Can High or Low Testosterone Cause Anger Issues? Know Science

You probably already know that low testosterone can affect the body’s functions in different ways. This is one of the reasons why men, after a certain age, seek solutions to boost their production. Now, amidst the discussion and debate about whether it can influence an individual’s emotional state, specifically ‘anger’, we often casually pin any aggressive behaviour on high or low amounts of testosterone. But, given our body’s intricate relationship with the hormone system, this is more than just a casual association.

Let’s take an in-depth look into some available scientific studies to understand how testosterone is associated with emotional well-being, whether it is the low or high testosterone that causes anger or aggressiveness and more.

What Does Testosterone Do?

This might sound very basic but to understand how testosterone might influence anger issues, it is important to know its role in the body’s functioning.

Testosterone is the dominant hormone of masculinity. This means it is responsible for the various developments in men like coarse voice, facial and body hair, muscle growth, and reproductive development. But its role doesn’t stop there. Aside from giving men the masculine characteristics, testosterone contributes to several other secondary functions like-

● Supporting in weight loss	● Increasing bone density
● Boosting metabolism	● Improving sex drive
● Strengthening and expanding muscles	● Uplifting mood, and self-esteem

That’s right! Testosterone has a major contribution in balancing your emotional state by elevating self-perception, confidence, and mood which positively influences the quality of life. Also, note that it influences some of the major functions of the body that are key factors in determining our state of mind. That is why, regulating the levels of testosterone is paramount – for seamless functioning of the body.

Now that you have some clue that testosterone might cause anger issues, it is important to understand whether over presence of testosterone acts adversely on the body giving rise to ‘noid rage’.

What Causes Anger Issues- High Or Low Testosterone?

If you ponder informally, the easiest logic to get to the conclusion would be higher levels of aggression or anger are triggered by the excessive presence of testosterone in the body. Well, undoubtedly it does because if you have high testosterone levels, your energy levels would likely be at the peak making you more assertive or rather, fierce.

Now, it is easy to assume then that low testosterone will probably keep you calm, but, that isn’t what it looks like. For instance, you might have also noticed some elderly men getting cross for no big reason, which is actually because of the irritable male syndrome or even ‘andropause’ involving mood swings, irritation, anger, or, anxiety often indicating the symptoms of low testosterone.

If you remember from our previous article, one of the many causes of low testosterone is aging which seems to establish the connections here.

Now let’s get to some scientific facts to understand this.

Scientific Connection Between Testosterone And Anger

Several studies have shown that low testosterone has a direct association with aggressive behaviour in men including anger issues. While there could be many reasons behind this, one of the major factors is high levels of stress.

You probably know that testosterone plays a crucial role in brain development in men and it starts right from the fetal stage. Low testosterone levels or a deficiency during the developmental stage can, therefore, lead to physiological disorders including anger problems.

This is the same case with ageing men as well. A clinical review suggests that insufficient testosterone secretion could be one of the reasons for depression and aggression in older men. That is why regulating testosterone levels is essential as both high and low levels can adversely affect the emotional state of men.

One of the research suggests that a high amount of testosterone activates the subcortical regions of the brain which produces aggression. This is the reason why athletes become aggressive during a competitive game which drives them to compete for the win, leading to confronting their opponents.

Meanwhile, another animal intervention that we found also demonstrates that both overexposure and deficiency of testosterone during the crucial periods of development may have long-term consequences such as anger, aggression, mood swings, and more lasting through later age.

Alternative Causes Of Anger

Well, most of the above clinical studies have shown how testosterone can have a direct impact on brain development or the stress hormone leading to aggression and anger. There is also compelling reasoning that anger can result from various secondary issues that emerge as a result of low testosterone and that affect the quality of life.

For example, low testosterone can lead to reduced sex drive, excessive fatigue as a result of low energy, irritability, hair loss, loss of muscle mass, lack of focus, weak cognitive functioning, and even obesity. All of these can have a direct impact on your mood and mental health and deteriorate your quality of life.

In normal situations, these can be a cause of frustration, which indicates that low testosterone leads to anger issues in a significant way.

How To Treat Low Testosterone

Low testosterone is a common issue in men and can occur because of various reasons. But that doesn’t mean you will have to live with it. There are ways to tackle testosterone deficiency, however, before you get to that, it is important that you first figure out the actual cause of the anger issues. While testosterone is one of the prominent reasons, there can be other prevailing health conditions leading to this emotional state. If you are unsure, then it is best to get the blood work done to confirm if your testosterone levels are low before you seek solutions to fix it.

There are various natural ways to regulate testosterone levels but the most fundamental thing is to shift to a healthier diet including testosterone boosting foods, good sleep, and regular exercise. You can also include natural testosterone boosters to improve your testosterone levels in addition to following a healthy and active lifestyle. The boosters bring out the body’s natural ability to produce testosterone without affecting the body’s functions adversely.

If your testosterone levels are seriously low, then you should see a doctor, and depending on the severity of the deficiency you may be advised to go for Testosterone Replacement Therapy or TRT. While this can help elevate the testosterone levels promptly, the treatment comes with certain side effects. That is why it is paramount to transition to a healthy and active lifestyle. Nonetheless,

Conclusion

Low testosterone, without a doubt, has a direct association with anger as the hormone plays a key role in the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of an individual. Men with a deficiency thus tend to be more aggressive or angry than those with healthy levels. Various studies have established that both low and excessive testosterone in the body affects mood in different ways. However, to determine that your anger issues are the consequence of low testosterone, you must see a doctor and get your levels checked first before looking for solutions to balance your testosterone levels.