What is irritability?
Irritability is defined as an emotional state characterized by feeling easily annoyed, impatient, and temperamental. We all experience irritability from time to time, but when it becomes excessive, lasts for long periods, and disrupts daily life, it may signify an underlying condition.
Causes of Irritability
There are many potential causes of increased irritability, including:
- Stress - High stress levels can make us more prone to agitation and moodiness. Both acute and chronic stress can lead to irritability.
- Mental health conditions - Conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD are linked with higher irritability levels. The emotional disturbances of mental illnesses can make people feel more on-edge.
- Hormonal changes - Fluctuations in hormones, like those during menstruation, perimenopause, or andropause, are infamous for causing irritability. Hormones greatly impact mood.
- Medications - Certain prescription drugs, herbal remedies, and even over-the-counter medications are known to cause increased feelings of restlessness as a side effect.
- Sleep deprivation - Lack of sleep is a common trigger for irritability, as it puts the body under stress and makes emotions harder to regulate.
- Health issues - Medical problems like chronic pain, inflammation, seizures, or brain injuries can increase aggression and impatience as a symptom.
Managing Irritability
If you frequently feel irritable without a clear cause or find it severely impacting relationships and activities, contact a mental health professional. Together, you can get to the root of irritability triggers and build coping strategies, like:
- Relaxation techniques - Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and mindfulness help calm the body and mind. The Balance Hormone Solutions offers custom relaxation training.
- Lifestyle changes - Ensuring adequate sleep, nutrition, exercise, and work-life balance can lessen irritability. Our clinicians provide science-based lifestyle plans.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) - CBT helps identify and modify negative thought patterns contributing to emotional disturbances like chronic irritability.
- Medication - In some cases, medications that regulate mood, anxiety, hormones, or other biological factors can greatly improve extreme and persistent feelings of irritability.
With professional support, those suffering from severe irritability can find relief through lifestyle changes, therapy techniques, medication management, and more. The multidisciplinary care team at Balance Hormone Solutions specializes in irritability treatment customized to the unique needs of each client. We invite you to schedule a consultation today to discuss how we can help you or a loved one overcome disruptive and excessive feelings of impatience, annoyance, and aggression.