mood. It may be the barometric pressure or static in the air. It's very static-y today.

LisaH1960

Arggg, funny that you should mention the weather. I find that when it’s very windy, my anxiety levels go through the roof. I didn’t really make the connection until a few years ago, but something about windy weather makes me feel as though there is an impending doom, like nothing is certain or stable anymore, and this seems to have gotten worse since this whole menopause thing started, especially the irritability.

The worst part is that even though I know (now) that it’s the wind that is making me feel this way, I still can’t seem to shake it. You’d think that logic and reason would prevail, but not a chance.

Also, a lot of great tips in the previous posts! I’ve been feeling a lot better these days, but I’ll definitely keep them in mind!

Lisa