Irritability in men is often a result of high stress cortisol levels and low testosterone levels. Some men respond by acting out while others hold these feelings in and become depressed.
Testosterone, cortisol and serotonin are the major agents influencing this process, with testosterone activating aggression reactions and cortisol and serotonin acting antagonistically to testosterone to reduce its effect.
Researchers found that increases in the thyroid hormone thyroxine, not testosterone, were linked to anger. Increases in testosterone were actually associated with forgetfulness and poor concentration (4). Interestingly, many men also turn irritable when their testosterone levels fall below normal.
Physical effects of anger
The adrenal glands flood the body with stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. The brain shunts blood away from the gut and towards the muscles, in preparation for physical exertion.
The male sex hormone testosterone is closely associated with aggression in both men and women. The neurotransmitter serotonin helps us inhibit aggression. Negative emotions, including fear, anger, pain, and frustration, particularly when accompanied by high arousal, may create aggression.
Males with low testosterone are not automatically angrier than those with normal or high testosterone. There is however a predisposition for people with low testosterone to be more irritable and have less robust emotional buffers. Testosterone is associated with better mood and greater confidence.
While high testosterone levels in a man can sometimes result in increased muscle mass, it also brings with it a whole host of other side effects; acne, mood swings, stunted growth, and weight gain to name just a few.
In this regard, hormones such as oxytocin, cortisol, and/or testosterone have been found to be important in modifying facial emotion processing. In fact, brain structures that participate in facial emotion processing have been shown to be rich in receptors for these hormones.
Estrogen signaling affects aggressive interactions, as well as several behaviors that are closely linked with aggression, including sexual behavior, communication, and learning and memory.
That may surprise you given what people might consider obvious evidence of testosterone excess: road rage, fighting among fathers at Little League games, and sexual promiscuity. Part of this may be due to the difficulty defining "normal" testosterone levels and "normal" behavior.
Many events can cause stress, and if they are experiencing depression, this can result in a change in mood and behavior. If recent events are to blame for why your husband is always angry, you may need to give them space and time to heal before expecting their anger to completely subside.
Mental health issues: Owing to his unresolved emotional issues, he may be dealing with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety that make him seem distant, cold, withdrawn or irritable or snappy.
Moodiness stems from an unwillingness to confront and work through deeper issues. Brooding and blaming others is a way to avoid digging deeper into the inner source of anger and resentment. Moody people avoid facing and resolving their personal conflicts when others accept the blame and cater to them.
Exposure to violence and aggression during childhood, going through traumatic experiences, or being the victim of abuse and/or neglect are examples of some environmental factors that could bring about intermittent explosive disorder symptoms.
“In theory, these estrogen-producing neurons could have controlled any part of social behavior, or all social behaviors, but we found they control only a very small component of aggression,” said Unger.
Dopamine: Often called the "happy hormone," dopamine results in feelings of well-being. A primary driver of the brain's reward system, it spikes when we experience something pleasurable. Praised on the job? You'll get a dopamine hit.
Cortisol and epinephrine are essentially produced in equal amounts in men and women during stressful events. However, it is oxytocin, a bonding hormone (also called "the love hormone"), that is produced and released in much lower amounts in men than women when stressed.
Complete answer: Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is responsible for the emotional state such as fear, anger, and fight to flight responses such as a rise in blood pressure and an increased rate of heartbeat. It is normally produced by Adrenal glands as well as a small number of neurons in the medulla oblongata.
Diagnosing high testosterone
A doctor may check for signs and symptoms of high testosterone, including acne and increased muscle mass. They will also ask about a person's libido and mood.
The researchers took saliva samples from the men to measure hormone levels of testosterone and cortisol. Women who were at the most fertile stage of their menstrual cycles preferred the smell of men with higher testosterone, rating these "manly" shirts as the most pleasant and sexiest, results showed.
That last item on the list might surprise you if you thought testosterone causes anger. However, when your hormones are out of balance, feelings like anger may become more intense. Whether your testosterone level is too high or too low, it can impact your emotional health.
Testosterone activates the subcortical areas of the brain to produce aggression, while cortisol and serotonin act antagonistically with testosterone to reduce its effects.