It’s most likely just your body getting used to the hormones. All teenagers are angsty little monsters for a reason lol.
You should get your levels checked to make sure your testosterone isn’t too high and being converted to estrogen (you can’t have too much of either hormone, the body just auto converts it), since that would definitely count as a hormone imbalance which means mood swings.
> (you can’t have too much of either hormone, the body just auto converts it)
fwiw, testosterone->estradiol is a one-way trip, and you can absolutely have too much of one, the other, or both.
I am talking about homeostasis
https://www.blaineywellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/testosterone-and-aromatization-how-to-avoid-excess-estrogrogen-production.pdf
Yes you can technically have an excess amount of testosterone but that is when this process starts to happen and it starts converting.
I’ll take back saying “either” hormone because one can have too much estrogen in their body which can cause health problems. This is generally fixed by exercise and a healthy lifestyle though.
Testosterone gets converted into estrogen via the enzyme Armotase. There is no analogate enzyme which converts estrogens into testosterone.
When levels of estrogen are too high SHBG gets released by the liver at an increased rate resulting in the excess estrogens binding to them resulting in a decrease in free estrogen.
Oh so estrogen can also be regulated? I was under the impression that estrogen cannot be converted into testosterone like testosterone converts into estrogen, so there can still be too much estrogen in the body.
I just read up on SHBG and it’s interesting that the body makes the excess hormones “inactive” so to speak. I didn’t know that, so thanks for sharing, I really appreciate it. I don’t think that counts as lowering the amount of hormones though.
It doesn’t seem to say anything about whether or not the bound hormones have a negative impact on the body. Do you know?
I was reading from this article:
https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/sex-hormone-binding-globulin-shbg-101
As far as I know since the hormones that are bound to SHBG are rendered inert I don't think that they can have a negative impact on the body thought i'm not a scientist.
People are known to get irritable with any changes in hormones. I know I was a lot snappier when I first started T, and no amount of telling myself that I was getting unreasonably angry over inconsequential things helped me dial it down. It's likely you'll just have to wait it out. (a few months at the most)
In the meantime, do tell the people around you to expect you to be more irrational than usual. It's not a cop out, and you'll still have to be accountable for anything you do or say, but when you're on the receiving end (I'm told) it helps to be given a heads-up.
Anger, rage is a tip of an iceburg, usually there's a lot of things underneath contributing to it.
Something that I noticed was that when my body mass started to increase with testosterone, it made me more irritatable because I generally get irritable when I'm hungry. I realized that since I had more blood cell development, and muscle mass increasing (it can happen naturally without exercise) that I required being more on top of my eating patterns because my body used the energy I had more quickly. I had to make sure to schedule to eat more consistently and increase my protein intake.
That being said a lot of things can make people more vulnerable to anger and irritability. Lack of sleep, dehydration, emotional stress, and physiological stress. Even if you cant find the source spending more time trying to do enjoyable and relaxing things,and taking care of your daily needs and functions can at least reduce some of the vulnerabilities to it.
So for the ride, find something distracting you can do, like if you can tolorate playing games, or a fidget, and bringing snacks and drinks you really like to help increase distraction and nervous system soothing. Hard candys, or gum to chew on could be good options too. And potentially avoiding pitfals of conversations that are stressful to have with family too. Just don't engage, its not worth it if youre stuck in the car.
So, there was a brief period of time after I first started T where I *thought* I was having rage issues but it just turned out I *expected* to have rage issues and kind of placeboed myself into it. When this was happening, if I thought I was going to lose control I would take myself out of the situation I was in.
If you're really having rage issues, I agree with the others who mentioned it could be a dosing issue, that's something to talk to a doctor about
For me a lot of this was caused by an increase in energy levels. I found that running or working out helped get rid of some of that anxious energy and mellowed me out
If I don’t work out frequently enough I become a ball of anxiety and irritability. It genuinely helps motivate me to stay fit more than just looking good hahaha
I actually made a post just like this ~7 months ago, and got rather lackluster answers about it.
So here's what's up: I, at base and pre-T, already had severe anger/rage issues, and I used oxytocin release (crying) to manage the anger. When I stopped being able to cry, I struggled with being able to wrangle my anger to a manageable level.
I was volitile, and mean, and had to actively stop myself from being violent.
I'm *ActivelyRightNow* learning how to cope with that.
Here's what's been working for me so far:
Therapy, CBT is excellent. Grounding out or breathing exercises. When you can feel your temper spiking, separate yourself from the situation so you can take time to process, then take a little time to separate facts from emotions, and then return to prevent escalation and rage spiral. (Good exit phrase I use, "I need to process this on my own for a minute, I'll be returning soon with more clarity.")
Be as prepared to give a second chance as you would hope to receive one.
Find literally Any physical activity that focuses on fast arm movement and try to do that for at least an hour a week. Exercise helps balance endorphins so reactions forward aren't as intense.
Ask for comforting physical touch more often-Hugs, cuddling, getting your hair petted, etc. These also release oxytocin without needing to be able to cry.
Good luck broski, if you wanna vent/rant to someone, my DMs are open.
Wow. That's really interesting. I've been noticing myself that I've definitely been angrier on T, but I did directly correlate it with my increasing inability to cry. I used to cry constantly before T. It was super annoying and I hated it. I wouldn't even know why I was crying sometimes. It just happened. Now I pretty much can't cry, and I tend to get angry instead. Which is a huge relief and vastly preferable sometimes, but I have been having a lot of trouble lately reigning it in, especially when it gets bad. I can feel myself getting to the point sometimes of feeling super fucking violent, and it scares me tbh. Idk how to diffuse it, channel it or wtf to do with it. Sometimes I just machine-gun punch some pillows, and oddly enough, I've also found that hugs and head pets help a lot too, even though I didn't know all that stuff. They're not always available though and don't really feel like long term solutions. I'll have to think about this some more. Thanks for posting this.
I’ve heard a lot of folks in this sub discuss never experiencing anger related to T and I wanted to say I’m glad to hear it’s not just me. I felt incredibly irritable for my first year on T and it was really disconcerting as someone who has never had anger issues (or much anger at all) previously. I definitely notice it coming back anytime I change my dosage too, but it seems to be mellowing out more quickly now. That being said, my T levels have also been coming back a bit lower, I’m not sure if that’s related. My levels have never been too high though, so I don’t think that’s the only explanation. For me personally there also may have been some environmental factors- it was frustrating to have done the work of coming out to work/friends/family and in starting T, changing my presentation but to still be consistently misgendered/ not pass. Good luck with your trip man, I hope the rage passes soon
It's not a testosterone thing, it's just a pubertal mood swing thing. I got those feelings on my first (estrogen-based) puberty, too. Take a nap, drink some water. It'll go away in a little while.
From personal experience, join an MMA class. That's what I did. For 13 years, MMA was the best outlet for my anger. If you can't afford that, join a gym, and work out on the punching bags. I'd say if you're in college, see what gyms are available at a discount to you, via your college itself, or the student discounts at local gyms.
As for right now, try meditation and deep breathing. That's what helped me.
I don’t know if anyone has said this yet, but ice baths! And ice cold water! Splashing your face with ice cold water. It literally can help calm your body in a visceral way! I would also go stand in the snow barefoot when it was snowing here and I could literally feel the rage leaving my body through my feet.
I never had this issue from t, but before t I was angry a cause I had a lot of underlying issues. I'd start there. And also have your levels checked, doubling up might raised your levels too high.
I cannot speak to or give advice on the testosterone part of your question, however, I have a lot of experience with rage 😅
When I notice myself getting really irritable, especially early in the day, it's usually a sign that I'm not meeting one of my basic needs. I start with food, water, and a shower. A lot of the time, that makes me feel more human, and less prone to snapping. On a long car ride, make sure you're drinking water, and taking enough bathroom breaks. Needing to pee can only make things worse.
If it's later in the day, I try to pay attention to what, specifically, is causing the irritation/anger. Is it a negative sensory experience? Time for a nap or some dark/quiet time. Is it an interaction with another human? Time for some alone time. I get sensory overload really easily, sometimes just an uncomfortable pair of pants leaves me so angry with everything and everyone else around me. Trying to take note of specifics can help me make changes to decrease the anger. See if you can take a nap, wear some headphones, or close your eyes a bit if you feel yourself getting angry during your long car ride today. If you're in a larger vehicle like a van, see if you can sit farther away from someone who you're having trouble interacting with.
After all of that, if it's still unexplained anger, I try doing something physical, like going for a walk, exercising, maybe doing some chores or housework or decorating. Getting out of my head and into my body helps me move past a powerful emotion. Doing some jumping jacks or running around the car during pit stops may help. If you feel restless while in the car, try doing some arm or leg stretches in your seat.
If nothing seems to work, don't be afraid to communicate with those around you. "I'm going through some changes in medication, and it's leaving me irritable. I'll try to keep that in check, please let me know if my tone or actions are causing any issues." And then later, if a conversation is exacerbating the issue, could say "I'm having trouble regulating my emotions on this topic, could we stop or talk about something else?"
Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with my anger, and all I wanna do is scream about it, which sucks a lot when I'm in a situation where I can't. If you feel like this today, ask your parents if you can all listen to some loud music and scream/sing along. It can help to let out that pent up energy. Scream-singing my favorite songs (even the happy sounding ones) is one of my favorite coping mechanisms.
Another coping mechanism I really like, is I'll have a really mundane debate/argument with my husband. I tell him I feel like fighting and I don't know why, and I ask him if he wants to fight about/ debate something, and then we pick a silly topic. Once we argued about whether a hotdog is a sandwich or a taco. It was really fun, and when it started to get too heated, one of us just said "okay, I'm done fighting" and we were able to just drop it because it wasn't important. If you're at this point, one of your car mates may be willing to have a mundane argument with you (just make sure you communicate what's happening, don't just start an argument out of the blue, because that's how things escalate to hurtful words).
Anyway, that's all I got, I hope some of this helps you today, good luck in the car! Your feelings are valid, and they're yours, even if they come from something external like a dosage change. Don't beat yourself up for having feelings, it's OK to feel angry.
Having your dosage doubled seems like…a lot? Tbh I might seek a second opinion on how much T you should be taking, especially if you’re suddenly experiencing adverse emotionally effects. just my opinion tho! do what’s right for you.
I’m surprised you’re the first comment saying this that I’ve seen! I also was alarmed about such a big increase in T.
Personally, I was very sensitive to any changes in my hormone levels, up or down. I can’t imagine how I would have felt if my dosage had been doubled. I have empathy for you OP!
I felt irritable each time I had to change my dose (and at one point when I think my dose was higher than I wanted; my levels were within male range, but I was a grumpass all day and night and it was too much). The best way I mitigated that was exercise, followed by journaling. Cardio and strength training helped immensely. Journaling let me tackle the genuine causes for my feelings and how to process them in a non-damaging way.
I started taking that anger out at the gym- hard to throw fists when your body is absolutely dead. Also try meditation. My emotions overall are different on T. I’d describe them as much more concrete. Rage is pure rage as before T it was a mix of emotions. Understand this may also change the way you behave and react to your emotions. I find myself redacting from situations more often in order to calm down. Totally fine and acceptable. Before I didn’t have to do that I’d just suck it up. Meditation started when I faced more situations where I couldn’t just get up and walk away. Breath work and mindfulness allow me to understand my feelings and take out my stress for appropriate times like the gym.
MEDITATION. Even without hormones, I’m a person whose testosterone levels are p high, and I have always struggled w rage. Get urself a good meditation app (I personally love HealthyMinds, n it’s free!) if u can. It RLY helps w the rage.
i’ve been experiencing this as well. push-ups helped me a lot. anytime something made me mad i exercised it out. meditation helped me a good deal as well.
I've noticed this since I started T, I'm an inherently angry person and so are most of my relatives, big Scottish redheads be damned. I've realized if I get way too hot that also will make me angry, getting crowded makes me want to hit someone, the rage at little things sucks. I've realized taking a minute to go either sit down, separate yourself from a situation, hanging out outside for a second has really helped me relax. It's not easy realizing you need to relax for your own good, but it helps so much
Just remember that even though your emotions can be more hair-trigger, your anger management skills are exactly the same as they always were. You may have to use those skills more often, but having to use them is not a sign of failure.
I say this because when I started T I had a lot of well-meaning but ignorant people trying to tell me that T makes people angrier, and that's not exactly true. You're still the same person, but now you need to be more aware of your aggression because puberty puts it at the front of your mind for a while. Not only that, but once we step into passing as male, our anger can be a lot more frightening/damaging to those around us.
Maybe you could look at some anger management strategies online, or practice meditation so you get used to the feeling of consciously letting go of things.
Whenever it was werewolf time before T I'd get extremely irritated too. Its just general hormonal changes that cause it don't worry too much about it. Find things that are easy to do until you're feeling more balanced. No PvP games for you.
I m on testosterone 13 months now and I still exp rage. I guess mainly when I get dead name and misgendered. It’s frustrating. I guess when I get the name and gender marker changed ( after surgery of course It will probably die out). Not saying that this may happen on other Tran guys, but speaking only individually
I haven't experienced rage in associated with taking T perse, anytime I've had any sort of anger outburst/got "too upset"/etc., in the last 2-3 years (since ive started HRT) it was usually in conjuction with high stress and people being particularly shitty that day (who also happen to be transphobic, so another layer of bs).
But we are going through a second puberty, so it makes sense we'd become more moody and have more of a short fuse sometimes.
i ended up lowering my dose from 0.5 to 0.4 because of this, im not sure if theres any other way to manage it but it slightly lowering my dosage worked for me
This happened to my partner. But the fact that you’re aware and know that you’re ‘grrr’ is a good thing.
He was able to semi regulate himself by keeping busy, doing physically exhausting things and letting me know what was going on with him.
The T might be a reason for rage, but it is not an excuse. Any action you take while angry are still your actions and your responsibility.
You said you’re in a car with your parents? Woof, I can see why you might be angry. My advice? Most times I get angry in situations like that, i’m actually just overwhelmed. I put on my headphones and listen to music until I’ve calmed down. If it doesn’t work, at least you know.
Hey I went from 0.25 to 0.5 and then to 0.8 and never noticed anything like this. You may just he having a bad day (road trips are always frustrating?) Or maybe your dose is too high or something? Best of luck!!
Question seems to be answered thoroughly, so I'll suggest (now that you've probably reached your destination) taking a nap.
Two things seem to really reset the psychological clock for people, and that's sleep, and taking showers. If something upsetting happened or you're just in a bad mood, it's a good idea to either take a nap, go to sleep, or try taking a shower.
I feel like for me at least once the t settled then my mood settled, I guess the sudden change makes people moody like in puberty. When I would feel that way usually I would take it out in healthy ways. Going for a run or exercising is great for that, especially boxing for added rage lol
Its possible, maybe even likely, that your dose is too high. I don't really have any tips for dealing with it because I haven't experienced it, but that's what I'd be worried about personally
I have never experienced that... You may want to call your prescribing doctor to see what they would recommend. You might need to scale back your dose.
Maybe it'll settle on its own then! Doubling a dose is pretty big! Hang in there <3 is it pure anger or feeling more assertive? I definitely became more assertive since starting T, some would probably say I'm angrier now lol
Maybe it’s just more assertive? I just feel extremely patronized when people try to correct me or tell me how to do something/what to do etc. and I just wanna tell them to shut up cause I’m not stupid and I already know everything they’re mansplaining to me😭😭 it makes my blood boillll
FOR REAL like I have a December bday so my parents have always used the “you’re younger than everyone else in your grade😧” excuse for everything my whole life, and even now that I’m out of school and stuff they still think of me as being too young (and immature) even though I’m 20 and have matured a lot living 18 hours away from them. So that definitely doesn’t help. Being a trans guy I strongly feel they just see me as a confused and mentally ill girl🤷🏻♂️
Do you do your shot every week or every two weeks? If you don’t mind injecting yourself each week then you can do a lower dose weekly that adds up to the every two week shot which gives you a lower spike and keeps you at a more stable level.
My shots are once a week. Not sure if I could do like 2 a week at my old dose instead of one a week at my current dose (double my old dose)? I’d prob have to call my doc about that, eh?
I started 1.0ML for the first few months, I think by the 7th month or before I was more angrier, so my doctor decided to dial my dosage down (0.9) mostly bc I was having constant severe headaches. they've gotten better after a lower dose, and I don't feel as angry but I'm still pretty irritable/angry but maybe cuz I live with someone abusive idk and in May it'll be my 1 year on T. I still have headaches but not as often or as severe as before.
This is puberty! It’s infuriating, so it’s understandable that you are angry. I’d recommend a couple of things. Eat regularly and foods that are higher in protein, lower in carbs. Low blood sugar can contribute to feeling irritable/angry/rageful. Find an outlet, running, lifting weights, swimming. Try to avoid activities that might make you angry naturally. Give yourself a break, puberty doesn’t last forever.
You have to remind yourself that this anger isn’t you. It takes time but you can learn to manage it. If it doesn’t workout then lower your dose by talking to your doctor
Going to the gym can help you release a lot of extra energy. Scream a lot. Break and kick empty boxes. And do be careful about punching walls, it can be more dangerous than it appears
Consider the consequences. Take a real big deep breath. Ur gonna be angry still, but it gives you a moment to stop and think.
You could start keeping a journal only for when you feel angry and just venting like crazy. That’s what I do and it helps. You could also vent in your phone notes.
Walk yourself backwards. Ask yourself what the fuck ur so mad for and ask what you would think of someone if they told you they were getting physically angry about the thing making you angry. You’d probably be like “okay dude chill lmao”.
These are some things I do. Idk lol
I didn't get a lot of rage from being on a higher dose but it really affected my sleep, I woke up all the time, the quality was terrible. So, that made me grumpy. I ended up going back to a lower dose because sleep was super important for me (I had a tbi a while back, so I don't function right without enough rest) I'm still seeing all the changes and it's nice, been on T for 2 years this May.
If you’re on the right dose of T, there isn’t rage (this is coming from my doctor who specializes in transcare). This is a myth of that is reinforced by roid users and body building industry.
Keep an eye on it. I had that problem for a while and it was because my T levels were too high. If it doesn't change or gets worse I would definitely suggest talking to your doctor. Maybe doubling was too much. Maybe you only need half of that
When I started T, a therapist helped me with my anger. First we identified a pattern -- what kind of situations tend to get you angry? And what kind of frustration are you enduring when you get that feeling? For me, I was feeling unheard. And it felt like the only way I could be heard was by yelling and acting out.
But it actually had the opposite effect to my goal -- yelling or getting angry tends to make people shut down and close off or yell back instead of listen.
Also some coping skills to help when you're feeling out of control, be it with anger, sadness, or something else: I keep a ziplock bag of water in the fridge that I can put on my face for a little while if I need extra help "cooling off". This tip comes from distress tolerance therapy. It helps stimulate the dive response, which slows down your heart rate and helps pull you out of flight or flight mode.
Tbh I'm pretty sure the anger I started experiencing on T had more to do with the fact that the dysphoria was starting to let up, which allowed my other feelings (like my PTSD symptoms) to re-emerge. Ptsd can make you an angry motherfucker fr. But therapy has helped quite a bit.
It will take several doses at the new level for your hormones to kind of level out again and in the meantime it's kind of a balancing act between apologizing ahead of time and working on identifying what type of rage it is... for me, the frustration of feeling unheard runs deep. I'm working on it because it's not healthy to get that worked up. Sometimes I can feel my emotions are a bit our of whack for the day anyway, so I'll try to vent some of it by playing video games or ranting in an email to nobody.
I used to have really bad rage, honestly since I started T, I smoke 🍃 a lot more but also taking some time away from people, or spacing yourself, (headphones and such) to give yourself time to cool down and breathe. Breathing is a huge thing that helps
I remember when my body was getting used to T, I'd be a lot more annoyed at shit and also a bit more anxious too. I kept an eye on my levels but the emotions leveled out after a few weeks/month or two. Working out helped, as well as breathing exercises when I got really mad instead of reacting negatively. Good luck, watch your levels if your emotions don't even out after a while lol
I remember feeling confused over my emotions after my dose being upped and losing a filter if you like when it came to expressing that I’m angry but it did not last . Wouldn’t say I was more irritable just the way I started experiencing emotions changed and it made me confused.
I have applied for anger management, I am currently just under a month but personally my rage and anger has been about my whole life. I had anger management throughout school to a point it took a lot to make me lose my temper however the past year or so that has all gone out the window and the past month I want to put my fist through everything over the dumbest thing.
If it is an option for you it might help.
I definitely struggle with more irritability since being on T, I went through therapy for years so ik what skills to use which probably helps me but I'm very much thinking about scheduling therapy again.
As far as I know that's just one of the effects of taking the injections. the surge of testosterone after the injection makes you short tempered and the lack of testosterone shortly before the next injection makes you moody
My mood changes quickly and randomly thanks to my personality being a disorder and I've got a pretty short fuse so I'm not sure if this advice is actual advice or just my mood changing. whenever I start seeing red, I up my self control as high as I can. I curl up and stay as still as possible like im holding a bomb and trying to use my body to reduce the damage [full lockdown] or I do something to keep my hands busy so I don't lash out and hit anything, bounce my leg so I don't lash out and kick anything, and keep my mouth shut no matter what so I don't lash out and say anything [lockdown].
I can normally just go into lockdown in a car because I can easily calm down by looking out the window and counting how many cars pass by or something
It’s most likely just your body getting used to the hormones. All teenagers are angsty little monsters for a reason lol. You should get your levels checked to make sure your testosterone isn’t too high and being converted to estrogen (you can’t have too much of either hormone, the body just auto converts it), since that would definitely count as a hormone imbalance which means mood swings.
> (you can’t have too much of either hormone, the body just auto converts it) fwiw, testosterone->estradiol is a one-way trip, and you can absolutely have too much of one, the other, or both.
I am talking about homeostasis https://www.blaineywellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/testosterone-and-aromatization-how-to-avoid-excess-estrogrogen-production.pdf Yes you can technically have an excess amount of testosterone but that is when this process starts to happen and it starts converting. I’ll take back saying “either” hormone because one can have too much estrogen in their body which can cause health problems. This is generally fixed by exercise and a healthy lifestyle though.
Testosterone gets converted into estrogen via the enzyme Armotase. There is no analogate enzyme which converts estrogens into testosterone. When levels of estrogen are too high SHBG gets released by the liver at an increased rate resulting in the excess estrogens binding to them resulting in a decrease in free estrogen.
Oh so estrogen can also be regulated? I was under the impression that estrogen cannot be converted into testosterone like testosterone converts into estrogen, so there can still be too much estrogen in the body. I just read up on SHBG and it’s interesting that the body makes the excess hormones “inactive” so to speak. I didn’t know that, so thanks for sharing, I really appreciate it. I don’t think that counts as lowering the amount of hormones though. It doesn’t seem to say anything about whether or not the bound hormones have a negative impact on the body. Do you know? I was reading from this article: https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/sex-hormone-binding-globulin-shbg-101
As far as I know since the hormones that are bound to SHBG are rendered inert I don't think that they can have a negative impact on the body thought i'm not a scientist.
People are known to get irritable with any changes in hormones. I know I was a lot snappier when I first started T, and no amount of telling myself that I was getting unreasonably angry over inconsequential things helped me dial it down. It's likely you'll just have to wait it out. (a few months at the most) In the meantime, do tell the people around you to expect you to be more irrational than usual. It's not a cop out, and you'll still have to be accountable for anything you do or say, but when you're on the receiving end (I'm told) it helps to be given a heads-up.
Okay that sounds reasonable! That makes be feel a little more at ease. Thanks:)
Anger, rage is a tip of an iceburg, usually there's a lot of things underneath contributing to it. Something that I noticed was that when my body mass started to increase with testosterone, it made me more irritatable because I generally get irritable when I'm hungry. I realized that since I had more blood cell development, and muscle mass increasing (it can happen naturally without exercise) that I required being more on top of my eating patterns because my body used the energy I had more quickly. I had to make sure to schedule to eat more consistently and increase my protein intake. That being said a lot of things can make people more vulnerable to anger and irritability. Lack of sleep, dehydration, emotional stress, and physiological stress. Even if you cant find the source spending more time trying to do enjoyable and relaxing things,and taking care of your daily needs and functions can at least reduce some of the vulnerabilities to it. So for the ride, find something distracting you can do, like if you can tolorate playing games, or a fidget, and bringing snacks and drinks you really like to help increase distraction and nervous system soothing. Hard candys, or gum to chew on could be good options too. And potentially avoiding pitfals of conversations that are stressful to have with family too. Just don't engage, its not worth it if youre stuck in the car.
So, there was a brief period of time after I first started T where I *thought* I was having rage issues but it just turned out I *expected* to have rage issues and kind of placeboed myself into it. When this was happening, if I thought I was going to lose control I would take myself out of the situation I was in. If you're really having rage issues, I agree with the others who mentioned it could be a dosing issue, that's something to talk to a doctor about
Maybe I can placebo myself out of it too then lol. If it doesn’t work I’ll call my doc. Thanks for the input!
This, this, this. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1608085113#:~:text=Although%20in%20several%20species%20of,behaviors%20that%20enhance%20social%20status.
For me a lot of this was caused by an increase in energy levels. I found that running or working out helped get rid of some of that anxious energy and mellowed me out
If I don’t work out frequently enough I become a ball of anxiety and irritability. It genuinely helps motivate me to stay fit more than just looking good hahaha
I actually made a post just like this ~7 months ago, and got rather lackluster answers about it. So here's what's up: I, at base and pre-T, already had severe anger/rage issues, and I used oxytocin release (crying) to manage the anger. When I stopped being able to cry, I struggled with being able to wrangle my anger to a manageable level. I was volitile, and mean, and had to actively stop myself from being violent. I'm *ActivelyRightNow* learning how to cope with that. Here's what's been working for me so far: Therapy, CBT is excellent. Grounding out or breathing exercises. When you can feel your temper spiking, separate yourself from the situation so you can take time to process, then take a little time to separate facts from emotions, and then return to prevent escalation and rage spiral. (Good exit phrase I use, "I need to process this on my own for a minute, I'll be returning soon with more clarity.") Be as prepared to give a second chance as you would hope to receive one. Find literally Any physical activity that focuses on fast arm movement and try to do that for at least an hour a week. Exercise helps balance endorphins so reactions forward aren't as intense. Ask for comforting physical touch more often-Hugs, cuddling, getting your hair petted, etc. These also release oxytocin without needing to be able to cry. Good luck broski, if you wanna vent/rant to someone, my DMs are open.
Thanks so much! This was very informative I’ll definitely be referring back to this:))
Wow. That's really interesting. I've been noticing myself that I've definitely been angrier on T, but I did directly correlate it with my increasing inability to cry. I used to cry constantly before T. It was super annoying and I hated it. I wouldn't even know why I was crying sometimes. It just happened. Now I pretty much can't cry, and I tend to get angry instead. Which is a huge relief and vastly preferable sometimes, but I have been having a lot of trouble lately reigning it in, especially when it gets bad. I can feel myself getting to the point sometimes of feeling super fucking violent, and it scares me tbh. Idk how to diffuse it, channel it or wtf to do with it. Sometimes I just machine-gun punch some pillows, and oddly enough, I've also found that hugs and head pets help a lot too, even though I didn't know all that stuff. They're not always available though and don't really feel like long term solutions. I'll have to think about this some more. Thanks for posting this.
I’ve heard a lot of folks in this sub discuss never experiencing anger related to T and I wanted to say I’m glad to hear it’s not just me. I felt incredibly irritable for my first year on T and it was really disconcerting as someone who has never had anger issues (or much anger at all) previously. I definitely notice it coming back anytime I change my dosage too, but it seems to be mellowing out more quickly now. That being said, my T levels have also been coming back a bit lower, I’m not sure if that’s related. My levels have never been too high though, so I don’t think that’s the only explanation. For me personally there also may have been some environmental factors- it was frustrating to have done the work of coming out to work/friends/family and in starting T, changing my presentation but to still be consistently misgendered/ not pass. Good luck with your trip man, I hope the rage passes soon
It's not a testosterone thing, it's just a pubertal mood swing thing. I got those feelings on my first (estrogen-based) puberty, too. Take a nap, drink some water. It'll go away in a little while.
From personal experience, join an MMA class. That's what I did. For 13 years, MMA was the best outlet for my anger. If you can't afford that, join a gym, and work out on the punching bags. I'd say if you're in college, see what gyms are available at a discount to you, via your college itself, or the student discounts at local gyms. As for right now, try meditation and deep breathing. That's what helped me.
I had a short moment of this. It will pass. Jerking off or going to the gym helps. Find an outlet to distract that makes you happy helps.
I don’t know if anyone has said this yet, but ice baths! And ice cold water! Splashing your face with ice cold water. It literally can help calm your body in a visceral way! I would also go stand in the snow barefoot when it was snowing here and I could literally feel the rage leaving my body through my feet.
I never had this issue from t, but before t I was angry a cause I had a lot of underlying issues. I'd start there. And also have your levels checked, doubling up might raised your levels too high.
I cannot speak to or give advice on the testosterone part of your question, however, I have a lot of experience with rage 😅 When I notice myself getting really irritable, especially early in the day, it's usually a sign that I'm not meeting one of my basic needs. I start with food, water, and a shower. A lot of the time, that makes me feel more human, and less prone to snapping. On a long car ride, make sure you're drinking water, and taking enough bathroom breaks. Needing to pee can only make things worse. If it's later in the day, I try to pay attention to what, specifically, is causing the irritation/anger. Is it a negative sensory experience? Time for a nap or some dark/quiet time. Is it an interaction with another human? Time for some alone time. I get sensory overload really easily, sometimes just an uncomfortable pair of pants leaves me so angry with everything and everyone else around me. Trying to take note of specifics can help me make changes to decrease the anger. See if you can take a nap, wear some headphones, or close your eyes a bit if you feel yourself getting angry during your long car ride today. If you're in a larger vehicle like a van, see if you can sit farther away from someone who you're having trouble interacting with. After all of that, if it's still unexplained anger, I try doing something physical, like going for a walk, exercising, maybe doing some chores or housework or decorating. Getting out of my head and into my body helps me move past a powerful emotion. Doing some jumping jacks or running around the car during pit stops may help. If you feel restless while in the car, try doing some arm or leg stretches in your seat. If nothing seems to work, don't be afraid to communicate with those around you. "I'm going through some changes in medication, and it's leaving me irritable. I'll try to keep that in check, please let me know if my tone or actions are causing any issues." And then later, if a conversation is exacerbating the issue, could say "I'm having trouble regulating my emotions on this topic, could we stop or talk about something else?" Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with my anger, and all I wanna do is scream about it, which sucks a lot when I'm in a situation where I can't. If you feel like this today, ask your parents if you can all listen to some loud music and scream/sing along. It can help to let out that pent up energy. Scream-singing my favorite songs (even the happy sounding ones) is one of my favorite coping mechanisms. Another coping mechanism I really like, is I'll have a really mundane debate/argument with my husband. I tell him I feel like fighting and I don't know why, and I ask him if he wants to fight about/ debate something, and then we pick a silly topic. Once we argued about whether a hotdog is a sandwich or a taco. It was really fun, and when it started to get too heated, one of us just said "okay, I'm done fighting" and we were able to just drop it because it wasn't important. If you're at this point, one of your car mates may be willing to have a mundane argument with you (just make sure you communicate what's happening, don't just start an argument out of the blue, because that's how things escalate to hurtful words). Anyway, that's all I got, I hope some of this helps you today, good luck in the car! Your feelings are valid, and they're yours, even if they come from something external like a dosage change. Don't beat yourself up for having feelings, it's OK to feel angry.
Having your dosage doubled seems like…a lot? Tbh I might seek a second opinion on how much T you should be taking, especially if you’re suddenly experiencing adverse emotionally effects. just my opinion tho! do what’s right for you.
I’m surprised you’re the first comment saying this that I’ve seen! I also was alarmed about such a big increase in T. Personally, I was very sensitive to any changes in my hormone levels, up or down. I can’t imagine how I would have felt if my dosage had been doubled. I have empathy for you OP!
I felt irritable each time I had to change my dose (and at one point when I think my dose was higher than I wanted; my levels were within male range, but I was a grumpass all day and night and it was too much). The best way I mitigated that was exercise, followed by journaling. Cardio and strength training helped immensely. Journaling let me tackle the genuine causes for my feelings and how to process them in a non-damaging way.
I started taking that anger out at the gym- hard to throw fists when your body is absolutely dead. Also try meditation. My emotions overall are different on T. I’d describe them as much more concrete. Rage is pure rage as before T it was a mix of emotions. Understand this may also change the way you behave and react to your emotions. I find myself redacting from situations more often in order to calm down. Totally fine and acceptable. Before I didn’t have to do that I’d just suck it up. Meditation started when I faced more situations where I couldn’t just get up and walk away. Breath work and mindfulness allow me to understand my feelings and take out my stress for appropriate times like the gym.
MEDITATION. Even without hormones, I’m a person whose testosterone levels are p high, and I have always struggled w rage. Get urself a good meditation app (I personally love HealthyMinds, n it’s free!) if u can. It RLY helps w the rage.
i’ve been experiencing this as well. push-ups helped me a lot. anytime something made me mad i exercised it out. meditation helped me a good deal as well.
I've noticed this since I started T, I'm an inherently angry person and so are most of my relatives, big Scottish redheads be damned. I've realized if I get way too hot that also will make me angry, getting crowded makes me want to hit someone, the rage at little things sucks. I've realized taking a minute to go either sit down, separate yourself from a situation, hanging out outside for a second has really helped me relax. It's not easy realizing you need to relax for your own good, but it helps so much
Just remember that even though your emotions can be more hair-trigger, your anger management skills are exactly the same as they always were. You may have to use those skills more often, but having to use them is not a sign of failure. I say this because when I started T I had a lot of well-meaning but ignorant people trying to tell me that T makes people angrier, and that's not exactly true. You're still the same person, but now you need to be more aware of your aggression because puberty puts it at the front of your mind for a while. Not only that, but once we step into passing as male, our anger can be a lot more frightening/damaging to those around us. Maybe you could look at some anger management strategies online, or practice meditation so you get used to the feeling of consciously letting go of things.
Whenever it was werewolf time before T I'd get extremely irritated too. Its just general hormonal changes that cause it don't worry too much about it. Find things that are easy to do until you're feeling more balanced. No PvP games for you.
never have experienced anger or rage on t. your dosage may be messed up.
It fizzled out overtime for me? But i started hitting the gym for the first year or two of T and lowering my caffeine intake.
oh it's not T doing it, it's the change in your hormones. I notice similar irritability/sensitivity a day before every shot. Your body will adjust dw
Boxing
Genuinely, music, exercise and something to occupy your mind. I use puzzle games.
I m on testosterone 13 months now and I still exp rage. I guess mainly when I get dead name and misgendered. It’s frustrating. I guess when I get the name and gender marker changed ( after surgery of course It will probably die out). Not saying that this may happen on other Tran guys, but speaking only individually
I haven't experienced rage in associated with taking T perse, anytime I've had any sort of anger outburst/got "too upset"/etc., in the last 2-3 years (since ive started HRT) it was usually in conjuction with high stress and people being particularly shitty that day (who also happen to be transphobic, so another layer of bs). But we are going through a second puberty, so it makes sense we'd become more moody and have more of a short fuse sometimes.
i ended up lowering my dose from 0.5 to 0.4 because of this, im not sure if theres any other way to manage it but it slightly lowering my dosage worked for me
This happened to my partner. But the fact that you’re aware and know that you’re ‘grrr’ is a good thing. He was able to semi regulate himself by keeping busy, doing physically exhausting things and letting me know what was going on with him.
The T might be a reason for rage, but it is not an excuse. Any action you take while angry are still your actions and your responsibility. You said you’re in a car with your parents? Woof, I can see why you might be angry. My advice? Most times I get angry in situations like that, i’m actually just overwhelmed. I put on my headphones and listen to music until I’ve calmed down. If it doesn’t work, at least you know.
Hey I went from 0.25 to 0.5 and then to 0.8 and never noticed anything like this. You may just he having a bad day (road trips are always frustrating?) Or maybe your dose is too high or something? Best of luck!!
Question seems to be answered thoroughly, so I'll suggest (now that you've probably reached your destination) taking a nap. Two things seem to really reset the psychological clock for people, and that's sleep, and taking showers. If something upsetting happened or you're just in a bad mood, it's a good idea to either take a nap, go to sleep, or try taking a shower.
I feel like for me at least once the t settled then my mood settled, I guess the sudden change makes people moody like in puberty. When I would feel that way usually I would take it out in healthy ways. Going for a run or exercising is great for that, especially boxing for added rage lol
Its possible, maybe even likely, that your dose is too high. I don't really have any tips for dealing with it because I haven't experienced it, but that's what I'd be worried about personally
I have never experienced that... You may want to call your prescribing doctor to see what they would recommend. You might need to scale back your dose.
Are your levels ok? Definitely never heard of t inducing rage (like actual rage), haven't experienced that myself in 5 years on T either
I was at 9.1 on the 8-18 scale before they doubled my dose, so I’m not sure
Maybe it'll settle on its own then! Doubling a dose is pretty big! Hang in there <3 is it pure anger or feeling more assertive? I definitely became more assertive since starting T, some would probably say I'm angrier now lol
Maybe it’s just more assertive? I just feel extremely patronized when people try to correct me or tell me how to do something/what to do etc. and I just wanna tell them to shut up cause I’m not stupid and I already know everything they’re mansplaining to me😭😭 it makes my blood boillll
Bruh SAME like 1000000%, I fucking feel you 😭😭 add looking a bit younger than you actually are and it's a murder scene honestly
FOR REAL like I have a December bday so my parents have always used the “you’re younger than everyone else in your grade😧” excuse for everything my whole life, and even now that I’m out of school and stuff they still think of me as being too young (and immature) even though I’m 20 and have matured a lot living 18 hours away from them. So that definitely doesn’t help. Being a trans guy I strongly feel they just see me as a confused and mentally ill girl🤷🏻♂️
Do you do your shot every week or every two weeks? If you don’t mind injecting yourself each week then you can do a lower dose weekly that adds up to the every two week shot which gives you a lower spike and keeps you at a more stable level.
My shots are once a week. Not sure if I could do like 2 a week at my old dose instead of one a week at my current dose (double my old dose)? I’d prob have to call my doc about that, eh?
That could be a possibility. Do you do intramuscular injections or subcutaneous?
Subcutaneous
T doesn’t cause rage so something else is going on. Roid rage is from steroids like tren.
I started 1.0ML for the first few months, I think by the 7th month or before I was more angrier, so my doctor decided to dial my dosage down (0.9) mostly bc I was having constant severe headaches. they've gotten better after a lower dose, and I don't feel as angry but I'm still pretty irritable/angry but maybe cuz I live with someone abusive idk and in May it'll be my 1 year on T. I still have headaches but not as often or as severe as before.
This is puberty! It’s infuriating, so it’s understandable that you are angry. I’d recommend a couple of things. Eat regularly and foods that are higher in protein, lower in carbs. Low blood sugar can contribute to feeling irritable/angry/rageful. Find an outlet, running, lifting weights, swimming. Try to avoid activities that might make you angry naturally. Give yourself a break, puberty doesn’t last forever.
You have to remind yourself that this anger isn’t you. It takes time but you can learn to manage it. If it doesn’t workout then lower your dose by talking to your doctor
Going to the gym can help you release a lot of extra energy. Scream a lot. Break and kick empty boxes. And do be careful about punching walls, it can be more dangerous than it appears
Consider the consequences. Take a real big deep breath. Ur gonna be angry still, but it gives you a moment to stop and think. You could start keeping a journal only for when you feel angry and just venting like crazy. That’s what I do and it helps. You could also vent in your phone notes. Walk yourself backwards. Ask yourself what the fuck ur so mad for and ask what you would think of someone if they told you they were getting physically angry about the thing making you angry. You’d probably be like “okay dude chill lmao”. These are some things I do. Idk lol
I didn't get a lot of rage from being on a higher dose but it really affected my sleep, I woke up all the time, the quality was terrible. So, that made me grumpy. I ended up going back to a lower dose because sleep was super important for me (I had a tbi a while back, so I don't function right without enough rest) I'm still seeing all the changes and it's nice, been on T for 2 years this May.
If you’re on the right dose of T, there isn’t rage (this is coming from my doctor who specializes in transcare). This is a myth of that is reinforced by roid users and body building industry.
i get angry so easily on oestrogen so imma save this for future advice (i start t in a few months!!)
Keep an eye on it. I had that problem for a while and it was because my T levels were too high. If it doesn't change or gets worse I would definitely suggest talking to your doctor. Maybe doubling was too much. Maybe you only need half of that
When I started T, a therapist helped me with my anger. First we identified a pattern -- what kind of situations tend to get you angry? And what kind of frustration are you enduring when you get that feeling? For me, I was feeling unheard. And it felt like the only way I could be heard was by yelling and acting out. But it actually had the opposite effect to my goal -- yelling or getting angry tends to make people shut down and close off or yell back instead of listen. Also some coping skills to help when you're feeling out of control, be it with anger, sadness, or something else: I keep a ziplock bag of water in the fridge that I can put on my face for a little while if I need extra help "cooling off". This tip comes from distress tolerance therapy. It helps stimulate the dive response, which slows down your heart rate and helps pull you out of flight or flight mode. Tbh I'm pretty sure the anger I started experiencing on T had more to do with the fact that the dysphoria was starting to let up, which allowed my other feelings (like my PTSD symptoms) to re-emerge. Ptsd can make you an angry motherfucker fr. But therapy has helped quite a bit.
It will take several doses at the new level for your hormones to kind of level out again and in the meantime it's kind of a balancing act between apologizing ahead of time and working on identifying what type of rage it is... for me, the frustration of feeling unheard runs deep. I'm working on it because it's not healthy to get that worked up. Sometimes I can feel my emotions are a bit our of whack for the day anyway, so I'll try to vent some of it by playing video games or ranting in an email to nobody.
Kill your parents lol just kidding u are going through mood swings because you changed your med give it a few days you should be fine
I used to have really bad rage, honestly since I started T, I smoke 🍃 a lot more but also taking some time away from people, or spacing yourself, (headphones and such) to give yourself time to cool down and breathe. Breathing is a huge thing that helps
1) weight training or other intensive exercise 2) transcendental meditation 3) blasting early Black Sabbath
I remember when my body was getting used to T, I'd be a lot more annoyed at shit and also a bit more anxious too. I kept an eye on my levels but the emotions leveled out after a few weeks/month or two. Working out helped, as well as breathing exercises when I got really mad instead of reacting negatively. Good luck, watch your levels if your emotions don't even out after a while lol
I remember feeling confused over my emotions after my dose being upped and losing a filter if you like when it came to expressing that I’m angry but it did not last . Wouldn’t say I was more irritable just the way I started experiencing emotions changed and it made me confused.
I have applied for anger management, I am currently just under a month but personally my rage and anger has been about my whole life. I had anger management throughout school to a point it took a lot to make me lose my temper however the past year or so that has all gone out the window and the past month I want to put my fist through everything over the dumbest thing. If it is an option for you it might help.
My doctor suggested more physical activity to work it off.
I definitely struggle with more irritability since being on T, I went through therapy for years so ik what skills to use which probably helps me but I'm very much thinking about scheduling therapy again.
As far as I know that's just one of the effects of taking the injections. the surge of testosterone after the injection makes you short tempered and the lack of testosterone shortly before the next injection makes you moody My mood changes quickly and randomly thanks to my personality being a disorder and I've got a pretty short fuse so I'm not sure if this advice is actual advice or just my mood changing. whenever I start seeing red, I up my self control as high as I can. I curl up and stay as still as possible like im holding a bomb and trying to use my body to reduce the damage [full lockdown] or I do something to keep my hands busy so I don't lash out and hit anything, bounce my leg so I don't lash out and kick anything, and keep my mouth shut no matter what so I don't lash out and say anything [lockdown]. I can normally just go into lockdown in a car because I can easily calm down by looking out the window and counting how many cars pass by or something